Exerbabble for 9-29-6

Balls in your mouth!

Today’s workout:

HGM Phase II “Superset for Super Gains”, Workout XIV (Lower)

Superset A
BB Squat: 5 @ 95 lbs; 12, 12, 12 @ 145 lbs (+0, +1, +2 reps)
Air Hump: 3×12 @ 50 lbs (+10 lbs)

Superset B
Good Morning: 11*, 9, 8 @ 105 lbs (+10 lbs) (PR)
Leg Press: 12, 10, 8 @ 370 lbs (+20 lbs)

Superset C
Standing Calf Raise: 12, 10, 10 @ 360 lbs (+0, -1, +0 reps)
Reverse Crunch: 3×12 @ 5 lbs

current bodyweight: 155.8 lbs (-1.8 lbs; weekly average of 156.5 lbs)

With the long wait between Monday and today (Friday), my excitment had waned a little. Not that I wasn’t looking forward today at all. It’s the difference between being nervous before a big event, and being very calm. I told myself, “Either that bar is going up, or I’m going down.” Or was it, “Either I’m going up, or that bar is going DOWN!” Either or. I was going to succeed, or hit failure trying. As expected, I made it.

I’ve squatted enough to know mid-squat where my form is off. Not like “OH NOEZ!”, but knowing where my focus should be. For some reason the mantra, “Drive your heels through the floor” came to mind. I had a slight forward lean towards the end of the last set, but I was able to straighten out as I came up. If that makes sense, correcting as you go. It’s all the good mornings, really. I was out of breath after that last set.

Is there supposed to be some upper limit to the hip extension and leg curl? I just keep adding weight without much problem.

I told myself not to sweat the Good Mornings. Now I would have been just fine the first set, except after rep 8 or 9, I noticed someone looking around the leg press I had set up, with three plates on each side. I had to pause and say, “Hey, I’m using that.” What is with chicks doing leg presses with no weight? Are you in rehab, you’re doing less weight than a bodyweight squat! Anyway, as I was distracted, I had to remember what I was doing. Thing with Good Mornings is I typically do the first rep very slow to get a full stretch in my posterior chain, as the body really does not want to go that way. As a result of pausing, I noticed I was a little tight, and couldn’t get ROM as easily. So I stopped short, as it’s no big deal. I’ve added 20 lbs to my good morning at this rep range, so I might as well make sure my form is good when I do it.

As for leg press, 370 was definitely challenging. As in, I’ll meet the challenge.

For reverse crunches, I placed a 5 lb dumbbell between my knees, like jennmedic showed. I didn’t want to just swing my lower body up, so I tried to go as slow as possible, and even lowered my legs a little bit, as I could tell it hit my abs more that way. Range of motion? Yes. It’s a slightly different motion with your legs stabilizing a (minimal) weight, but I liked it.

For anybody keeping track, this is Week 4 of Phase II. Phase II is supposed to go for only four weeks. Obviously I feel like I have a goal or two still to hit. However, I don’t even need that excuse. Phase III asks for three workouts done every other day. As my schedule is, I would do it Saturday/Monday/Wednesday. So I’ll have an upper tomorrow, a lower Monday, an upper Tuesday, and then Phase III will begin on Saturday. Three days will be all the rest I’ll want. I won’t do any preparation workout, I’ll just do whatever I think I can handle the first week, and that’ll be my deloading. Let’s just hope I underestimate. ; ) I’m incredibly antsy to start pulling again.

Adjustments: For my final lower, I’ll bump my squat 10 lbs FINALLY. If you think I’m going to just do 12/10/8, you don’t know me that well. I’m going to take the same attitude I did today and put everything I have into it. If I hit failure, I’ll have those three days for my CNS to recover. Good Mornings, I don’t want to do anything crazy. Just watch my form and keep it simple. Leg Press, I’ll put everything I have into it. walking is not something you do after a leg workout. I’ll try all of ten lbs for reverse crunches. I think I can handle it.

As for tomorrow, I’ll go kick some ass.