ME lower/ Extra workout #1

Friday AM
The usual warm-up involving sometimes painful excursions on a foam roller and/or a lax ball followed by mobility and stretches that are painful to watch be performed let alone do. BUT. I feel better when I get done.
1. Low box squat w/safety squat bar and 4 sets of chain/side. Worked up in doubles to 265 (bar weight) then 315x1, 345x1, 245x5x2 sets

2. Dimel deads 2x20/135, 185

3. Back raises w/BB on back 3x8/25, 35, 45

4a. Hanging leg raises (toes to bar) 3x5
4b. Band pull-aparts (mini) 5x15

5. Landmine (w/handles) 2x8/side

Saturday PM
DB bench press 4x15/50 (cold-no warm up no nothing)
Ab pull downs 4x15/80, 90, 100, 110
Band push downs (light) 5x20

In a very simplified sense, strength is a higher work capacity. What worked for one before may not and will not necessarily work in the future. So one always should find ways to raise work capacity and to maintain that volume of work to maintain strength (or whatever physical quality you are training for). This is especially important as one ages. Extra workouts can be used to bring up a weakness, to generally increase physical preparednesss or to aid recovery. Regardless of the reason they still must be done.

In my case, my work capacity is still high when compared to most but not as high as it had been before. Because of other responsibilities time became crucial and I let the extra workouts go. Even finding time to walk (something I had done daily for years) was difficult. And when I felt I was not making the progress I thought I should be making before I re-read my training log I knew what I would find (a lack of extra work). So here we are again.

In the immortal words of Chad Aichs, "you may beat me but you will have to bleed to do it."

Stay strong,
Ed T.