Home Again

We spent all of yesterday and into the evening driving back from our TX Christmas visit with family. There was a small fitness facility with dumbbells, a Smith Machine (YUCK!) and some other equipment. I was able to squeeze in three "just so-so" workouts while there and I didn't blow my eating routine TOO badly.

This morning, I resumed my home routine with a leg workout, leading off with the dreaded front squats. Everything felt HEAVY this morning but I was able to hit all my numbers, albeit just barely.

I don't have to be back at work for five more days, so I'm going to use the time as an opportunity to get squarely back into the swing of things.

Leaving Town for Christmas

Well, I finished up another cycle of three-on training days this morning. A "push" day with some cardio thrown in at the end. After work tonight, the wife and I will be driving fourteen hours to Fort Worth, TX to visit my daughter, son in law and granddaughter for Christmas. The 24th and 25th will be off days and hopefully there'll be a suitable "fitness facility" where I can get in two or three maintenance workouts while I'm out there. We'll see how it goes.

Another Leg Day Done

For awhile now, my leg day workout has been anchored around front squats. While my lower back has benefited from the resulting relief, my overall core and abdominals in particular are fried from this exercise.

Earlier today, lying on the dungeon floor just after finishing leg day, my thoughts were blissful, high on the endorphin rush that follows this demanding routine. At the same time though, there was that nagging little voice inside, telling me "hey sport, in just four days, ya gotta do this again!"

Front Squat Progress

I'm a month in with the Front Squats now and while progress is slow, gradual improvement continues.

The weights used have gone up nicely and I'm now doing an average of seven working sets after warmups.

Front Squats are still followed by Leg Press and Stiff Legged Deadlifts have been reincorporated, followed by a couple of sets of leg curls.

This workout is the hardest to make myself do every time it rolls around. Rationalization, bargaining with myself, playing "Let's Make a Deal" with myself, you name it, I've tried it to convince myself that THIS CAN'T POSSIBLY BE DONE TODAY!

I always load up that first set though, step under the bar and begin to squat. Later, once it's all done, the endorphin rush that courses through my pathetic, quivering body is beyond description. It's truly a drug and the next time this workout comes due, remembering that feeling is just enough to make me do it one more time.

Pullup Report

The pullups are still progressing. Today's sets / reps were as follows;

7 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 6