Monday:

Paused 2-board press

315 x 3, 3

Close-grip incline bench

175 x 9, 8, 8, 9

Weighted wide-grip pull-ups

50 x 4 x 8

Keg curls

160 x 20

Dumbbell curls 

35s x 10

Opted for board pressing because my shoulders were still sore on Monday from Friday's class.

Went to boxing Tuesday and Wednesday. Got to work 1-on-1 with the coach on Tuesday, taking turns throwing combos and blocking or slipping. Wednesday was a HUGE class but few people want to go in the boxing ring for some reason despite the coach's urging, so I was able to spend most of my time in there with reasonable space. Did a lot of partner shadowboxing with different people, which I love doing in the absence of real sparring (more on that later...). Ended with bag work, hitting the shield by coming forward with 1-2s and then retreating with 1-3s, and then medicine ball conditioning. Shoulders are wrecked.

Lost my paperwork to sign-up for sparring so I got a new set on the way out. Requires a doctor's sign-off, which I've been dragging my feet over, but I want to make it happen finally.

Stopped by the gym on the way home and did a 39-second dead hang for my shoulders. The gym pull-up bars are covered in very slick rubber. It's comfortable and soft on the hands but harder to grip than metal. I appreciate the grip challenge. Afterwards, took a brief shower and sat in the cold plunge for 3 minutes and then the sauna for 8. Went in the steam room on my walk back to the locker room and some jackass sitting behind me broke the silence by shouting "HEY!" several times which made his 2 buddies laugh. Then he got down and started loudly telling a little kid behind the glass door that he needs his dad to come in with him. He then announced to his friends that he was hitting the cold plunge, so I'm glad I missed him there.  Great experience overall though. Walked out feeling refreshed.

Monday:

Yukon bar squats

410 x 5

Strip-sets of 320 x 8, 230 x 8, 140 x 8

Romanian deadlifts

275 x 3 x 10

Barbell shrugs

275 x 2 x 10

Reverse-hyper

200 x 2 x 10

Russian twists

25 x 2 x 20

Hanging leg raises x 15

Climbing back up. Squatted a little wider in a deliberate move to boost my squat numbers for a few weeks. I'm really enjoying switching stances, bars, angles, and grip placement around. Not avoiding what I'm weak at, but occasionally going back to what I'm strong at so my body stays used to heavier weight.

After recently training with the safety squat bar, my back felt like iron and handled the deadlifts just fine after squats. Abs were really feeling it during the leg raises after the ab twists.

Tuesday: 

Spent a looong time in traffic coming back to the office from a field visit and ended up leaving work 45 minutes late. Was annoyed on the road and my back was bothering me even with a lumbar cushion due to the rigid vehicle seats that don't recline, but once I got back to the office I scarfed down a Dave's Killer Bread sandwich with Nuttzo butter and the rest of my protein shake, which was just perfect enough for boxing 30 minutes later to feel neither hungry or too full. It all worked out.

Boxing was tough. Was very sore from those 2 intense lifting days, especially traps, shoulders, and legs. Body and conditioning held-up, though. Even with sore legs, I had the stamina to move well in the ring as long as I didn't talk myself into being weak. Threw hard combos at the mitts and body shield, finishing-up with bag work that alternated between speed and power depending on the coach's callout. Shoulders and legs felt like lead when I walked out. Took a bath at home and played Metal Gear Solid afterwards. Was craving carbs, but stuck to a dinner of chicken, steak, and stir-fry vegetables, with the usual Metabolic Drive before bed.

Plan on making today a rest day. Haven't decided if I feel like going on a jog or not, but walking and stretching will definitely happen.

Friday boxing was almost all calisthenics after the usual rounds of skipping rope and shadowboxing. Alternated between many rounds of medicine ball burpees, plyo push-ups, and dumbbell lateral holds. My shoulders are STILL sore today from that. I'll always prefer classes where I actually learn how to box, but I think it's good for me to suffer through something I don't want to do and I signed up for the same Friday class this week, along with 2 other technique days. Ended the class doing bagwork, which is always a good challenge to push through after exhausting the muscles. 

Saturday was a rest day. Went out for a bomb Italian restaurant dinner.

Sunday:

Mat pulls (5)

500 x 5

Walked to the gym immediately after:

Leg press

4, 5, 6, 7 plates x 10

Lying leg curls

130 x 3 x 10

Leg extension

130 x 12

200 x 10

Hanging leg raises

2 x 10

Cable ab twists x 20

Press

135 x 5

155 x 5

175 x 4

140 x 8, 8, 8, 9

Random sets of overhead shrugs at the end of most sets

Super-set with chin-ups 

Bodyweight x 3 x 8

50 x 4 x 8

Skullcrushers

35s x 12

50s x 5 -> drop-down to 35s x 4

Super-set with keg curls

160 x 20, 15

Done at the end of a very restorative weekend with family. Went go-karting for my niece's birthday on Friday but badly felt like I needed to crash afterwards. Went home and fell in a coma for an hour and a half before heading to boxing. Made myself not touch a weight the next day and took another nap before a Costco trip amidst eating a lot of high calorie, carb-heavy food for my cheat day. Finally, by Sunday I felt alive again.

I also caught myself looking in the mirror on Friday, the end of a strict diet week, and thought I looked very skinny. At the end of Saturday after eating pizza all day, I looked big. Night and day difference. 

Food and rest did me well. Got twice as many reps on 175 as last time when I was aiming for 3. Felt like I had power while pressing overhead again.

Also want to mention that I FINALLY got around to watching 2008's Punisher: War Zone on Saturday night. Saw it in a VR movie theater with a Quest 2 headset. I loved the 2004 movie with Thomas Jane back in the day and have been meaning to see this one for years. Very fun watch but incredibly silly and left less of an impact than its predecessor. 

 Boxing was a way bigger class than normal for Tuesdays. After shadowboxing we partnered up and took turns throwing 1-2s, then 1-2-3s, then some other combos before repeating on the mitts. Partner commented that I have a "shitload of power".

I have imposter syndrome going on when I hear comments like this because in my fickle mind, I'm usually larger and more muscular than whoever is complimenting me so of course I seem strong to THIS person; that's the bare minimum of standards. One of my coaches said the same thing to me, though, and he's a figure competitor with arms about as big or bigger than mine.

Ended with some footwork drills. 

I really like that Tuesdays are so meticulous and technical despite going over the basics a lot. Fatigue is kept to a minimum with no calisthenics so we can concentrate on boxing. I do enjoy having the challenge of conditioning thrown in on other days but it's good to have a technique day.

Been going 3 times a week and will increase that to 4 and 5 once sparring starts. I rarely, if ever, made it to Muay Thai 3 times a week when I trained that. Need to find the sparring paperwork I took home or ask for another if I can't find it.

Went for a leisure swim when I got home to cool off from the heat and resisted an urge to eat some fried macaroni and cheese bites from Trader Joe's after ingesting an edible and getting the munchies. Dinner was instead numerous small portions: a bison sausage, 2 eggs with some egg whites and bone broth, some grass-fed steak strips with a few mixed vegetables, and Metabolic Drive.

Press

165 x 5

135 x 4 x 8

Super-set with weighted chin-ups

50 x 4 x 8

Skullcrushers

35s x 8, 11

Super-set with keg curls

160 x 20, 15

Knowing that my pressing power is down, I picked what I figured I can get for 5. I was right to go with 165, but the 5th was one helluva fight to get lockout. No belt or wraps, as I didn't feel justified using them on weight this low.

Recently developed an abscess on my upper-back, near the teres minor, that is tender to touch and resembles a spider bite. Going to take a picture and monitor its progress daily to make sure it's not staph. As unlikely as that is at a boxing gym, my skin does come into contact with the floor when we do ab exercises so better safe than sorry.

Friday boxing was a good session. Coach Hashim says he sees a lot of good power coming from me but I need to be more consistent twisting my upper-body more when throwing straights. He also mentioned after class that he was watching me hit the bag and noticed that I tend to come up on my toes too much with left hooks and uppercuts sometimes, throwing my balance off. Reminds me of when I've been told in Muay Thai not too jump into my high kicks. 

Took Saturday completely off. Was feeling beat to hell after boxing on Friday. Not because the session was particularly hard, but I hadn't slept well and training fatigue from the week felt like it had been accumulating. Also felt like my body was fighting off illness - throat was a little sore and chest felt inflamed. Intended to relax at night playing PSO but could barely stay awake and crashed at 11pm. Slept in until 10 the next morning and got around to relaxing with some videogames and doing housework. Went to George's in the PM and watched The Beekeeper, which was ridiculous but good fun. Wasn't done when I came home at 3am: I booted up Metal Gear Solid and reveled in the nostalgia and just how damn good it still is.

Sunday:

Matt pulls (6)

500 x 5

Deadlifts

315 x 10

SSB squats

240 x 2 x 10

Hise shrugs

290 x 2 x 10

Reverse-hyper

200 x 2 x 10

Russian twists x 3 x 20

Ab wheel

10 standing reps

I’ve been doing more twisting ab exercises per Jamie Lewis’ recommendation that they’re good for back health. They help train punching power, too. My back has continued to feel excellent and I kept the supplemental exercises light to keep it that way.

Weighed 191.7 in the morning, about 4 lbs more than my dehydrated weight at the end of a hot day after boxing.

 Breathing squats

315 x 14

20 pull-overs with 25 lb kettlebell

Swiss bar pause bench

250 x 4

235 x 2 x 5

Super-set with T-bar rows

4 plates x 8, 8, 10

Squatted high bar for the second time in 5 years. Whereas last time I couldn't get a good feel for the positioning and kept the weight light, this time it just suddenly came back to me. Much easier on my shoulders and elbows and didn't have to worry about the bar slipping from sweat.

I've been pausing my bench reps lately and going slower on the descent, as well. Just something I've drifted toward now that I'm no longer obsessing over my maxes. We did a lot of bodyweight squats and push-ups in boxing the day before so I was satisfied with what I put up in this workout.

Took a few physique shots to mark where my body composition is currently at.

 Different boxing coach yesterday. I've seen him coaching sparring matches before. We donned chest protectors and took turns throwing partner combos. My partner seemed like he was putting everything he had in throwing hard shots but then had to stop and catch his breath after every combo. I wish people would just keep going when they gas and hit softer rather than stop the flow to gasp for air.

Afterwards, I stopped by the gym on the way home with a bag in my trunk packed with skull sandals (necessary detail) and swimshorts. Spent 10 minutes on the elliptical at a moderate intensity while watching the ending of Terminator 2 on the machine's screen and then did a 1-minute dead hang before spending about 8 minutes in the sauna and 3 minutes in the cold plunge. Left due to time, not discomfort - the cold plunge was quite comfortable and not quite as cold as I was expecting, but good enough to have the intended effect. I could definitely make a chillier ice bath at hme, though.

Felt superb walking out. Had a big protein-rich dinner at home of 3 eggs in bone broth, whites, and pickle juice + a plate of veggies and rotisserie chicken and grass-fed steak strips. Metabolic Drive with egg whites about 30-minutes before bed.

I may quit the gym in the coming months. I'm paying the full mortgage now whereas before my dad and I were splitting it 50/50. It's making things too tight for me. I'm enjoying my time there, but also feel like I've scratched the itch to some extent and wouldn't miss it TOO much. I'll evaluate after reviewing my written budget.

Worked on long combo strings with partners yesterday. The guy I was paired with had a handle on decent boxing form, but acted like he was half-asleep and ignored the combos we were supposed to throw even though we started out dead simple. I wonder if he came in stoned or something.

Woke-up this morning with some left hip pain, which was surprising because it's been almost a week since I felt hip discomfort from SSB squats and it was gone the day after. There's a good chance my nightly stretches have aggravated it. When I do dishes, I stretch my hips and hamstrings by sticking one leg up on the countertop and rolling the leg, something I learned from a Muay Thai coach online. I also held various split positions on the ground Monday night. Stretching my hips and hamstrings makes my back feel good, but all of the above has probably been adding up after that squat session. 

Press
135 x 5
155 x 5

175 x 3

Chin-ups: 20, 15, 12

One-arm standing dumbbell press
80 x 4/3 (right hand, left hand)
50 x 12, 12, 15

Incline dumbbell skullcrushers
35s x 8, 10

Felt pain in my sternum on 155 that got worse on 175 so I shut it down, not that I had much left in me anyways as my pressing strength is way down. Hurt to breathe afterwards and couldn't complete a chin-up when I tried. Found this very interesting. Used to experience pain like this early in my lifting days when I went heavy on weighted dips, but have never had it happen from overhead pressing. Gotta be something to do with not having barbell overhead pressed in a minute combined with a dramatically lower bodyweight.

The pain was intense at first and then dissipated after 10 minutes. Was able to do chin-ups fine after that and I have no pain the next day, thankfully.

In the realm of good news, my elbow pain was all but gone during everything, even the skullcrushers. I felt a little something on the 20th chin-up rep but that was it. Major improvement.

 Mat pulls off a stack of 7 mats

500 x 1, 1 (mixed grip)

500 x 5 (straps)

Romanian deadlifts

225 x 2 x 10 + 10, 15 shrugs at the end

Belt squats

6 plates x 10

6 plates + friend sitting on the plates x 10

Russian twists

25 x 20 each direction

Ab wheel

5 from floor + 5 standing

Figured out a positioning issue that's been tripping me up. I've been standing too close to the bar with the bar pressed against my shins and it's been causing my shoulders to start well in front of it, causing me to pitch forward. This is what injured me last month. This time I lined up the bar to my toe knuckles and was able to lean back with the bar as it broke off the ground. I remember learning this exact pointer and working to get it right after watching a Google Video Diesel Crew tutorial vid in the 2000s.

Despite that, I was extremely gunshy moving the weight at first. Went ahead and donned straps after 2 singles so I could get my head game focused on moving the weight, but I'm liking this recent trend of using grip power as much as possible.

Walked to the gym later. Did a 1-minute dead hang and then 10 minutes on the elliptical at max resistance (level 25 on this particular machine). Afterwards, I sat in the steam room but it didn't seem to be working, checked-out the cold plunges and both were occupied, squeezed into the crowded outdoor sauna for about 5 minutes, and then sat in the infrared sauna for another 5. Too crowded for my liking but I'm still learning what peak hours are on the weekend. Earlier in the day or close to closing might be better.

Went to a very tough early Saturday morning boxing session, sweated a gallon, got on the scale without clothes after getting out of the shower out of curiosity, and weighed in at 187.5. 

Weighed myself again in the afternoon. Despite drinking a lot of water throughout the heat today, I weighed 191.2! If that's accurate, it's amazing how much water I sweated out throughout the day. I have not been ceasing my lunch break walks in the triple-digit weather. 

If I break into the 180s, it'll be the first time since my teens.

Paused bench press 

305 x 2

275 x 4

Wide-grip bench 

235 x 8, 7

Super-set with dumbbell rows 

125 x 8, 8

Close-grip bench

245 x 6

225 x 8

Super-set with dumbbell rows 

125 x 8, 8

 SSB squats

380 x 5, 4, 3

Hise shrugs

380 x 2 x 10 (done at the end of first and last squat set)

SSB front squats

240 x 10

Russian twists

45 x 10 for each direction

Whew, happy with this. Felt like a ton at this bodyweight but despite the awfulness, I forced a lot of explosiveness out of the bottom. Could have grinded out more reps with ugly form but experience told me it wasn't worth risking my back.

Squatting narrower than I used to with this bar, which made it a surprise when I noticed my left hip was hurting when I lay down to sleep. Seems better the next day after a night of sleep. Lower back is VERY sore but not in an injurious way. Can still move and bend fine. Such a different feeling from last month's back injury.

Weighed 195.2 this morning.

Went to boxing again on Wednesday. Going to keep increasing my attendance from a norm of 2 days a week to 3-4. Making 4 the standard will be the minimum I need to be competitive.

Very big class size, typical for Wednesdays, but I like the busy environment. Space isn't a problem because this coach is good about breaking up people into groups and putting half on the bags and the other half out in the open. Also seems like a lot of people don't want to step up into the boxing ring, so I tend to shadowbox up there.

3 rounds skipping rope

3 rounds shadowboxing

3 rounds freestyle on the heavybag

1 round partner shoulder-tagging drill

2 rounds of blocking, slipping and rolling with partner throwing 1-2-3s and 3-4s, alternating between dodging and attacking after each combo

Ab work and stretches

I was happy to work with the tallest guy in the gym once again, who usually comes up and asks if I want to partner up. 

Boxing class yesterday:

3 rounds of shadowboxing consisting of splitting up two different combos with a slip
2 rounds of partner striking, taking turns throwing 1-2, slip, 2-3-2 with the defender blocking
2 rounds of the same but ending with 3-2-3 instead and adding slips and rolls
4 rounds of the same combos but with one partner holding mitts and alternating roles
Ended with 1 long round on the heavy bag, alternating between speed and power work per coach’s callout

Stopped by my dad’s resting site on the way home. Always such a meditative experience. Feels like I’m spiritually refreshed going there.

Walked to the gym yesterday after finding a copy of God of War Ascension sitting in my PlayStation 3 library and not remembering that I bought it cheap off eBay a while ago. Pregamed for the gym with it and raised my testosterone levels by murdering massive, screen-filling Greek gods and monsters with brute strength.

Arnold press: 80s x 7, 6, 5

Incline dumbbell press: 80s x 7, 6

Chin-ups: 12

Machine chest press: 185 x 3 x 10

Super-set with machine high-angle rows: 185 x 3 x 10

Cable chest flyes: 15, 12, 12

1-minute dead hang

Cable pressdowns:20

Machine preacher curls: 65 x 10, 10

45 x 12

I'm having a really fun time using the machines and getting a pump. Although my elbow aches a little using the dumbbells and during curls, I'm giving it more of a break than I would training at home with machine rows and pressing. Need to remember to make note of machine weight settings, though, as I don't remember what I used with flyes and pressdowns but it was light weight. 

Went in the steam room afterwards, doing a few stretches in there for my sore hamstrings. Then went to the pool area and sat in the sauna before sitting poolside reading a Michael Crichton novel with my protein shake. After my swimsuit got dry, I went upstairs to try out their cafe. Sadly, they don't have much meat options which is such a missed opportunity, but enjoyed my "protein toast" with eggs, avocado, and balsamic vinegar on sourdough for what it was while fantasizing about a gym that sells barbecue and then vowing to make my home gym exactly that, except I get a VIP discount by making it free after I buy it from the store. Walked home and ate some lamb and rice after the cafe snack.

I also had elk for the first time that I can remember yesterday (I may have had an elk stick before but I can't remember if it was actually venison, and it was processed and spiced to the point that it tasted like any beef stick). It was delicious just from pan frying with a rich, "dark" taste. The cat is also eating deer these days (see below) and I made ground bison bowls for my work lunch. 

Got in a lot of walking throughout the rest of the afternoon and a final one at night.

 Had a great boxing session yesterday with a substitute coach. Did some partner shadowboxing and got scratched in the face (sidenote: this guy happens to be the uncle of my old Muay Thai coach). During this, the coach singled me out and asked me to only jab so my partners could keep up. Donned gloves and did some rounds of trading simple combos with a partner, choosing to block, parry, or slip. One training partner who I've developed a good rapport with asked me to partner up in the ring and we spent the round pushing against each other trading upper-cuts and hooks.

Happy to report that my back has been doing well. Got in a squat session today.

SSB squats
330 x 7, 8, 7

SSB front squats
200 x 10

Romanian deadlifts
225 x 8, 10

Hanging leg raises
10, 15

Ab wheel
5 reps kneeling, 3 standing

Felt drained going into boxing on Wednesday. The heat didn't help after being in a hot office all day, but started feeling more energetic the more we trained. 

3x 3-minute rounds of skipping rope

3x 3-minute rounds of shadowboxing with 4lb dumbbells

2x 3-minute rounds of freestyle heavy bag work

2x 3-minute rounds of footwork drills via jabbing in and out of the plastic floor rings and slipping to the side, eventually adding a hook

2 rounds of trading 1-2s with partner and slipping, eventually adding a hook

Light stretches

I also found my Cerberus belt sitting in the equipment area and I took that back home. Going to submit paperwork next week to get into the sparring classes. 

Had a great 4th of July. Went to the beach in the morning and overpacked food so I didn't hit up any of the quaint beachside restaurants as was planned, but that's a good problem to have. Left around 4pm once heavy fog started rolling in. 

Yesterday evening:

SSB squats

150, 200, 240 x 10

Ab wheel x 25

Super-set with reverse crunches x 8

Exceeded my goal of squatting 150, but made myself stop at 240. It's improved by leaps and bounds from last week but under load, it feels tender at the bottom of the squat. Still, excited to have weight on my back again. The simple things in life...

Ab wheel was done lying down rather than standing, also to go easy on my back. 

Food note: I've been buying quail eggs to use with my morning bone broth and they suit this purpose better than big chicken eggs. Easier to drink down and they don't get stuck to the bottom of the porcelain. I've avoided them before because they can be annoying to crack (rubbery shell) and require a high volume when pan frying to fill a plate, but for drinking, definitely going to keep buying them from Costco.

Went to boxing on Friday and my back was able to handle everything except ab work at the very end. Skipping rope and medicine ball burpees felt fine, although I made sure not to move ballistically on the burpees. Coach asked me if I can duck and roll and after starting slow I pretty had it down.

Unfortunately I left my Cerberus belt at the boxing gym. My next class is Wednesday but if I have time I'll swing by and grab it today. 

By the end of class my back felt great, but I still wasn't ready for large amounts of load-bearing like heavy squats. Luckily, the onboarding rep who was handling my trial week at the gym extended my access period until Monday when she found out I wasn't able to make use of it the past week. I was able to go on Saturday and had a fantastic machine session. Hit cable flyes, seated cable rows, preacher curls, leg press, and lying leg curls. Had a limp afterwards from pushing the leg curls. Went in the steam room afterwards, swam laps in the pool, and then the sauna before walking back home.

Sunday: 20 minute jog followed by untimed shadowboxing rounds.

Before work this morning I hit 20 burpees and 50 jumping-jacks. Going to cautiously squat 150 with the SSB today.

Back is more or less the same as the past few days: still painful with limited bending ability, but I can walk, get up, and turn over in bed efficiently. 

Decided to go to boxing tonight while letting the coach know about my state of things. Going to don my Cerberus soft lifting belt.

Was able to move the 45 plates around without additional pain yesterday, so hit the iron.

Paused incline bench: 205 x 5, 6, 4+1 (rest paused)

185 x 6, 6 -> dropdown to 135 x 8

Super-set with wide pull-ups: 5 x 10

Axle preacher curls: 35 x 30

10 minute jog afterwards

Back is still in pain when I wake-up to use the restroom at night or in the morning, but improved enough that I can turn in bed or get up without extended agony. Switched beds in the middle of the night again and will go explore some mattress options this weekend.

I've been keeping up my lunchbreak walks all this week and yesterday was the first time I was walking with a normal gait. I'll attend boxing tomorrow while letting the coach know I have to go easy on stuff like medicine ball throws, ab work, and bobbing and weaving.

 Back is still in a painful state during and after bedrest but gets noticeably better later in the day. Switching between two different beds to see which yields the least amount of pain in the morning. I slept on the firmer one last night (memory foam unfortunately) and woke-up in the middle of the night astonished at how much pain I was still in. I have a Lumbair inflatable back rest that's a lifesaver for sitting down that I'll take home from work and experiment with while sleeping on my back.

My default posture seems to be rectifying itself. Torso was crooked and slanted to the left before. Using the Cerberus soft belt as a back brace during the day. 

Unfortunately, had to cancel mid-week boxing for the second time in a row. Last week was due to being sick with a fever.

Got in a no-iron workout yesterday:

10 dips

10 band rows

10 Hatfield squats

Done in 10 rounds, making 100 total reps of each.

I was actually able to move pretty efficiently and do some light shadowboxing last night. Going to do a bench press workout this evening after cautiously testing if I can move the 45s around. If not, I'll either do a push-up workout or go to the gym and use the machines.

Boxing yesterday was another conditioning-centric evening: dumbbell shadowboxing, medicine ball push-ups, plyo push-ups, dumbbell shoulder holds, and high-power rounds on the bag mixed with calisthenics that the coach would call out. Ended with planks.

Unfortunately, I hurt my back deadlifting today. I had 475 on the bar and was going to hit 5. The bar felt very light but I tweaked something at the start of rep 3 and had to shut the session down.

I had been sitting down relaxing for a period of time before lifting and knowing my body, that was a mistake. Staying in one position too long always does me in.

Currently weighing 195.

Did this yesterday after work:

Overhead dumbbell press (seated)

80s x 8, 7, 7

Incline dumbbell press

80s x 8

Chin-ups: 4 x 10

Single leg curls:

290 x 15

Sandbag squats:

200 x 15

From here, I packed a bag and walked to the health club. I figured I got the basics covered at home so I wouldn't be annoyed at lacking equipment or having to wait for machines on my first day there.

I hate to admit it but I had a fantastic time. Chin-ups aggravate my elbow a little by rep 7 or 8 and I haven't been able to do them weighted for that reason, so I came here with a primary mission to use a back machine. I absolutely blew up my upper-back doing high-angle rows on one (practically a lat pull-down) but without any elbow pain, which was the best part. Also got in some cable chest-flyes, leg pressing, and curls for fun, and finished with 5 minutes on the elliptical. 

From there, went to shower and then hit-up the steam room, infrared sauna, cold plunge (only got in partially to test how cold they kept it), and outdoor sauna in the pool area. Stared at the sunset through the sauna and muttered to myself "Dammit, I like this a lot." 

The outdoor sauna is by a row of bonfires and lounge chairs. The sign-up lady informed me there's group happy hour here every Friday and invited me to the one happening today. My Friday happy hour involves throwing leather at the boxing gym but I said thank you.

The infrared sauna was interesting. The room felt fairly cool but the seats and walls were hot.

Sitting in the steam room and traditional sauna made me think of my dad the whole time. Was staring at the sauna rocks and remembered touching them when I was a little kid as my dad shouted "Don't!" to me and how we'd always laugh at that story when I was older.

Even though I get a good deal of daily walking in as-is, walking to and from here also increases that. Came home feeling very refreshed and a touch nostalgic.

Walked over to the health club yesterday evening and took a tour. Love the facility and equipment, but found the crowd and emphasis on "community" annoying - pretty much what I expected. Am going to try it for 1 week to see if it's right for me. The girl giving me a tour said she just turned 20 and it was a trip to think that I'd been going to this gym since she was 3.

The club was SO nice that I even had to consider if I want to be in this environment. I love a hostile-feeling dungeon gym, and I appreciate that my boxing gym is so old-school for that reason. It fosters fierceness. However, I'm not doing my main training here and if I can just use what I want without being bothered, it's worth having in my life.

As I stepped out from this polished world of networking yuppies, I came across the devoured remains of a baby deer by the road (this town was literally named after all the mountain lions in the area). This has nothing to do with anything except that it was metal as fuck.

Came home and did a couple of sets on the reverse hyper and shadowboxed and stretched.

Been sick this week. Had a fever Sunday night, woke-up feeling better Monday morning, felt more sick by mid-day, repeat for Tuesday and so far today. Trained hard over the weekend so I’m taking the week easy so far. Went on a jog Monday and cancelled boxing class yesterday to shadowbox and hit the bag at home instead.

I have an appointment this evening to tour a health club near my house. This is actually the second facility I ever lifted at, the Los Gatos Athletic Club, but it’s been renovated and sold to new owners who turned it into a bougie wellness center now just called The Club. I’m mainly interested in the sauna and steam room.

Returned from a family trip to Las Vegas on Thursday for my niece's 21st birthday. Didn't train for  3 days, but got a lot of walking done. I had trained hard prior to leaving and the rest period feels physically restorative.

Ate a lot of great food and I'd also brought a bag of protein powder + shaker cup with me for the hotel. It helped on the first few days, but I soon accumulated a collection of leftovers that I sadly was unable to finish before the trip was over.

Started off with ATV riding on Tuesday morning, which I got sunburned badly from but otherwise had a ton of fun doing. Went to a nightclub the next night and I really wasn't feeling it at first. When my brother and niece left after an hour I almost joined, but reasoned to myself I can still leave anytime I want and to give it a chance. I'm glad I did; ended up having a lot of fun. Upon exiting at 4am, there was a large statue of Joe Louis in the casino lobby. I started telling everyone the history of Joe Louis vs Max Schmelling during the World War 2 period and how everyone made it out to be USA vs Nazi Germany when Schmelling wasn't a Nazi, despite Hitler openly rooting for him, and how they became friends afterwards. I don't think anyone paid much attention though, haha.

Spent the next day mostly taking it easy and not making it to an early pool party we had invites to, but I still lounged and swam at our small hotel pool and made it to the party at 5:30pm, not knowing they were closing it up at 6. Going to In-N-Out with my brother was worth being late, though.

Made it to boxing on Friday, which was a conditioning-heavy session. Coach reminded me to turn into my cross more while holding mitts and enthusiastically remarked on my power from making that fix. 

Broke out the SSB on Saturday:

SSB squats

400 x 3

290 x 2 x 10

Belt squats

345 x 10

Single leg curls

290 x 2 x 15

This absolutely wrecked me, and the effect is only worse 2 days later.  I feel the most sore I have in a long time. Back, traps, neck, and legs are all feeling it. Before I get ahead of myself, I also benched the next day:

2-board press

315 x 3

335 x 1

365 x 1

Paused 1-board press

275 x 7

Incline dumbbell press

80s x 12, 10

Chin-ups

10, 10, 12, 10

Swiss bar incline skullcrushers

45 x 50

Axle curls

30 x 50

Went to see my dad at his resting spot afterwards for Father's Day. Brought along his bottle of brandy and had a sip with him.

I was already absolutely wrecked with insane full-body soreness when I started to feel sick that night and came down with what felt like a fever and sore throat. Treated myself to a spa night at home with an epsom salt bath, went to bed feeling like death and fluctuating between hot and cold, and woke-up this morning feeling a lot better. Still dealing with soreness, fatigue, and a sore throat.

 Very fun Friday night boxing session. Did some partner shadowboxing and then rounds on the heavy bag mixed with conditioning drills. 

 Key combo tonight: 1-2, slip, left body hook while weaving to the right, right hook, 1-2

Finished with bear crawls, 10 burpees, and crab-walks back to the line, filling the remainder of wait time for everyone else with non-stop jumping-jacks. I was one of the few people who made an effort of non-stop jumping-jacks. Then ran around the parking lot and that was class.

Day of leisure today. Going to a work pool party. Well, mostly leisure. Poundstone curls have been making a notable difference on my elbow so I'm about to hit 50 tricep pressdowns and 100 curls with elbow sleeves on (they're harder and provide a better pump that way).

Weighed 198 today.

Spontaneously responded to a Facebook Marketplace ad for two 80 lb dumbbells and drove after work to pick them up. 

A little back-story: seated dumbbell presses were my jam back in the day. By eventually working up to pressing the 80s and 90s overhead, I was able to first press 225 lbs for 3 with a barbell in 2009. I've done them standing with one arm using a loadable dumbbell handle but being seated so the shoulders can just fucking piston a couple of heavy dumbbells up really gets me results.

My dumbbells jump from a pair of 50s to a single 100, then 115s and 125s, so having something fill that gap is nice. I've made do with my dumbbell handles before but they can be a pain to rest on your lap and more than once I've had the collars slide off and everything fall apart. Can't drop them after a hard set, either, since they break.

Came home and celebrated:

Seated dumbbell overhead press

80s x 3 x 8

Incline dumbbell press

80s x 10, 10, 11

Chin-ups

12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 15

Sandbag squats

200 x 10

Poundstone curls

30 x 110

The last time I remember sitting down and pressing overhead was 2010 and I was about 25 lbs heavier so it was awesome to find I'm about at the same level as back then.

Tuesday boxing focused on parries and throwing multiple strikes from the same side, a simple concept that I've seen perplex a high-level MMA fighter before (guy was training on The Ultimate Fighter under Frankie Edgar and had trouble throwing two right straights in a row). Left elbow hurt when throwing hard jabs at the mitts at first but it subsided. 

While watching TV at night, I twisted the Flexbar for my elbow and the massage gun around my body. Am also being consistent about taking Flameout twice a day.

Woke-up well before my alarm this morning and had just enough time for 4 rounds of 10 burpees and 10 kettlebell swings (25 lbs which is what happened to be in the house that I could quickly grab), followed by an untimed circuit of shadowboxing, jumping-jacks, and high knees. 

 Right knee has been in a little pain lately so did some tibialis raises on Sunday night.

Began yesterday morning with 3 minutes of shadow kickboxing and 20 burpees.

After work:

3-minute round on the heavy bag comprised of 2 minutes of straight 1-2s and 1 minute of freestyle

1 set of 290x10 on the reverse hyper

1 backwards jog for knee rehab and then 3 sprints up Heart Attack Hill followed by a 15 min jog to the high school and back. The way back had another hill which I ran up. 

Also got some leg stretches done at night. Knee does not hurt when jogging or squatting, and is in fact feeling a lot better after just a few days of rehab exercises. Feels like the discomfort stems from standing long at work and then going to boxing afterwards. Easy to make the necessary habit change.

Was short on time this morning but still squeezed in 20 high-speed burpees.

With how good 100 rep curls made my elbow feel and the awesome pump that went with it, I'm fixin' to add in high rep axle skullcrushers to match. Don't want this to backfire so I'll start with 50 as the front end of a super-set. 

Back double bi taken yesterday:

Friday night boxing: shadowboxing and fairly basic mitt-work with a partner, ending on the heavy bags and abs. Visited Dad at his resting site on the way home, looking from past the gate.

Saturday:

Squats
430 x 3
Drop-down to 320x8, 230x8, 140x8, 50x8

Single-leg curls
290 x 15

Notes: still squatting narrow and deep. Going to use the SSB next time if my back health permits (it's been feeling good lately). The weight I can move is probably the same when squatting this style, and I'm still feeling a little bit of strain on my elbow despite best efforts to not bear any bar weight on it when squatting.

Sunday:

Paused 1-board press
350 x 1

285 x 3 x 6

Lying dumbbell rows
125s x 3 x 8

Weighted push-ups
100 x 10, 7

Super-set with chin-ups: 10, 10

Poundstone curls
30 x 100

Went out later for a Home Depot trip to replace the shattered glass mirror and pick-up some parts to fix my friend's ignition switch, but along the way I spontaneously decided to stop at the Cambrian public library just a few blocks past, which I hadn't been to since I was a kid. It looked completely different inside, but very nice to experience. Didn't have any of the Michael Crichton books I wanted.

Went to see Dad on the way home and placed a stone dove I got for him on his resting site.

Axle clean once and press

110 x 10

130 x 10

150 x 7

Giant sets:

Behind-the-neck press: 110 x 2 x 10

Facepulls: 2 x 10

Dumbbell skullcrushers with Fat Gripz: 35s x 2 x 9

Dumbbell hammer curls with Fat Gripz: 50s x 12, 15

Sandbag squats: 200 x 10

15-min jog

Was feeling rundown and initially was going to just do cardio, but decided it'd fare my body well to move some weight. Actually, it was more like "I'll just go outside and set-up for another day while doing some reverse-hypers for my back" and, as usual, lying to myself to get me out the door snowballed into weightlifting once I saw all the iron in front of me.

On the set of pressing I stopped before my shoulders began to struggle. Taking care to keep them feeling healthy with all the work they get at the boxing gym. 

Stretched before bed by lying on my back and widening my legs up against a wall.

It saddens me to say this due to Dad passing, but since the garage is no longer a smoke den, it would make sense to create an indoor gym for the preservation of equipment. I'll be doing that gradually. The corner and desk where he sat at will remain untouched as a tribute and memorial. 

Hard to believe it's been a week since we laid Dad to rest. I'll never forget how surreal it was to have his old friend Mo come over. Just a couple weeks prior, Dad was laying on the same couch Mo sat on.
I've still been saying "Hi Dad" and "Bye Dad" or "Goodnight Dad" per routine. I left his bedroom light on the other night and forgot to turn it off, so I did after waking up to use the bathroom.

Then at 3am, the bathroom mirror fell and shattered everywhere. Huge mess. I cleaned it up yesterday evening. Sometime around that occurring, I had a dream that his bedroom light had turned back on by itself. The night before this, I saw him in a dream, but my alarm woke me up, which I was pissed about.

Unfortunately, the memorial park closes at 7 so I can't visit inside after boxing like I planned, but he's close enough to the entrance that I was able to be close to him Wednesday evening after class

Focused on the clinch yesterday at boxing. Took turns throwing 1-2s, clinching, and repeat, eventually adding a 1-2-3 upon release. Also drilled the side clinch and controlling the opponent with a push of the shoulder upon release (remember to keep other hand up in guard during this). Ended with various bagwork rounds and then stretches.

Wednesday is the most fun class. Tuesdays are a small group and the atmosphere is incredibly quiet with little training banter happening. I focus on what's important, but I do like working with an energetic group instead of a room that sounds like a library. Fridays are always very conditioning-heavy, which is good for me but there isn't quite as much technique breakdown.

Stopped by the resting site on my way home to see Dad for a little bit. The memorial park closes at 7, unfortunately, so I can't actually enter when I get out from boxing, but he's close to the front so I parked by the sidewalk and stood outside the gate by him. He would usually be sitting in his den at this time when I get home, and would ask if I was at boxing and how work went.

Sleep that night wasn't the best. Woke-up at 3am to the bathroom mirror falling off the wall and shattering on the floor. It's a mess, but luckily nothing else was damaged. Opted to close the door so the cat can't go in and went back to salvage my sleep, so I have that waiting for me to clean when I get home from work.

2-board press

315 x 3

345 x 1

355 x 1

Notes: Surprised at how easy this went up.

Bench press 

275 x 6, 6, 5

Lying dumbbell rows

125s x 8, 8, 8

Giant set

Behind-the-neck axle press: 110 x 2 x 10

Dumbbell flye press: 50s x 2 x 10

Dumbbell curls: 50s x 2 x 12

Went out with my sister afterwards to get sandwiches at Dad's favorite spot, Erik's Deli, and ordered his signature Raging Bull, then took them to his resting site and ate next to him for 45 minutes. Afterwards, I took my sister to a Korean spa. This was the result of me having been hunting for a gym with a sauna and steam room for some time now, which Dad always took me to when I was a kid going to the local gym with him. Before he passed, I asked him if he'd go to the gym again if I found a steam room and he said yes, which was encouraging to hear since he almost never ventured out anymore.

Unfortunately, around here these amenities are now either found in severe disrepair at chains like 24 Hour Fitness or in expensive, high-end spas - no in-between if you want a membership. The spa was $40 for a day pass. Got to enjoy a massage chair (where I actually dozed off in a few times), themed heat rooms like a salt room, a wonderfully hot 210 degree sauna, steam room, and hot tub. I was wishing for a cold plunge only to find out afterwards that one of the mini pools that I assumed was a second hot tub was in fact a cold plunge. All in all, it was a nice treat after a couple hard weeks and it made me think of Dad.

Quote of the day: 

"Forget safety. Live where you fear to live. Destroy your reputation. Be notorious." -Rumi

Had the service for my dad on Friday. I miss him, but whenever I feel at my lowest, I simply remember how stoic and ironclad he was, and his simple words of "Be strong" to me. 

Did some deep squats on Saturday:
410 x 5
Drop-set to 320 x 8, 225 x 8, 135 x 8, 50 lb kettlebell goblet squat x 8

Dips:
Bw x 10
50 x 10
100 x 13
115 x 10

Chin-ups: 8, 12, 12, 12

Behind-the-neck axle press:
110 x 10, 10, 8

These were mostly done as giant sets back-to-back with little to no rest except the last set of 115 lb dips, when I got lost in thought over my dad.

Ended with a 48-second chin-up. Previously noticed I was stalling for time by pausing at various points during the chin-up rest, which is fine, but it's harder if I don't stop and instead ascend and descend very slowly throughout the whole rep.

I called and had a good conversation with my aunt and uncle afterwards, who were (and still are) in Iran when last week happened. Farah was composed but my poor Eghbal was crying and torn-up. Now I have to decide if or when I let my mom know, whom I haven't spoken to since 2010.

After dropping off our chosen resting clothes for Dad at the funeral home yesterday, I came home and unpacked a new laptop that had arrived and then hustled off to boxing. I ended up being the odd man out with no partner, which I became really disappointed with once I heard we would be doing light sparring, but the coach grabbed me to do mitt work and 1-on-1 coach time which is also invaluable. One of the guys there commented between rounds that my right hand sounded like a gunshot. Ended with bag work and then abs.

Unfortunately, I woke-up with both back and elbow pain. I made a point to try and not strain my back during the ab circuit, but it seems like the effort wasn't enough. Nothing major, just feels like a few steps backward after making some progress on both fronts. It would be worth using the reverse-hyper after working abs and seeing if that makes a difference, just as I've been pairing it with squats and deadlifts. For the elbow, I should use the Flexbar rehab tool I have more and make sure I sleep with my elbow sleeve (not my powerlifting one, this is a Venum cloth sleeve) without exception.

Got the idea to end my log entries with a quote during these hard times. 

Quote of the day: "You have been baptized in fire and blood and have come out steel.” -General Scott at Chapultepec [taken from General Patton's diary War As I Knew It]

Past week was a blur of emotional toilings and appointments. We picked out my dad's headstone on Friday: black with subtle gold sparkles under the sunlight. Going to place an Air Force picture of him on display in it.

I managed to drag myself into boxing afterwards. Part of me felt like skipping, but classes are pre-registered every weekend and there’s a cancellation fee, plus another side knew that toughing it out and going would be good for me. It was a new coach and some hard conditioning. Instead of merely skipping rope for 3 rounds of 3 minutes as the warm-up, we replaced the 30 second rest with 10 burpees before jumping back into rope skipping. That didn’t feel hard, but It escalated from there with rotating medicine ball throws, kettlebell thrusters, and battle ropes. I felt like my gas tank was truly tested for the first time at this place. It was also the first time I’ve ever used battle ropes. They were the easiest among the exercise trio.

We then did a drill of jabbing at our defending partners for 2 minutes straight, then 1-2s for 2 minutes, then switching.

Played around with a different squat form last night after work: high bar and ATG, with hamstrings touching my heels. Lately I really like the idea of cycling in different grips and stances, instead of primarily thinking about changing the bar or exercise. I used to exclusively squat high bar until 2019, when the top of my vertebrae started to seriously hurt. The positioning didn’t come back naturally to me and it felt awkward.

Worked up to a single of 405, then 315x8. Predictably, the weight felt very light except for a split-second at the very bottom.

Have also started supplementing with Biotest Superfood instead of buying my usual Costco multivitamins.

It felt weird yesterday coming home to a house without him. I'm glad Mirza was there to greet me. It became ritualistic for Dad to note that the cat had been asleep and waiting for me all day until he springs awake and comes to the stairs when I enter.

My dad passed away last Wednesday. I can’t say it was unexpected with how his health was, but it was nonetheless an emotional shock. I had spoken to him at midnight the night before to check on him and tell him I was staying home from work the next day, to which his last words to me were “Ok” while he was laying in bed. I found him unresponsive the next morning.

I had been his caretaker for certain things like driving him to the store and doing chores around the house for the last 10 years and opted to stay with him after everyone else had moved away so he wouldn’t be alone. He was a real hard man, an old-school badass, but incredibly loving to his children at the same time. Also, just my best friend, which I’ve mentioned in my log numerous times. We had a lot of great inside jokes, often taken from movie lines via Commando, Rocky 3, Braveheart, and others.

One badass exchange we had recently (imperfect English intentional):

Dad looking at my black cat: “In Iran, they scare of black cat. They think they’re the devil.”
Me: “Hah, are you scared of him?”
Dad: “No. I am devil myself.”

The past week has been a mix of grieving, taking care of appointments, and of course, training. I did this yesterday:

2-board press
315 x 3
345 x 2

Close-grip bench press
245 x 8, 8
225 x 10

Super-set with reverse hyper rows: 290 x 3 x 12

Dumbbell flye press
50s x 12, 12

Seated curls with Fat Gripz
35s x 12, 10, 10

Today is the first day back at work and I’m tackling tasks bit by bit, but I’m looking forward to the day being over.

My dad passed away last night. Been spending all day with him and family before he was taken away. I'll have more thoughts to jot down tomorrow.

First back squat session in over 2 weeks. Had belt squats in mind as a back-up, but I'm glad to report I felt healthy enough to load the bar on my back.

Squats

320 x 15

Dumbbell RDLs + shrug at top

125s x 10

Reverse-hyper

290 x 2 x 10

Felt great to squat something again. What's more, I didn't feel any extra pain in the middle of the night or waking up the next day. 

Been getting comments at work: "Rambo, you're so skinny now." That always gets thrown my way when I approach this weight. 6'0" and 200 lbs is not skinny people, I'm just not fat anymore.

Woke up at 8:30 on Saturday and went for a 40-minute fasted jog with a little bit of dry whey scooped in my mouth (for those curious, it clumps and forms a small protein candy ball). Started by jogging uphill for 3 rounds before continuing on flat ground. Very nice start to the morning.

No training the rest of the day, as I went to the San Francisco to see a friend, but there was plenty of walking all day, starting with a beach hike at a WW2-era coastal artillery site. Reading up on the history, it also became a missile launch zone during the Cold War. Went to Chinatown afterwards and, per tradition, chatted with a store owner about Bruce Lee and bought a Bruce Lee shirt before dinner. 

Sunday:

Bench press 

315 x 1

335 x 1

345 x 1

Paused: 315 x 2

Notes: 345 went up easier than I was expecting. 

Swiss bar bench press

225 x 8, 9, 8, 8, 8

Super-set with dumbbell rows 

125s x 8, 9, 8, 8, 8

Dumbbell flye press

50s x 12

Notes: Saw a Christian Thibaudeau article about these and tried for fun. It's basically a dumbbell press on the concentric and a chest flye on the eccentric. I enjoyed the movement, got a pump from just the one set. 

Dumbbell curls with Fat Gripz

50s x 3 x 12

Afterwards, went on a 3-hour walk around town, starting with a hike (gotta love the proximity of the mountains and downtown to each other). Great end to a great weekend.

 Felt seriously run down yesterday after work and thought about not training. Slept poorly the night before, allergies were flaring up throughout the day, and despite an evening cup of coffee I just wanted to go to sleep. Once I got downstairs and got moving, everything started to feel better. Almost no rest times; despite the written order, leg exercises were done between sets of upper-body work.

Dips

Bodyweight x 10

50 x 10

80 x 10

100 x 10, 10

Banded lat pulldowns

4 x 10

Single leg extensions

290 x 3 x 20

Single leg curls

290 x 15

Single leg Romanian deadlifts

50 x 10

Behind-the-neck press

50 x 23

Seated dumbbell curls

35s x 12

Super-set with kettlebell preacher curls

15s x 12

50-second chin-up

As I type this the next morning, I'm running on far better and deeper sleep. Felt like I went in a coma, waking up only once to use the restroom, and woke-up feeling rested 30 minutes before my alarm. 

Back continues to get a little better every day. Looking forward to Friday evening boxing.

Participated in what I would call my first real sparring session at this boxing gym yesterday. Officially I need a doctor's sign-off to engage in their dedicated sparring hours so I'm grateful that this coach had us spar during class regardless of that. First 2 rounds were with jabs only and then 1-2s only, but the third round was everything. Different partners each round.

As soon as the coach finished explaining, the tallest guy in class and I immediately turned to each other partnered up. Haven't seen him before but he looks to be around 6'4". I'm no giant at 6' but I'm taller than 80% of class and I have a long reach, so I genuinely got excited at the opportunity of being the smaller man for once. Pity I couldn't trade with him during the full round and we could only jab. We both landed good shots, and I had such an easy time tagging his body when I got low that I made a point to challenge myself and focus on connecting with his head more. Expectedly, I found my jab falling short a few times so I would adjust and see better success by not going into autopilot but actually calculating the distance better. 

Second partner was someone I've worked mitts with before. He throws hard but gasses out. His aggression allowed him to connect to my forehead and temple a few times but I blocked or parried everything coming to my chin. One right cross that hit my temple was particularly hard and he stopped to apologize, but I had rolled with the punch pretty well and told him I'm good. 

Third guy was a young dude about as tall as me. He was very cautious and I found myself adjusting my pace just a little so I wasn't the only one throwing for stretches of time. I was surprised at his lack of aggression because he's high-energy during drills and looks good while shadowboxing.

Did all this with an injured back, which has been slowly getting better. Movement is far better for it than laying or sitting around, and I actually forgot about it in the hour session. Legs also started to cramp from charging in and back, but I hid the pain from my partners and outlasted it.

We finished off with just the right amount of ab work to work the muscles but nothing crazy that strained my back. Got through the 1-minute plank with no issue.

Feels great to spar again. I'll be getting that doctor signature soon.

 My back had been feeling beat-up since deadlifts until yesterday, when it felt better. Was driving home from work looking forward to a killer squat session when all of a sudden my back injured itself just from shifting slightly in the driver seat. Nixed my barbell squat plan and did:

Single leg extensions

290 x 15, 15

Super-set with single leg curls

290 x 15, 25

Belt squats

380 x 8, 10, 10

Belt squats are lifesavers. So glad I set-up a way to do them.

Also, get a load of this. When I was training Muay Thai 5 years ago, I wrote in my training log "I'm saving up to get a Winning FG 5000 headpiece. Comes out to $340 on Rakuten". I'm going to start sparring in boxing and that headgear is now over $650. Should have pulled the trigger back then!