May 14 2014
Some of you have been asking about my journey towards the Lancaster County Senior Olympics. I stated in the Quest350 Story, "My goal is to flat bench 350 pounds by June 2014 and enter the Lancaster County Senior Olympics and take the gold medal in the bench press competition." When I went on-line to register for the event, I realized that the event had already taken place. Due to a venue change this year, the date was moved up by one month. After my initial disappointment, I realized that I would not have qualified for this year anyway. The age requirement for participation is 55 and due to the date being moved up I missed qualifying by one week! Bad news...I couldn't participate. Good news...I was still too young to be considered a senior!!! I'll be there next year!
Some of you have been asking about my journey towards the Lancaster County Senior Olympics. I stated in the Quest350 Story, "My goal is to flat bench 350 pounds by June 2014 and enter the Lancaster County Senior Olympics and take the gold medal in the bench press competition." When I went on-line to register for the event, I realized that the event had already taken place. Due to a venue change this year, the date was moved up by one month. After my initial disappointment, I realized that I would not have qualified for this year anyway. The age requirement for participation is 55 and due to the date being moved up I missed qualifying by one week! Bad news...I couldn't participate. Good news...I was still too young to be considered a senior!!! I'll be there next year!
February 17, 2104
Well, today was the day. It was the day that I was supposed to max out and perhaps reach the 350 pound mark on flat bench. Six weeks of training (six weeks that went as well as I could have hoped for) and in the end I get sick. That's life! Got to roll with it!
As noted in my previous update, I started feeling sick on Tuesday but completed my chest workouts for the week. The weekend was rough on me but I decided Sunday evening that I would go into the gym Monday morning (today) and see what I could do. I knew that my energy levels were low and that I was not feeling up to par but I had to at least give it a try. I was able to put up 320 pounds but that was my limit for the day. I just had no energy. But I am fine with that. I accomplished what I set out to accomplish with this six week program.
What did I accomplish?
-I am able to bench press again even though doctors and physical therapists told me I wouldn't/shouldn't ever again.
-I can bench heavy again.
-My shoulder(s), traps and lats are feeling good.
-I have discovered new techniques that have helped me rehab my injuries.
-I set a new personal one rep max best of 340 pounds.
-I proved to myself and others that I could overcome the odds. And if I can do it, so can anyone!
-I was able to communicate with you everything that was going through my mind, whether positive or negative. This gave me the ability to understand myself better and it helped me to align my thought process with the positive.
-I have learned a lot about myself and I am ready to continue on, training hard.
-I am ecstatic to be feeling healthy again!
-I have already won!
What about the 350?
Here is what I stated in my Quest350 story:
"So, this is Quest350! My goal is to flat bench 350 pounds by June 2014 and enter the Lancaster County Senior Olympics and take the gold medal in the bench press competition."
I still have about four months to reach my goal of 350. Yes, it would have been icing on the cake to have done it today but I am very pleased with how far I have come in such a short time! I could not be any happier.
Now, I would like to thank all of you who have faithfully followed me on this journey. So many of you continued to encourage me personally while others of you have been diligent in supporting me via the internet. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your thoughts, kind words and encouragement gave me an extra dose of determination to accomplish this. Thanks for holding me accountable.
I would especially like to thank my wife, Jackie, for standing behind me in this endeavor and for exhibiting faith in me knowing that I could do it.
I will let you all know when I hit that 350!
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger
Well, today was the day. It was the day that I was supposed to max out and perhaps reach the 350 pound mark on flat bench. Six weeks of training (six weeks that went as well as I could have hoped for) and in the end I get sick. That's life! Got to roll with it!
As noted in my previous update, I started feeling sick on Tuesday but completed my chest workouts for the week. The weekend was rough on me but I decided Sunday evening that I would go into the gym Monday morning (today) and see what I could do. I knew that my energy levels were low and that I was not feeling up to par but I had to at least give it a try. I was able to put up 320 pounds but that was my limit for the day. I just had no energy. But I am fine with that. I accomplished what I set out to accomplish with this six week program.
What did I accomplish?
-I am able to bench press again even though doctors and physical therapists told me I wouldn't/shouldn't ever again.
-I can bench heavy again.
-My shoulder(s), traps and lats are feeling good.
-I have discovered new techniques that have helped me rehab my injuries.
-I set a new personal one rep max best of 340 pounds.
-I proved to myself and others that I could overcome the odds. And if I can do it, so can anyone!
-I was able to communicate with you everything that was going through my mind, whether positive or negative. This gave me the ability to understand myself better and it helped me to align my thought process with the positive.
-I have learned a lot about myself and I am ready to continue on, training hard.
-I am ecstatic to be feeling healthy again!
-I have already won!
What about the 350?
Here is what I stated in my Quest350 story:
"So, this is Quest350! My goal is to flat bench 350 pounds by June 2014 and enter the Lancaster County Senior Olympics and take the gold medal in the bench press competition."
I still have about four months to reach my goal of 350. Yes, it would have been icing on the cake to have done it today but I am very pleased with how far I have come in such a short time! I could not be any happier.
Now, I would like to thank all of you who have faithfully followed me on this journey. So many of you continued to encourage me personally while others of you have been diligent in supporting me via the internet. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your thoughts, kind words and encouragement gave me an extra dose of determination to accomplish this. Thanks for holding me accountable.
I would especially like to thank my wife, Jackie, for standing behind me in this endeavor and for exhibiting faith in me knowing that I could do it.
I will let you all know when I hit that 350!
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." - Arnold Schwarzenegger
February 14, 2014
Wow! The last week of my Quest350 program was a wild one! I was scheduled to put up 335 pounds for my heavy workout on Monday. My personal best 1RM (one rep max) was 330 pounds so if I was able to put up the 335 I would set a new personal best. I started with a lot of warm up for my shoulder before I began my actual work out. I progressed the weights up slowly until I reached 325, the weight I used last week for my five sets of one. It went up alright so I progressed to 330. I wanted to try 335, but I did not have a spotter. I did my first rep at 330 and was happy with how it went up. I was finally able to achieve my previous 1RM! I wanted to do more! So, I grabbed a spotter and proceeded to push up 335 for three sets of one rep! A new personal best! But I was feeling good! So I popped on 340. Again, a new personal best! The spotter never touched the bar, not even for a lift off. My spotter wanted me to go up to 350 but I declined, realizing that I was pushing my shoulder to the limit. It felt good and I wanted to keep it that way!
So the week started off with a bang! Two personal bests in one workout and only ten pounds away from my goal of 350!
I took Tuesday off and rested and I limited my workout on Wednesday (my light day) to just chest and arms. I was tired and beginning to feel badly. My throat was scratchy and my head was stuffy. Just the light workout wore me out. I decided to take Thursday off. Actually, the snow storm dictated that I would be off. I felt terrible on Thursday but got in two workouts I didn't want. Both workouts were in the driveway shoveling snow! It kicked my butt! Thanks to Jackie and Sara for all their help!!! From 2:00 PM till bed time, I was a sloth.
This morning (Friday), I decided to go to the gym to get in my last workout of the program. I didn't feel great but I have come so far and I needed to complete what I had started. I wasn't sure what to expect. Today, my routine was 280 pounds for seven sets of five reps. I completed it all but it spent me. I didn't work any other body parts. I went home and shoveled snow instead.
So, now I sit here at my computer thinking about Monday. That is when I am to attempt 345 and possibly 350. As I have stated before, the program is designed to increase my 1RM by 30 pounds in six weeks. So far, I have increased it by 25 pounds and putting up 345 would make it 30 pounds. 350 is icing on the cake!
I don't know what this weekend holds as far as how I am going to feel. I have not had any fever so that is a good sign. I just hope I can get the rest I need and feel good for Monday. If not, I have already won! My shoulder feels about ninety percent, I am able to workout heavy again and I can bench press again as well as having achieved two personal bests! This is awesome! I may not put up 350 on Monday, but I will do my best. And if not...it is just around the corner!
See you soon, 350!
February 7, 2014
I can't believe that I have only one more week left in my Quest350 program. It has gone by quickly and up till last week uneventfully...which is a good thing. But this week brings to life the old adage, "good news, bad news".
Being the optimist, I will first share the good news. I was able to complete my entire chest routine this week with no problems. Well, no problems in getting the weight up for all the sets and reps. Which brings me to the bad news. Last week I reported that my left shoulder has been feeling great and that I never expected it to feel as well as it has up to this point in the program. Last Friday's workout (1-31-14) went so well and as I reported, I felt great. But the next day, Saturday, my shoulder began to hurt. The soreness increased throughout the weekend and I spent a lot of time stretching, heating and taking aspirin. I got to the point where I told my wife, Jackie, that if it came down to benching 350 or saving my shoulder, I would save my shoulder hands-down! But that doesn't mean I was throwing in the towel! It just meant that I would have to become more creative about how I was going to accomplish my goal.
Monday is my heavy chest day and I was actually not looking forward to what might happen in the gym. I stretched and warmed-up more than usual then went to work on my program. My program was slated to start with 5 sets of 1 rep at 325 pounds that day. Remember, my all time 1Rm (one rep max) is 330 pounds. This meant that in just five short weeks I had worked myself back up to within 5 pounds of my 1RM. I was not using a spotter because I didn't want to create a sense of security for myself and allow myself to overdo it. So I only put 320 on the bar. I will admit...I was a bit tentative. I remember, all too well, how I had a weak spot on my left side during my upward motion the last time my shoulder was troubling me. I would get to a point in the lift where I just had nothing. But I set myself under the bar and grabbed it. I took several deep breaths and with everything I had, I lifted the bar from the rack. I held it up high and then committed to lowering it to my chest. With an exhale and all the determination I could muster, I pushed the bar upwards and back to the rack. Not too bad! My shoulder felt no worse and the lift went smoothly. After a three minute rest, I repeated the lift. Now I told myself, "Quit being a wuss!" and I put 325 on the bar for my final three lifts. Every lift went well and my shoulder was no worse. I completed my chest routine but scrapped the rest of my workout because my shoulder was so fatigued and I didn't dare stress it any more.
The shoulder hurt throughout the week and I was concerned about Friday's (today) workout. I did all I could all week long to keep the shoulder warm and stretched. It paid off since my workout went great and my shoulder actually feels pretty good this afternoon!
Now Monday looms...the first day of my last week of the program. If all goes well, I should be putting up 335 pounds which is a milestone in itself. It will be my new 1RM! It all depends on how my shoulder feels, so you can bet I will be babying it this weekend!
Final thoughts: I have actually, already, come farther in this process then I could have ever hoped. I am not only benching again but benching heavy and feeling relatively good. I am extremely thankful! I have a desire and a goal and I will do everything I can to achieve that goal, but not with reckless abandon. I will get there slowly but surely. Am I frustrated? A bit. But I turn that frustration into determination and creativity as I come up with ways to accomplish this dream. This program is aggressive and I understand the possible consequences, but I will keep going as long as I can. I know I can do it! And you can do whatever it is that you dream! I want to demonstrate for you that with discipline, hard work and a good plan, it is possible to go further than you ever thought you could go. Live your dreams!
January 31, 2014
I just flew in from the fourth week of my program this morning and boy, are my arms tired! Actually, my arms are fine but my energy level has been tested. Monday was a pivotal day in the program. The start of my chest workout was five sets of one at 315 pounds. That was my one rep max (1RM) at the beginning of the program, so by the fourth week in, I pushing it up five single times as well as pushing out 280 for three sets of three and 245 for three sets of seven. I then proceeded with the rest of my workout and I was cooked at the end. I decided to can my Tuesday workout in favor of resting so that I would have the necessary energy left to complete my chest routine the rest of the week. I even cut my leg workout back on Thursday to save energy for today's workout. In the end, all the weights went up easily, but it did force me to work. This week is the first that I have felt any muscle soreness in my chest. I am a bit disappointed in my recovery time but I guess it was to be expected after my long lay-off due to injury. The greatest victory for me, so far, is that my shoulder feels great! I must admit that I didn't expect it to feel this good. It has not interfered in the least with my benching.
This six week program is designed to add 30 pounds to my 1RM which means at the end I should be able to put up 345 pounds. On Monday, I will be doing single reps at 325 which is just 5 pounds shy of my all time 1RM of 330 pounds which I put up a year and a half ago, right before my injury. I am hoping to be well rested and recovered by then. If not, I will drop it back to 320 (which is actually the weight increase the program calls for) and go from there. I am trying to push it a bit harder than the program calls for so I can see 350 sooner. Looking forward to Monday!
January 24, 2014
I have now completed half of my program. This week went great! My shoulder pain has actually disappeared during benching. I still feel a bit of pain with overhead presses so I am keeping them on the light side for the time being. Otherwise, there were no trouble spots in the program as I was able to easily complete all sets and reps. I am pleased with how everything is progressing. I just wish the weights felt a little bit lighter! It would make 350 pounds look a lot more doable at this point. But, I have three weeks left and lots of room for growth.
Below is the page out of my workout journal for this week. It will help you to see what I am actually doing. I do not log any of my warm-up or stretching in the book but I have included my bench warm-up routine. I warm my shoulders and chest up a lot before I actually start working them. I want to avoid re-injury at all costs!
Looking forward to next week!
January 17, 2014
Two weeks down and looking forward to the third! I was able to accomplish all of my goals this week despite a barrage of life! It was a very hectic week...lots of work to accomplish in a short period of time and some unexpected family issues that required even more of my time. But that is life and we just have to work around it both physically and mentally. Three issues plagued me this week; two that were somewhat out of my control and one that I should have made sure I took control of but did not. First, I was extremely tired this week due to a heavy work load and extra time spent on family issues. I am not a good sleeper anyway, but this week was especially tough and there was not much I could do about it. Secondly, both Tuesday and Thursday (days after my chest day) I experienced bad trap and neck tension along with headache. I was able to relieve the majority of the pain with hot shower stretching and concentrating on relaxing those areas. But my shoulder feels great! And thirdly, I am sorry to admit, my diet went out the window. I allowed my rough schedule to beat me up when I should have taken control. Yes, there are unforeseen issues that crop up out of nowhere, but that is no excuse. I need to make sure I keep my body fueled. I could really feel the effects of not eating properly during my workouts, not to mention my bad diet probably contributed to my tiredness. Okay, we are human. Yes, we know better. But I'm back on track now and I need to make sure I pay attention to diet more when I see things getting a bit hectic. After all, I get on my clients for complaining about life getting in their way! Time to practice what I preach.
Well, there it is, in all it's honesty. I messed up. But thank goodness I was able to perform what I needed to. But I may not be able to next time if I don't discipline myself a little bit better. Next week is going to be great...regardless of what life deals me!
January 10, 2014
I finished my first week of the program this morning. As of now, I feel pretty good. I wasn't able to say that on Wednesday, though. I'm not sure what happened on Wednesday, because it was my light day, but my shoulder and upper back (traps and rhomboids) were hurting quite a bit and it was giving me a headache. I relaxed as best I could, applied heat and stretched. Thank goodness, today I feel great...just a little pain in the left shoulder during the work out but I kept it stretched. That proved to help a lot. All in all, it was an easy chest week, like I knew it would be, and I am grateful that I can continue on! Looking forward to next week!
January 6, 2014
It is 6:00 AM and I am getting ready to go to the gym for my first workout of the Quest350 program. It will be an easy chest workout, but it is designed that way for a reason. They will be getting tougher soon enough!
I will be updating my progress at the end of each week but thought I would share with you my final thoughts before I get started. To be honest, I have some mixed feelings, or maybe I should say...concerns. I am very anxious to get to the gym and to start moving forward. I know I can do this! I just need my left shoulder to cooperate. I don't ever again want to experience that pain in my shoulder and the helplessness of not being able to use it. I believe that I have done what was necessary to get my shoulder healed and re-strengthened. I still feel very slight pain when pressure is exerted on the joint at certain angles but I have learned to work around this. But I also know that I will be subjecting my shoulder to very heavy loads and fatiguing it to failure at times and I hope that I am ready for this.
Final thought...you never know unless you try! To the gym!
December 30, 2013
Today was chest day in the gym. It was my last chest day before starting my program for Quest350. My shoulders were feeling good with only slight discomfort in the left one. My traps were tight and I was tired (I stayed up until 11:30 pm to watch the Philadelphia Eagles beat Dallas and I was in the gym at 6:30 am). Regardless, my training method is to always push myself and to beat my previous session...it is a must if you want to get stronger and want to grow. Last week I was able to push up 310 pounds with ease and no pain. I was actually surprised. Today I planned on taking it up five pounds but wasn't sure with how I felt. My warm-up felt good and I gradually worked up to 300 pounds. That felt good so I went to 310. It felt light but I could feel a weak spot in my left shoulder during the upward lifting motion. I put 315 on the bar and it went up with not much effort. I wanted to do more but I know I'm going to have to take it slowly.
I have found, over time, that it is not the heavy single lifts that aggravate my shoulder, but the sets of 6 to 8 reps of about 85% of my one rep max that are the killers to my shoulder. My 10-15 rep sets are a bit troublesome, too, as I begin to fatigue. What concerns me is that the program I need to use to increase my strength the way I want to involves a lot of heavy weight in the 6-8 rep range. This should be interesting!
I start my intensive program next week. I am ready!