Lifting, Life and Lavender

It was Saturday morning, quad day (second of the week). I had to do front squats and walking lunges. I ask Roy what weight to do on my own when I repeat my training at Gold's Gym. 

I had a massage with Rachael on Friday, legs only. I told her to concentrate on Hams and Glutes, it was painful, at times I could tell she just had her elbow embedded in my glute, and her entire body weight resting on it, as she sank deeper and deeper. She found time to work on quads too, thank goodness. My legs were killing me when I woke up.

I did my front squats at 120#, 125#, 130# and 130#. I was aiming for 10 reps at each, but on the 130# I could only do 7. Considering that is my body weight, and these are front squats, I am ok with my lifting, not what I wanted but still not shabby.

I moved to the walking lunges with an e-z curl bar held front squat style, Roy said do 65# or 70#, I went for the 70#. I did three sets on each leg, 10 reps. I then decided to do some leg lifts and frog leg lifts, gotta get some some ab work in even if it really doesn't seem to do much.

As I did my lunges I noticed that for the first time, my legs look good. My glutes look great, my upper body no longer seems to overpower my lower body! I am big, big all over but my legs have finally caught up, it's about time! 

This little fire plug is right on target.

I am finally, finally happy with where I am. I always struggle when I finish a show, I go from super lean and ripped to normal. Normal doesn't seem good enough then. It's taken me 7 weeks to get to this "space" in my head. I suppose in the grand scheme of things that isn't much time really. 

I am at 129 pounds now, I was actually up to 131 for a while but have now held steady at 129 the last week and a half. I have changed my diet (I will write more later) and it has allowed me to maintain a fairly lean yet muscular physique. I think I night stay right where I am for a while (you know I can do that right?)

I feel good.

After I trained and had my shake, I wandered out to my front yard. We don't have a lawn like regular folk, we make wine so we have a vineyard (small but powerful, like me). In our vineyard we have Provencal lavender which I cut and place into vases in the house, they will scent the rooms for the upcoming year. Have a glance at the beautiful view.

Living and Loving Legs!

Saturday morning and I am ready to kill the legs! I am feeling lean and mean, and bursting with power.


Today I will be doing Back Squats, Glute Ham Raise and Lunges. I talked a woman into taking my picture, she hadn't started her workout yet so I didn't think it was too much of an interruption.


She snapped it before I could really get set up, but I have my heels on two 10 pound plates, I needed to get the foot placement correct, I am squatting with a narrow stance, feet straight out, I am targeting the quads. 

I warmed up with the bar only (45 pounds), 10 reps. Then 1 set of 10 at 65, 1 set at 85 and then moved into 115 for 5 sets. So this was 8 sets.

I rested 90 seconds in between each set.

Something clicked! It was like water, a fluid motion, it was perfect, like I was a machine. Roy keeps telling me "knees out front" and somehow my head told me to only move my knees, where in the past my powerful glutes always started the motion, I moved silently down, keeping a straight back, and then up with a thrust of the hips. I wish I was filming it! 

I found myself in my own world as I rested, waiting for my timer to vibrate and set me in motion again. I was floating on a cloud!

Then on to my friend, the GHR. We have a love hate relationship. This majestic piece of equipment is one of the most coveted by everyone and one of the most hated.

Why? If you do it right it's hard as hell! Most people break at the hips, and I know when I am getting fatigued I do the same. You should be pulling your body up with your glutes, and the upper part of the hamstring, imagining they are one solid mass (at least that's how I envision it in my head). If you bend at the hips and stick your butt out, anyone can do it, and it's basically useless.

I did 10 sets of 10, only bodyweight. Try it. 10 sets, slowly, no momentum, no swinging, slow on the eccentric and as explosive as I could get on the concentric, but that wasn't much! I started to waver at the end, I didn't break at the hips, but the  movements got oh so slow. I was quite vocal, I could tell as the guys looked over their shoulder, wondering if I was going to make it. I did.

Lunges. I grabbed the 20 pound dumbbells and walked. Left leg first, it's the weak one. Slowly, all the way down, stretching back at the lowest point, maintaining a straight back, pushing off with the heel. 10 on the left, then 10 on the right, rest. 5 sets on each leg. I should have done more, I was toast though.

I still had cardio to do. It was Saturday, when all the weekend warriors come in, the cardio room would be crowded. All the pretty women in their fancy yoga outfits, I wonder what they think of me in my Underarmour underwear and bra top, not that I really care.

The stairmills were all taken, and there are 8 of them! Damn, I had to use the stair stepper. 20 minutes was enough. I kept myself entertained, sometimes laughing out loud by listening to Big Nation Radio , a rather silly but entertaining podcast which bills itself as "talk of Bodybuilding, Steroids and Porn". I was finishing up the episode about Johnny Montanta, legendary pickup artist from New York.

When you see me laughing out loud on my stairmill, you will know why!