Delaware Animal Barbell Club

So maybe the reason I am still sitting here feeling like doggie doo is my fault - I push myself and push myself, Right over the proverbial edge, time and time again. I don't give myself a break (not in many respects). So here I am still feeling like razors are lining my throat.

I went to the DE Animal Barbell Club gathering at The Training Center on Saturday. I rode up with GW in his cool car ( a 2006 Corvette - blood red ...ooohh -Vroom Vroom). Now I guess I could have just hung back, and networked with my friends and some new faces, and ate the delicious meatballs that Chrissy Osborne made, and the other tasty morsels that were spread out...but, when you are in a roomful of dozens and dozens of people who are training HARD, all with INTENSITY, all with serious ENERGY... The atmosphere was one of rarity and purpose. Wow! I'm not sure I can describe it. It was FIERCE! And there was a DJ playing some hard driving music, and I often say that music can make or break your training session. (When I used to train at Gold's in Rehoboth almost always there was this LOUD disco music on, and not even good disco, it was like disco - light, but LOUD and irritating...)

Back to the Animal Pak event. All of the people there were having great workouts, it was a roomful of really nice people, alot of really BIG people, no make that HUGE people, and some really strong people...

SO how could I NOT train???? Especially since I knew GW needed a workout partenr ...OK, so that's an excuse... I did do a few less sets,

since I was illin', but I did do some heavy db rows - the 190's for a couple of sets of 6 reps, and the 170's for 10( Jack, one of the owners, said that since the gym is finally in the red that 200's are going to be coming soon! My mouth is frothing at that thought!) A couple of sets of shrugs and some biceps.

I'm sure staying home resting was the better of the options, but HECK! It was FIERCE !!! That kind of ANIMAL INTENSITY is hard to come by. I am thrilled to have experienced the day!

Here is Big Al Fortney and "McFly", who were largely responsible for organizing the event for ANimalPak. And Jack Osborne, owner of TTC and myself -

We did leave early, if that is any consolation... Hell, who am I trying to convince??? Myself? Yes, I'm in a physical hole again - now I'm just trying to heal and carry on...

GW rowing a 190!

Me rowing - That's only a 170!

Perhaps it is best that I don't have that atmosphere to train around often, for surely I would be dead.

Hibernation

I have a very real desire to just take the rest of the winter off and hibernate under the covers, in bed, don't get up for anything, except maybe the potty and a hot toddy from time to time. -[rhyme time! :-) ] I felt good on Tuesday...FINALLY! Then I start to feel like Maybe I'm not completely recovered. Last night I had a bad sore throat. I went back to see the doctor today and he said for sure I killed off the thing that I have, however, I managed to catch the other nasty thing that is going around invading people's respiratory systems!

More antibiotics for me... this month has been just terrible physically. When I said I catch everything, I meant EVERYTHING!!!

I didn't have my normal strength last week, but I did want to deadlift, so I did 315 for reps, and so here is a picture, albeit not a very clear one, of why I hate deadlifting for reps. The red on my thighs is blood smeared from the bar. I always break open a spot above at least one of my knees. This day I broke both legs open, plus one of my shins was bleeding, too! Lovely?

Blow

When I'm congested I frequently have the urge to clamp my nose and mouth shut and just blow. It hurts my eardrums, usually ,but I keep hoping that it will unclog my upper respiratory tract.

That's what I feel like doing - It's raining heavily here today. A good day for wearing a flannel shirt and curling up in a blankie and big fuzzy slippers, and a steamy bowl of soup and a grilled swiss cheese...I'm going through this phase of craving swiss cheese constantly . I've actually pursued the flannel shirt, the blankie, the fuzzy slippers, and the soup part, need to go for the swiss cheese now. I'm trying to figure out what this swiss cheese craving means physically...it's got to mean something. I don't want cheddar, American, or any other kind of cheese, just swiss. I ran out of wine so I'm sipping on a Jack Daniels and TAB...drop of lemon juice. mmmm.....

Anyhooo - trained chest last night. Since I had been sick for so long, I probably should have backed off a little more than I did, well, actually I didn't back off at all. It went very decent. I haven't lost any strength, so that is good. I did my typical pause benching with 245x6 and 275x 3 and a half...used my new APT Strangulator wrist wraps. I liked them a heck of alot more than I imagined that I would. In fact, I loved them. APT tells me he is coming out with the Strangulator knee wraps in a couple of weeks - I'm looking forward to those! I have not done a touch and go bench for so long, I wondered if I could even get it in my head to do one. I always pause my rep on my chest, at least one second if not a full two seconds. But just for the heck of it I did do 315 touch and go for a couple. If I didn't exhaust myself on the first two pause sets, I'm sure more would have been there. In fact, it's about time I test a 335 again, I do believe. Next time? maybe - If one has never paused a bench rep before, then one has no concept of the difference that pause makes in handling the weight.

Gearing up for the big Delaware Chapter Animal Pak gathering next weekend at The Training Center, in New Castle DE. This is going to be a wild, kicking time! Big Al Fortney is at the helm of this event. Lots of ANIMALS from all over the palce getting together to train, network, and have FUN!!! Can't wait!

I'm baaaaaaaaack!!!

The day after my first session back at the gym after almost 2 weeks and I feel grrrreeatt!
My head was still congested last night, which prevents me from pushing way into the zone (I get dizzy) but it was so good to be back. There was a point that I felt like I was never going to get well. I was beginning to feel "mortal" again - didn't like that feeling at all. But today I have that nice tight, worked and sore but not overly sore feeling.
Anyhooo - GW joined me, which was a plus. We started with squats, because I HAD to get back under the bar. So we did 2 sets of 315. No knee wraps. I did 6 and then 7. I couldn't push any further because of the congestion in my head, but all in all I was pleased. Usually when I'm tired or feel off I tend to bring my stance in very narrow, hence the depth is not quite as it should be, but I was able to feel comfortable enough in a wider position last night, hence I do believe that my depth good. I can still feel the compartmentalization - grrrooan, but it is not as prevalent as it once was. I weighed in at 172, a bit more than I expected after laying around like a slug for almost 2 weeks.
I really hate doind leg curls with dumbells, but know that they are very effective, that's what we did last night -but I still hated doing them. They just pulllllll all the way down, escpecially at the lowest down position. I always feel like they are going to pull my hamstrings right out.
The antibiotics are as expected making me very tired, but they are making me well, so I'll deal with it.
Goal is to start packing on a few pounds again, try to make it to 180 before the DIET begins. I still have a good 3 months to go before I start peeling the pounds off. I'm all out of Little Debbie cakes - got to run to the grocery store!

Killing the Thing

I won't be talking about training today, for I haven't set foot in the gym for a week now - this evil "thing" has really grabbed onto me and given me a hell of a ride this past week and a half. I finally went to see the doctor this morning, and he prescribed me a lovely antibiotic. The "thing" starts as a general flu-like illness. Makes you sleepy and lethargic and want to stay curled up under your blankie with a good book and a glass of orange juice for a day or two. Then just when you think you might be shaking it off - BAM!!! It invades your digestive sytem. Nausea and a need to stay near the bathroom for a couple more days, then again just when you are shaking that feeling off - BAM AGAIN !!! - Most people are winding up with an ugly case of bronchitis. However, it decided to settle in my sinuses. My sinuses are so swollen it looks like I have cotton balls stuffed in my cheeks! My poor sinuses have put up with alot in this lifetime... anyhooo, looks like I'm going to live thorugh this thing, but I'm still not out of the woods, yet. It was a good excuse to stay curled up like a slug in front of the tv and watch PBR Saturday night, Sunday afternoon, and Sunday night... though, as I stated before, I would have rather been well and seen it in person in NYC. I have so many favorites, but I'm sticking with JB Mauney again this year, and I always like LJ Jenkins - he is always so calmand cool looking, and for some reason I find myself rooting heavily for Luke Snyder this year...

As most people realize, real estate is NOT a booming business right now, though Jody and I are relatively busy with inquiries and such...thankfully. We are working with just as many "potential buyers" as we usually are at this time of year. This is due to our website being the premiere real estate website in the mid-atlantic resort region. http://www.kate-jody.com/ How's that for a plug? It really is, however, and we are going to be upgrading it soon to an even better, more informative and "cutting edge" site, so Delaware resort real estate buyers, stay posted!!

Here I am rowing the 190 lb. dumbell (yes it really is - I can get 6 good reps or so myself weighing in at 170 lbs. ). I like looking at things like this when I feel weak as a kitten, when all I feel like lifting is a ball of yarn, just to remind me that soon I will be better and hoisting the heavy iron again... This was taken by Bill Jentz at the Training Center in New Castle, DE back in October for the long awaited Women's Physique World Kate Baird DVD, part 2...HAH!!! ANd, of course, I am wearing my APT wrist straps! It was so hot in the gym that day, I'm surprised I didn't wind up as a mere steaming pool of sweat on the floor when we were done.

Black market light bulbs

Monday I was able to train legs with GW !!! I miss training with GW, but he had to take a new job, working for the sheriff at all times of the night and day, so it is hard to catch up with him. I miss his energy. He probably doesn't like to harp on the fact that he just turned 60, but heck, a GW at 60 is akin to most guys at 30...you sprightly ol' geezer you, GW (I know you read this blog). I enjoyed that much -
New Year's - the "thing" finally came to get me...it's been creeping up for a week or so now. Swollen glands, congestion, fatigue -New Year's Eve it had me curled up under the blankie, and so on New Years' Day...then I felt a bit better, oh how convenient - just in time to go to the gym last night! And I could still bench press 275 x4 (all PAUSED) and 295 x 1 with the "thing". I had a decent workout, love those kettle bell side laterals,and whirlpooled afterward, but I think I pushed myself just a wee bit too far and so I got thrown far over the edge. Today I have just been feeling extra rotten. Oh, you kow I'm feeling sick when I turn down an invitation to see the PBR live (in New York this weekend). Oh, all those cowboys....sigh....Time to break out the dictionary and look up that four letter word again - R-E-S-T before I push myself into a bad state.
So my fingers are feeling the wrath of illness, I'm tired and typing is becoming a chore - I was going to go off on a tangent about the government wanting to ban incandescent lightbulbs and push cancer causing - ill making, mercury and EMF laden flourescents upon us. Some day you will find out that it is not the sun causing the skin cancers, it is the flourescent lights in your office, in your stores, in your schools, in your doctor's office - oh look, I went off on a tangent...
I hope I do not see the day when I have to go to the black market to by my light bulbs.