Headaches

It’s only my third day of going no sugar, no alcohol. I have a headache. I’m sneezing. My handkerchief is a gooey rag.

They call this the induction “flu.” I didn’t help I had a smoke, a small Cohiba Pequeno, the other evening. Let me first admit, I’m not intending to be perfectly carb or alcohol free – I’m just not using it as a reward. On Wednesday I’m going to a friend’s for dinner, and he’s a wine distributor. My goal there is drink only enough that I don’t feel the need to eat more. And that day, plenty of water and salads.

I’ve made Mondays a more traditional full body workout. I did supersets, exchanging squats with chest; the military press with chest flys (flies?). I continued with military press, leg extensions, assisted pullups and dips. I jumped rope a few times in between. The big exercises first, with the additional ones afterwards, with lighter weights. These will lead to greater strength gains down the road.

Warm Up: 10 kb swings 25lbs
2 min jump rope
5 ea 20kb around the head (to stretch the shoulders)
Stretching

Bench: 8×135, 1x 185, 1×205, 1×225, PR 1×245 (I had a little assist on this one, but it’s still greater than my previous 225).

Squat: 5xbar, 5×135, 5×185, 5×205, 5×225, 3x2x245, 2×225, 8×135. I think deloading, along with rest, are where the strength gains really happen.

Press: 5xbar, 5×95, 5×105, 5×115, 4×115, 5×95.

DB chest fly: 8×30, 8×40, 8×45, 8×50, 8×55.

Assisted Pullups (with the gravitron): 5x-90, 5x-70, 5x-60, 5x-50, 5x-40, 3x-30, 5x-50.

Leg extension: 8×70, 8×80, 8×90, 8×100.

Ab leg lifts: 3×8.

Dips (bw): 3×8.

Biceps DB: 3x3x30 ea. I’ve never had the body type that had big biceps, although I’ve never tried. It’s not a great indicator of body strength, but I’m going to do these more for pleasure and as a “rest.” Why not?

One of my drinking friends saw me at the gym. He said to me, “you can’t do this. you’re getting old. You’ll hurt yourself.” There was a time I’d listen to him, and take what he said to heart. But then, he was doing the elliptical.

He shrugged his shoulders when I was talking about deadlifts. I can’t convince him, but in a couple weeks he’ll take a photo of me doing a 335lb deadlift. When it will be easy.

This week I’m going to build up to a 5 rep deadlift of 285, then unloading for multiple reps while at 225. I’ll be also doing a few good mornings along the way.

But no alcohol tomorrow either. It will make tasting on Wednesday that much more pleasurable.

And now, to bed, to rest. The other half of the equation.

Advertisement