UPDATE: 4.29.13

Just a quick post to record my last two workouts.  Feeling great, loving the gym again, and excited to be working out more with my wife.


Sat 4.27.13

Squats 2x5@255; 6x260
Press 160x4,4,3
Chins, Dips, Push-ups
Shrugs 325x10


Mon 4.29

Squats 260x5,5,6
Chins
Rows 165x5,5,6
P.Cleans 4x3@170; 3x175

I may be applying to the Waterloo, IA FD, so I may take another look at some higher reps and HIIT type conditioning.

UPDATE: 4.24.13

Have been inconsistent the last couple weeks.  Sickness and time constraints have kept me out of the gym--I only worked out last week on Wednesday, and today, the following Wednesday.

I had a couple of really good workouts, and I felt really good about my Bench for the first time since coming back to the gym.  My squat is feeling stronger and stronger, and my deadlift is also feeling pretty dang good, all things considered.  Press, surprisingly, seems to be the exercise that I have lost the least strength in.

Thinking about using only 35s on DL from now on--to make it more difficult and add a deficit aspect to them.


Wed 4.17.13
Squat 3x5@245
Press 3x5@147.5
Chins
P.Cleans 5x3@165

Wed 4.24.13
DL 315x8
Squat 275x3, 5
Bench 185x8; 190x6; 195x6
Pull-ups
Curls

Bench 12s

Sneaked into the gym before work, got a quick workout in.  First set of Bench was not paused, but the next two were paused.
I alternate between Farmer Walks and DB Press sets.
Lat Raises hurt my elbows, so I am cutting them out.

Bench 15x165, 12x155, 13x145
Farmer Walks 80s, 94s, 100s
DB Press 5x45, 55, 60
Lat Raises 5 w/25s

No Shrugs or Bike today due to time constraints.

DL 1RM Test--Acceptable

I am continually amazed at how strange it feels to be caught between low expectations and high hopes.  Having "been there" and "done that" with these weights I am moving, I always hope that my strength losses are minimal--but having seen just how much I have lost, I don't expect much when I do something new.  This was my first DL 1RM test since coming back to the iron, and I was hoping for 405 (video of me hitting my PR of 455) but was psychologically prepped for 350.  I hit 315 and just went nuts and threw on 25s for an easy 365.  Put on 10s and had a difficult 385.  Could have probably tried 390 with success, but I wanted to be ready for squats afterward.
Curls hinted at the pain I used to get in my wrist--hopefully it is just in my head.

DL 1x385
Squat 3x5@240
Alternating Pull-ups and Curls.

Dissapointment

Well, despite a combined score of 194.12 out of 200 on the Firefighter exams, I will not be moving on to the next phase of the hiring process.  Military Veterans and Minneapolis residents get considerable point advantages, so I don't know if I would have made it if I had aced them both.  Who knows?  Needless to say, I am disappointed.  I will finish this round of SM and then decide what to do next, but I think I will probably re-focus on powerlifting.  I will probably keep some cardio in, though.  I'd rather not become a fat cow.

Today was squat 4s, with programming saying something lame and low.  I did 255x5, 4; 240x5.
I did some chins afterward.
Rows 3x5x160
P. Cleans 5x3x160


Unhappiness abounds.  Hopefully I have been consistent enough lately to stay motivated without the carrot of killing the firefighter physical exam.

Bench 1RM--PHOOIE!

Very depressing how much strength I have lost in my bench.  225 hurt my soul.

Bench 1x225, 5x185, 6x190
Farmer Walks
DB Press 5x40s, 50s, 55
Shrugs
Lat Raises 5x25s, 20s
Bike