Day Four, Week Three (Part 1): (Disappointing) Deadlifts

I love my local YMCA, but I've got one gripe: their barbells suck. All but one have slightly larger circumferences than normal barbells, and the one standard-sized bar has knurling that's too sharp and rips my palms up. Unfortunately, tomorrow I won't have access to the PRO Club's perfect barbells, so despite having lifted the past two days in a row, I decided to do deadlifts today at the PRO Club and the remainder of the workout tomorrow with my training partner at the YMCA. Big mistake.

You know that phrase, something like, "My eyes are bigger than my stomach?" Well, today my eyes were bigger than my legs, back and grip. I went in lacking energy; I was exhausted. But I didn't think it would prevent me from going for a new personal best lift. As it turned out, my lack of energy made me weak and my form suffered. On my final rep, I couldn't get the bar but a few inches off the floor, and backing down to only 5 pounds heavier than last week, I couldn't quite lift it all the way.

I think there are 3 major reasons I was so lacking in energy: 1) This was my third day in a row lifting; 2) I jogged about 3 miles with my coworker a few hours earlier; and 3) I hadn't eaten much, and not since about 3 hours earlier. In the future I'll try not to make the same mistakes, and I recommend you also avoid them. On a day you intend to lift very heavy, pushing your max, make sure you've had a day of rest, that you haven't exhausted yourself with cardio only hours earlier, and that you've eaten recently.

One bit of good news: no blisters. Even in the last failed lifts, when the bar began to slip from my hands, it didn't feel or appear as though the calluses were about to rip off. Looks like filing them down with the pumice--along with, of course, gripping tightly--is pretty effective.

Anyway, here are my numbers for part 1 of day four's workout:

Deadlift Day
Exercise	4/13 2010	4/21 2010	4/28 2010	Week Four
Deadlift	135x5	135x5	135x5
	225x5	225x5	225x5
	315x1	315x1	315x1
	365x1	375x1	385x1
	405x1	415x1	425x1
	425x1	435x1	445x1
	445x1	455x1	465x1
	470x1	480x1	495x1
			485x1

A Snail's Pace

After 6 days the weight loss isn't anything to write home about; a mere 0.8 pounds down to 279 even. Though, I was then a full 2 pounds lighter than the day before, which also ended several days of little weight loss. Maybe I'll find myself down a couple of pounds tomorrow. Even if not, I think I'm still on-track to having lost enough to compete in the 275 weight class in June. Only 4 pounds to go in 2 months--totally doable.

Day Three, Week Three: Light Bench Press

Back to day three, light, explosive bench presses:

Light Bench Day
Exercise	4/12 2010	4/20 2010	4/27 2010	Week Four
Bench	135x15	135x15	135x15
	225x3	225x3	225x3
	230x3	230x3	230x3
	235x3	235x3	235x3
	240x3	240x3	240x3
	245x3	245x3	245x3
	250x3	250x3	250x3
	255x3	255x3	255x3
	260x3	260x3	260x3
	355x1
Smith Machine Military Press	90x12	90x12	95x12
	110x10	110x12	115x11
	110x9	120x10	125x10
Pushups	15	20	20
	15	15	20
	15	15	15
Reverse Grip Bench Press	145x12	150x12	155x12
	165x10	170x12	175x10
	175x9	180x10	185x10

Midnight Run: The 2010 Firecracker 5k

I mentioned yesterday that my wife and I are training to take part in her first 5k this summer. The specific run for which we're preparing is the 2010 Firecracker 5k. Starting at 11:55pm on Saturday, July 3rd, the idea is that we'll be running at the moment the clock strikes midnight, ringing in Independence Day. At first this seemed a bit strange and irrelevant (of course, I ran the St. Patty's Day Dash 5 years ago; what the heck does that have to do with health and fitness?), but upon further reflection I'm seeing a connection, if perhaps an unintended one.

For people who've struggled their whole lives with obesity and poor health, as my wife and I have, successfully jogging the entire 5k will be a tremendous accomplishment. We will, in a sense, be celebrating our newfound independence from our previous, unhealthy lifestyles; from laziness; from a lack of confidence; and from--for a time, at least--our unhealthy bodies. Now the symbolism of running Starr's first 5k--and my first since once again taking my health seriously--as we usher in America's Independence Day seems perfectly appropriate.

Starr Power: Couch to 5k

About 5 years ago, after I lost a ton of weight, my wife, Starr, blogged that I was an inspiration to her. Today, I can say that the reverse is true, and that I now find myself inspired by her. Over the past several months she's accomplished great things, physically and emotionally. She's gone from being unable to do more than a minute on the elliptical to going for over a half hour. She's grown from having little to no confidence in herself to being certain that she can climb any mountain.

Since my workout last Friday I've been somewhat discouraged. Back in December when I decided to compete in powerlifting, I had no expectations, or even any real hopes of being very competitive. But over the course of the months which followed, I found myself thinking more and more that I might eventually stand a chance in competition. I was left disheartened Friday, and after seeing videos of guys much lighter than me lifting far heavier than I can imagine myself ever lifting, I've lost much of that hope.

As I type these words, however, a glimmer of that hope is returning. Starr used to tell me she can't run and will never be able to. She would say she gets shin splints, pain in her lower legs preventing her from jogging even very short distances. Imagine my surprise when she recently told me she was planning to participate in a 5k this summer! Not only does she plan on participating, she intends to jog the entire thing! I'm truly amazed at the challenges my courageous wife is tackling.

I decided not only to allow myself to be inspired by Starr, but to join her. (I hope it doesn't hurt my wife when I say that I would never have imagined us jogging a 5k together.) Back in 2005, after I lost around 90 pounds, I jogged the entirely of the St. Patty's Day Dash, a 5k in Seattle. I've done little running since. To prepare for our 5k together, today I began her training program: Couch to 5k.

If the Lord lays it upon your heart, please pray for Starr and me. This would be a huge accomplishment for us both, all glory to God. Certain of Starr's friends are skeptical that she'll see this through, that she'll jog the entire thing. I can't wait to see them proven wrong.

Day Two, Week Three: Squat Day

Box squats again. Since I set the box to its lowest setting last week, I could go no lower. I think I've improved, as although I did the same weight as last week, it felt easier and more explosive. Here are the numbers:

Squat Day
Exercise	4/10 2010	4/18 2010	4/26 2010	Week Four
Box Squat	45x10	45x10	45x10
	135x3	185x3	185x3
	185x3	225x3	225x3
	225x3	260x3	260x3
	260x3	275x3	275x3
	275x3	285x3	285x3
	295x3	295x3	295x3
Shrugs	225x12	235x12	245x12
	255x12*	260x12*	270x12*
	275x12**	280x12**	290x14**
Wide Grip Seated Row	150x12 (Y)	160x12 (Y)	170x12 (Y)
	170x12 (Y)	180x12 (Y)	190x12 (Y)
	190x11 (Y)	200x10 (Y)	210x9 (Y)
Leg Curl (Prone or Seated)	160x15 (Y)	180x15 (Y)	200x15 (Y)
	180x15 (Y)	200x15 (Y)	207.5x13 (Y)
	200x10 (Y)	207.5x11 (Y)	212.5x11 (Y)

* 9 shrugs w/overhand grip; 2 w/mixed
** 6 shrugs w/overhand grip; 6 w/mixed
(Y) Machines at the YMCA