esqinchi

Thursday, September 10, 2015: Shoulders / Back 1. Arnold Press - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs 2. Row - 3 x 12 @ 140lbs - 3. Aussie Pullups - 3 x 12 4. Front Plate Raise - 3 x 12 @ 45lbs Didn't want to go over the top today and fully train given the stupid 5k is in just a few hours. Anyhow, shoulders got a decent pump, and I'm a little warm for the "race" later today. I should get in some stretching soon too, since I haven't run/walked more than maybe a mile or so in years. Running is just . . . boring. That's enough for today. Maybe I'll get into deadlifts tomorrow, or save them for Saturday.

It's a one armed dumbbell press. And yeah, I suppose I do. Someday soon!

Wednesday, September 9, 2015: Chest / Arms 0. Row - 2500m, 10:00 1. Flat Bench - 3 x 12 @ 205lbs 2. Skullcrusher - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs - 3. Decline Fly - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs 4. EZ Curls - 3 x 12 @ 85lbs - 5. Around the World - 3 x 12 @ 30lbs 6. Cross Curls - 3 x 12 @ 50lbs Good to be back in action today. Almost a week off the rower, and it really kicked my ass today. Otherwise, I didn't see any drop in strength or stamina in lifting. Probably won't get to/shouldn't train tomorrow since my new job asked me to come run/walk a 5k for some charity I give zero fucks about. Actually, it was a 3rd party contractor who works in the office who asked (bullied) me right in front of my new boss. I'm fairly introverted, and really REALLY protective over my free time - so it's no surprise that even thinking about doing this bullshit makes me rage like nothing else, especially since Penny needs so much care right now. In fact, my wife is having to take off work to come home and care for her so I don't make a bad impression. Either way, I'm sure I'll fuck up my knee or something like that tomorrow since I have done absolutely zero preparation for this thing. Running is a waste of time anyhow, and does nothing for me other than deplete my hard earned muscle. Anyway, I'm just pissed. Truth be told after all this time off, and after the events of the past few days, I'm not even much interested in my new job. I am especially concerned about the hours, like I've mentioned before - but anyway, this just sounds like bitching. I'll try my best to remain positive, and not make too many presumptions, despite having a pretty good knowledge of the industry itself and what is required of most involved. Maybe I'll get in a shoulder/back session tomorrow morning.

Had to look up drag curls - pretty sweet! I'll give those a shot next week. Hope you're doing well mate.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015: Update: Well it was a terrible weekend. Haven't trained since last Friday, and didn't take our trip as planned. Instead, we spent the weekend with our pup in the emergency room ICU as she developed aspiration pneumonia, as a result of her megaesophagus. Aspiration pneumonia is when food or other material (stomach acid, etc.) is regurgitated up through the esophageal passageway, and makes its way into the trachea and lungs - that's the aspiration part. The pneumonia is the resulting infection. Long story short, she was oxygen dependent for nearly 72 hours, and it was terrifying to us, and just pure hell. It really gave me a wake up call to the fragility of life. We really should cherish each moment, regardless of our state of being. Had we not reacted quickly, we probably would have lost her - actually, we did almost lose her. Anyhow, she's on to a pretty serious recovery and will need near constant attention over the next couple weeks. I've had so many thoughts over the past couple days and want to get them down but I don't really have much time right now. I'll just say it really makes you question everything when you nearly lose something you truly love; and it makes you realize what you truly love, and what you could probably live without. Physically I'm feeling alright, other than being really stressed, sleep deprived, and probably way off my diet. Haven't been eating shite food though, save for a couple cookies for moral support, mainly because I haven't been eating much at all; mostly coffee. Anyhow, noticed some pretty significant tenderness in the lateral meniscus of my left knee today, when I fully extend my leg. Anyhow, all things considered, though I could probably benefit from training as a stress reliever, it would probably be wiser to rest up today and get back in action tomorrow. In all, this made me really think about myself, and my family, and what I care about most. I'm going to make some pretty big personal changes, really try to grow up from now on, and be selfish about the things I allow to take up my time. In everything I do I am going to consider my family first, and only do that which will improve our lives the most. PS: Forgot to mention that megaesophagus a/k/a Mega E is when the esophagus is no longer able to assist in the propulsion of food/water into the stomach. Think of a balloon that has been overblown, and is no longer able to function as a balloon. The esophagus becomes enlarged, and just kind of deflates. This enables food and water to pool, and allow for the matter to easily be regurgitated or vomited up. It's not a death sentence, but it will require some pretty significant management, including vertical positioning when feeding and drinking, as well as a period of time to pass in that position to promote digestion. Essentially, we are using gravity to draw the food/water into the stomach. Her case is fairly mild, but I think it can progress to be more severe over time. Until we get a special apparatus known as a Bailey Chair, she has to be fed by hand, and held for about 20-30 minutes after eating/drinking in order to avoid aspiration. It's a terrible condition, but we love her enough to help her the best we can. So far so good, and to turn it into a positive, at least I get to spend much more time physically close to her, which just solidifies the bond we have, and points I made above.

Ab wheels are brutal. When I was much larger, I tried one just for fun. Felt that for about a week. I too, on occasion, have a flare up of eczema, usually on my left calf. Tends to come out in times of high stress, or very dry climate, or when it's really hot outside. Do you know it to be tied to diet? Sucks with the minimal variety at the moment. When I tried 80/10/10 for about six months I started having allergic reactions to bananas; small breakouts, etc. That's kind of what put me off the whole thing - that and gaining 12 pounds.

I'd throw in a recommendation to work your legs independently of each other, with pistol squats, single leg squats, single leg good mornings, etc. Helps to build up your balance and other fine muscles. Also, I like to do trios of pullups, utilizing different grips. That way you can focus on not only the lats, but also other areas such as biceps. Don't forget Aussie pullups either. I'd have to second Eiji with doing full sets and then taking a rest. It's also great for increasing heart rate. With respect to your pullup swinging issue, I try to put one foot on top of the other, and then slightly bend my knees back.

How are things going out in the sticks mate? Have your gym all put together? Avocado mousse sounds excellent. Just avocados and cocoa powder? Hope you're doing well.

Dude, there isn't a day that goes by that I'm not thinking of how much better our lives would be if we were there. I grew up in Springfield, MO, and the only other place that's ever felt like home to me is Wisconsin. We thought about moving to Milwaukee, which is one of my favorite places on Earth, but kind of decided it would be a bit of a lateral move from Chicago. Chicago is a miserable place to live, and I'm that SD shares many of the same faults. That being said, we are ready for a big change of pace and lifestyle. I've been in Chicago for 16 years, which is far longer than I ever thought I would stay. But, it's taken a toll on me, and I need to get out to grow as an individual. Maybe it's ironic that we'd choose a place so much smaller, but we have a lot of goals coming up in the future (kids, more family oriented lifestyle, desire for space in our living setting, a real back yard), and that stuff is much more feasible in Madison. Hell, I'd prefer to live in the woods - but I think my wife would rather have something in the city. We love hanging out on Willy street so much. We always stay right around Willy/Jenifer, right next to the Coop. Shit man just thinking about hitting up Mother Fools for coffee in the morning, and then going to Tex Tubb's for tacos gets me misty eyed. It's amazing how much more we value our time and each other when we are there. It really feels like we are living our lives for ourselves, as opposed to living for the city (Chicago). Just the 4 minute commute means I'd have over an extra hour to spend doing whatever in the morning. Last time we were there I went on a bunch of networking meetings, which was so cool as everyone was extremely friendly (the Wisconsin way). The morning of my first big meeting, I woke up very early, ate a leisurely breakfast, got in a solid workout, took a shower, shaved, cut my hair, and then I had an hour to kill before I even had to leave. My wife gave me a lift to the office, and when I realized how quickly the commute went by, I literally shed a tear. It was shameful and embarrassing how much time we've wasted just sitting in traffic, or going from place to place on public transit with all the homeless people, crazies, and everyone else jammed in, showing no respect for one another. I have to stop myself, or I'll just go on a rant about how terrible it is to live in Chicago; and unless you've actually lived here, most people don't understand. It might be a fun place to visit (if you stay downtown or over by Wrigley), and it's fun when you're in your 20's, but any longer and you'll find yourself at 50, crass, uncouth, rude, and just downright deeply depressed. Anyhow, I'll post up some pics from our trip man - make you jealous I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Friday, September 4, 2015: Shoulders / Back 1. Sumo Deadlift - 3 x 12 @ 160lbs 2. Circus Press - 3 x 15* @ 35lbs - 3. Row - 3 x 12 @ 170lbs 4. Delt Fly - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs - 5. Pullup Trio (Neutral, Chin, Wide) - 3 x 12 6. Lateral Raise - 3 x 12 @ 30lbs Really didn't want to train today, and just kind of went through the motions on this, if I'm being honest. Starting to feel the homesickness I'm sure to experience when I start the new job. Obviously I'm conflicted about the next step, and what it will mean for my personal life. I'm confident it's really a fear of the impending change, but I really hope that my near and distant professional future will not require a total sacrifice of the things I find most important on a personal level: family, and training. If I can keep those two things in my life at the same level I have now, or even slightly greater, I'll be fine with whatever comes along professionally speaking. Anyhow, I don't want to waste another minute sitting here when I could be doing something else. Rower and TRX tomorrow. Maybe some flexibility stuff.

Thursday, September 3, 2015: Row - 20 Minutes, 3,946 meters. Kept pace at between 32-34 meters per minute, but here and there added in a few 100 meter sprints just for fun. This was not as hard as rowing HIIT style, but I bet I could have sat on there for another 20 minutes no problem. I'll be keeping this as a regular day from now on. Back/Shoulders tomorrow. Really going to try and get up for a morning row so I don't put one in right before deadlifting. I think my hamstrings would snap!

I see you'll be getting your way anyhow, at last! Headed up to Madison, Wisconsin for a couple days. This is the place we plan to move to sometime next year if everything works out as it should. It's a lovely town of about 250,000 people, sits on an isthmus (between two beautiful lakes), has a big university, plenty of culture, and more vegan/veg friendly restaurants than Chicago! Also, it's home to some of the best beers in America, if not the best within a 30 minute drive. Should be an excellent time!

Wednesday, September 2, 2015: Chest / Arms 0. Row - 2500m, 9:15 Minutes (getting faster!) 1. Bench - 3 x 12 @ 205lbs 2. Tricep Dips - 3 x 20 - 3. Decline Fly - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs 4. Close Curls - 3 x 12 @ 75lbs - 5. Chest Pullover - 3 x 12 @ 75lbs 6. Decline Hammer Curls - 3 x 12 @ 50lbs Everything about this rower just keeps getting better. Form is better, time improved, and I think I can see some fat melting. Going to work more on doing a longer rowing day on my non-weight training day, but keep thinks more steady-state than HIIT style. Have been able to keep the machine at about 40 strokes per minute, which is about 8-10 meters per stroke, I think. Either way, this thing was a superb purchase. Weights today were good. Supersetting triceps with bench is tough, and really makes me realize how much bench works triceps; way more than I realized. I need heavier dumbbells if I'm going to really hit the flys harder. New office building has a gym with "machines" in the basement, so maybe I'll hold off on the purchase until I scope this place out. I really hope I'm not working hours long enough to necessitate using that gym. If that's the case, I'll be pretty pissed. Anyhow, none of that kind of thinking until I'm in the situation itself. Rowing tomorrow only, and getting some mechanic work done on my car before our weekend getaway. Deadlift/Shoulders on Friday.

Feeling better with the supplements? Are you eating more? Food looks good man. Hopefully you're finding yourself with more energy. Thought of you when I was climbing stairs and carrying dumbbells yesterday. It was awful!

Tuesday, September 1, 2015: Legs 0. Warmup - Rower 2500m, Time 9:45 1. Squat - 3 x 10 @ 295lbs 2. Squat Jump - 3 x 12 @ 25lbs - 3. Stair Climb - 3 x 4 Flights @ 70lbs 4. Single Leg Deadlift - 3 x 12* @ 70lbs - 5. Reverse Lunge - 3 x 12* @ 70lbs 6. Belt Kicks - 3 x 20 More functional than typical strength training today. Needed to get my ass into the gym as I felt like crap since Sunday night; and the continued un-checked eating through most of Monday. Felt pretty poor going into the workout, but heaps better now that I've managed some sort of effort for the day. Still, getting to this later than I would like. I still haven't managed the courage to get myself up around 5am and hit the rower for a true morning session. Really going to try for that tomorrow. I'd like to make it a habit before a start the new gig. Otherwise, it's hot as hell out, and I'm ready for fall temps. Eating back on schedule, hopefully good sleep will follow. Finally, have noticed significant strength gains in my legs since getting the rower. Squats today at 295 felt really easy compared to last week's effort, and considering I was feeling like shit earlier, and literally came straight from the rower before my attempts. Pretty pumped about this! AM row and Chest / Arms tomorrow.

Monday, August 31, 2015: From Saturday the 30th: Rowed 2500m in 9:14. Really tried to maintain a steadier pace instead of alternating strokes. Afterwards had a party where I drank too many beers and ended up passing out by 9:30. Spending today eating cookies, and Mexican food. Feeling fat.

That's awesome dude! And funny what you say about the women around you haha. Good luck in the academy man. That sounds exciting. I was pretty scrawny at 155, and feel better at my current weight, though I do still get sticker shock when I step on the scale. So now I go by how my belt feels lol. In your academy tests are you running flights of stairs? I'd be dying.

Hey thanks man. I'm currently 5'7", approx 170lbs. After I did the 80/10/10 thing last year I haven't been able to get below 165 for about a year (I went from 248-155 in 2012; when I became vegan). I'll be 35 at the end of September. If I were to guess my body fat I'd say about 18%, which is a bummer for me because I'd love to be around 10%. Although I'm getting stronger, I seem to keep about the same level of body fat. Not really sure what to do to really lean out. Kind of why I bought the rower - to keep cardio consistent. What about you? Thanks for reading!

Saturday, August 29, 2015: Rower / TRX Circuit Rower - 3000m, 12:30minutes, 10/10 cycle TRX Circuit (2 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes) 1. Close Grip Press x 15 2. Side Lunge x 15* 3. Wide Grip Pullups x 12 4. Split Squat x 15* 5. Supinated Row x 15 After rowing, I could barely get the courage up to make it through the circuit. I honestly felt like I was going to puke the whole time on the TRX bands. Anyhow, I'm starving, and don't want to waste more time on the computer today. I have some cooking to do before our party tomorrow. Oktoberfest!

Are you ensuring your are getting sufficient complete protein profiles? Enough carbs to fuel? Enough food in general? I noticed strength plateaus when consuming a lot of high protein foods like tofu, etc., yet still felt weak - until I started taking bcaas. Now I can get through my workouts fine, my strength is increased, and I'm noticing gains in the mirror. Maybe you could put down what you consume in an entire day? Also, I think Rob's suggestion is logical and interesting, but it's also possible for your diet to be off; despite it being proven that a vegan diet has potential to permit significant gains.

No broccoli man is cause for alarm! Haven't been getting notices of these updates lately for some reason. Anyhow, looks like you're doing well buddy, despite the weather. I thought you liked training in the rain like an animal, no? What else is new? Any luck convincing the Ms. on getting a rower?

Friday, August 28, 2015: Back/Shoulders 0. Warmup - 2 Minute Row 1. Deadlift - 3 x 10 @ 210lbs 2. Delt Fly - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs - 3. Single Arm Row - 3 x 12* @ 100lbs 4. Single Arm Shoulder Press - 3 x 12* @ 100lbs And then I crapped out... Wanted to do pullups and lateral raise at the end there, but I missed a meal, and ended up training through what was supposed to be my lunch time. End result? Hungry/stomach cramps during last set, lack of focus, general disinterest in training. I'm putting too much on my proverbial plate during this time off, and it's stressing me out. During my stupid work function last night I got pressured into participating in a 5k during my last week of vacation. Fuck that shit. I fucking hate organized races, group activities, and planned things. Alright, enough complaining. Maybe I'll come back and rip through those pullups/lat raises later on today. I need to get out and mow the lawn, and clean up the house. Never a dull moment, even on vacation! Rowing/TRX tomorrow.

Thursday, August 27, 2015: Fasted Cardio - 3000m row, 12:00 minutes. Note to self, 3000m is significantly more difficult than 2500m. Did these as intervals too, which was misery. Stood up with jello legs. Lower back a bit stiff today, and chest DOMS like crazy. Back/shoulders tomorrow. Not sure if rowing is wise given training planned.

Wednesday, August 26, 2015: Chest / Arms 0. Cardio - 2500m row; 11:10 minutes 1. Incline Bench - 3 x 12 @ 190lbs 2. Skullcrusher - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs - 3. Decline Fly - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs 4. Curls - 3 x 12 @ 85lbs - 5. Around The World - 3 x 12 @ 30lbs 6. Cross Curls - 3 x 12* @ 50lbs Kinda slow on the rower today, but I did my meters just before hitting the weights. Definitely put a bit of a drag on lifting. Really noticeable DOMS in my hamstrings today. Maybe bad enough to get out the roller and really put the hurt on. Incline bench followed by any tricep work is pretty awful, but not surprising. Still noticing good benefits from the BCAAs (taking them before, during, and after training). They really help me plow through the shit when I want to just go upstairs and crawl into a jar of peanut butter. Been craving more fats lately. Noticing some significant tapering in lats/shoulders today in the mirror. Though I still have some softness in the lower belly, I can definitely see some striations in my front delts, and veins in the arms and legs. Not sure what the hell is up with my belly/lower back the bastards. Can't be a simple as cutting oatmeal, no? Delicious oatmeal, and protein powder. AM Cardio only tomorrow. Have to do a work function thing that I secretly want nothing to do with, but I guess it's getting close to that time. Much rather be spending the day at home relaxing. I'll get into back/shoulders on Friday.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015: Weight Session - Legs 1. Squat - 3 x 10 @ 295lbs 2. Weighted Squat Jump - 3 x 12 @ 25lbs - 3. Side Lunge - 3 x 12* @ 110lbs 4. Side Squat - 3 x 12* @ 110lbs - 5. Hamstring Curl - 3 x 20 @ 45lbs 6. Calf Raise - 3 x 20 @ 110lbs I can see now that my plan has me doing 2 a days for workouts. I was worried about energy levels for weights today, but I felt great the whole time. I guess that means I get to eat more! Well, not much more, but maybe a little. I really hope to see some new results with this stuff as I feel I've plateaued a bit in recent past. Happy to be making strength gains with squats, but everything else seems kind of stuck. Got outside and stained our back deck today. Was awesome to be outside in the sun and cool breeze - a very quiet day. Much needed. Tomorrow: AM Row, PM Chest/Arms.