Exercise Log 11.6.13 (Leg Day + Cardio)

Leg day is a hard day to do sometimes, because the legs have the biggest muscle groups in the body and it just requires a lot of neurological energy… and it is draining and mentally intimidating. Anyways I caught a power nap today because I had the spare time, then headed in to kick up a leg day workout.

I’m tweaking the quantity of exercises in my routines, just feel my routines right now are sub-optimally going beyond the ideal amount of work. Took my time too, since I had an early work day.

So first had warmups, then went over to the power rack for some “ass to the ground” front squats. Started with light weight, 5 reps with straps for support and then 5 reps with a clean grip. Then upped the weight to my normal squatting weight, 4 reps with straps 4 with clean grip. At the final weight level which is still very little weight but the most I can really do right now, I did two sets of 3 reps with a clean grip at 135lbs. I tried three times to rep 145lbs, but failed each time. Then after the failures I did 10 reps at the light weight again (5 with straps, 5 with the clean grip) just as a kind of drop set. Then on to the rest of the routine.

Next I did the vertical leg press machine, did 10 reps of presses at light weight with a superset of 12 calve raises, then the same at a step up, then the same with heavy weight (in this case heavy was 540lbs of plates on the lighter sled). After this I decided to do my dread march with heavy dumbbells (45lbs), only two marches across the weight floor and back instead of the normal 3-4 due to the heaviness of the weight. Then some hip extensions, max weight, doing 2 reps each leg as one circuit with 5 circuits in a set, 3 sets. Got my glutes worked out. Then as the weight floor got busier I considered doing back squats to finish off, but instead felt like it might be smarter to try goblet squats. I grabbed a 60lb dumbbell for three sets, then a 65lb one. I really felt like this helped me get deep and stretch out my hips and really work on my front squat form. I lifted up the dumbbell for these squats by the handle, I felt like gripping it by the sides like a goblet (which is how most people do it) was undue strain on the wrists. Also while I waited for the hip extension press, I did some deep squat stretches. It was all very nice/fun.

Cardio tonight was a simple 1.25 mile walk at a brisk pace. Leg day is never a good day to run hard. It was a good way to finish up the evening.