Arms

American swimmer Dana Torres,
aged 41 in 2008

Took it easy today. My hip flexor is still a little sore, and all across my lower back hurts from the heavy deadlifts yesterday. Usually, when I have back pain, it's just on the left, but now it's all the way across. It was really bad all of yesterday, making it difficult to move. Not so bad today, but it still hurt bending down to pick up light dumbbells.

Alternate sets:

Straight bar curls:
55 (10), 60 (7), 65 (5), 65 (5)

Dumbbell skull crushers:
22s (10), 25s (8), 27s (5), 27s (5)

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Dumbbell preacher curls:
25s (8), 27s (7), 30s (5)

French presses:
25 (8), 27 (7), 30 (6)

In the past, I've done French presses like a skull crusher, but with a barbell. That's one of the ways I found online when I googled the term. Today, I switched to the other method, shown in the video below. I used less weight than before, but it's a different technique (seated upright and using only one dumbbell).

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Incline curls, all at 22s: 8, 6, 6

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Close grip push-ups (hands shoulder-width apart, elbows close to my sides):
11, 8, 6

I usually do alternate sets of incline curls and tricep push-downs, but just as I was about to do the second exercise, someone else started to use that station. So, I rested 1 minute between sets of curls, then did the push-ups.

That was it for today - about 30 minutes of light exercise. Didn't feel too challenging, but I didn't want to push myself too hard. I'm planning on doing a heavy/moderate upper body routine tomorrow.


I did a seated, upright single dumbbell version, using the grip at about 2:25 in this video.

Chest and traps

Rack bench press @ 7 holes 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
110, 120, 125, 130 (1), 130 (1.5)

Dumbbell row 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
65, 70, 75, 80 (4), 80 (5)

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15 x rack bench @ 115 lb
30 x pull-ups

Time = 12:35

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For time:
25 x rack bench @ 100 lb
25 x dips
25 x dumbbell bench @ 2 x 30 lb
25 push-ups

Time = 15:57

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Didn't do too badly after yesterday's disappointment. My biceps felt pumped even before I started today. 

While I was about halfway through the dips, two young guys who were training nearby turned to me and said my routine was pretty impressive. It felt like they were stopping short of saying "for an old guy"!

Olympic lifting

Hang clean 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
105, 110, 115, 120, 125 (2)

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30 x hang cleans @ 110 lb

Time = 8:47 (last rep needed a 1 min rest!)

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Amrap 20 clean and press @ 105 lb

Reps = 34

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After yesterday's good performance, today's was a bit disappointing. I've done more reps in an amrap 15 clean and press than I did today in 20 minutes. It was such a big drop in performance that I wonder if I screwed up with the weight plates. I failed on several reps trying to keep things moving. However, my biceps feel very sore, so I guess I worked my arms pretty hard.

Felt pretty intimidating having Jason and Eric training together next to me with weights that made the bar bend!