2012

october 31st 8 x 8 squats (1 x 8 calf raises between each set) 1 x 72 heel squats (weight for squats... 22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) - 28 minutes 30th standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 32 minutes blood pressure... 111/74/68-129/79/111 almost a stroll in the park. made easier by concentrating on passing the weight through the heels (as with the squat) 28th 10 x 8 squats (1 x 8 calf raises between each set) 4 x 50  heel squats (weight for squats... 22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) - 48 minutes 27th standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 34 minutes blood pressure... 118/72/63-117/78/113 25th 7 x 8 squats (1 x 8 calf raises between each set) 1 x 50 + 4 x 25 heel squats(weight for squats... 22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) - 51 minutes 21st 24th standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 32 minutes blood pressure... 112/74/64-125/81/113 22nd 1 x 60 vertical back heel squats 1 x 30, 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 4 and 1 x 2 squats (progressively increasing in depth) 1 x 8 calf raises for each leg between each set of squats (weight for squats... 22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) - 26 minutes 21st standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 32 minutes blood pressure... 116/73/71-125/77/99 a little tip that the writer's mentor gave him thirty five years ago and was  almost forgotten... when doing the standing military press push the bar back as you're pushing it up not much just slightly (4 or so centimetres) remembering and applying this forgotten tip has made the strain in the lumbar region while doing this exercise a thing of the past it may be a personal thing but it was found that by locking the knees and pushing back with the thighs while balancing on the heels made the exercise easier and kept the lumbar region feeling comfortable   19th 1 x 60 vertical back heel squats 1 x 30, 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 4 and 1 x 2 squats (progressively increasing in depth) 1 x 8 calf raises for each leg between each set of squats (weight for squats... 22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) - 30 minutes 18th standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 33 minutes blood pressure... 108/73/70-129/82/103 each work-out produces a gain of one sort or another this time it was in breathing following on from the previous session have decided to not increase the weight on the barbell exercises until can do the current ones without putting pressure on the lower back (currently the most uncomfortable part of the training) which means the only exercise that needs to improve is the standing military press otherwise the session felt comfortable for all exercises NOTE is there something to be learnt from an appraisal of the interdependence between the skeletal muscles and the heart muscle? 16th 1 x 60 vertical back heel squats 1 x 30, 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 4 and 1 x 2 squats (progressively increasing in depth) 1 x 10 calf raises for each leg between each set of squats (weight for squats... 22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) - 27 minutes 15th standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 33 minutes blood pressure... 103/73/65-137/76/111 the initial "more effort than style" stage has passed and can now pay attention to making gains by varying the posture of the exercises e.g. noticed while doing tricep extensions that by standing more upright and relieving the pressure on the lumbar region the upper diaphragm became noticeably more active  13th 1 x 60 vertical back heel squats 1 x 30, 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 4 and 1 x 2 squats (progressively increasing in depth) 1 x 10 calf raises for each leg between each set of squats (weight for squats... 22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) - 30 minutes 12th standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 31 minutes blood pressure... 114/71/66-125/84/108 10th 1 x 65 vertical back heel squats 1 x 30, 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 4 and 1 x 2 squats (progressively increasing in depth) 1 x 8 calf raises for each leg between each set of squats (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) - 27 minutes 9th standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 31 minutes blood pressure... 118/74/65-135/84/102 7th 1 x 60 vertical back heel squats 1 x 30, 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 4 and 1 x 2 squats (progressively increasing in depth) 1 x 8 calf raises between each set of squats (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 6th standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 31 minutes blood pressure... 114/72/67-130/76/91 4th 1 x 50 vertical back heel squats 1 x 30, 1 x 20, 1 x 15, 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6, 1 x 4 and 1 x 2 squats (progressively increasing in depth) 1x8 calf raises between squats (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 3rd standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs)  standing military press (7kgs) rear lateral dumbbell raises (3kgs) upright rows(7kgs) standing tricep dumbell extensions (3kgs) barbell shrugs (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 31 minutes  (22.5kgs. 45% of bodyweight) 8 sets x 12 reps for all exercises - 31 minutes blood pressure... 108/72/70-111/85/90 as can be seen from the blood pressure reading that session was extremely easy will keep it at this easy level for two, three or four weeks before increasing the weight a little