cesimpson

I have a lot of catching up to do.

Last Friday

Warm Up

5x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 80#

5x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 85#

5x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 90#

1x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 95#

1x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 100#

1x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 105#

1x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 110#

1x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 115#

1x Power Snatch + Overhead Squat @ 120#

Squats

5x @ 235#

3x @ 265#

5x @ 295#

4x Assistance Work @ 24kg KB

5x Right Arm

• 1x Snatch
• 1x TGU

5x Left Arm

• 1x Snatch
• 1x TGU

That’s a theoretical 1RM of 344# - exactly the same as last time. No growth. With the next round, I’m going to start doing Good Mornings. My training partner, Marathoner, does not like Good Mornings at all. He refuses to do them. REFUSES! Claims they destroy his back. I’ve tried to get by without them, but not anymore.

Saturday

Saturday night my wife and children rode the Amtrak train from St. Louis to Chicago to visit my brother-in-law. I approached the window and asked the gentleman there, “My wife is traveling with our two small children, their bags and a stroller. What’s the best way for her to deal with all that?”.

I’m not sure what exactly I expected, but what I got was an example of some the best customer service I’ve ever received. The guy came from around the desk and introduced himself to my wife and me. He shook my hand. He said, simply, “Follow me. It’s a full train tonight, but I’ll take care of you.”

We followed him up past the line, through some doors, out onto the platform. He introduced my kids to the conductor. He helped us get our stuff stowed and said to my wife, “Just find a seat, wherever you want to sit.” Except for us, the train was empty. She got the kids seated. I kissed and hugged them good bye.

As the gentleman and I walked back through the station he stopped to open the gate, allowing the line to board the train. We chatted, amicably, the entire time. He said to me, when you come get them on Wednesday night, you just come find me. I’ll take you down there and you can help them off the train.

WOW!

That’s amazing customer service. He could have told me to pound sand. Instead, he helped make sure my wife and small children had happy boarding procedure. They weren’t worried about the pushing and shoving of a crowd, getting separated, not finding seats together, losing their bags. They had a pleasant trip.

Monday Morning

Warm Up

5x Clean & Press @ 90#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

5x Clean & Press @ 95#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

5x Clean & Press @ 100#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

1x Clean & Press @ 105#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

1x Clean & Press @ 110#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

1x Clean & Press @ 115#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

1x Clean & Press @ 120#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

1x Clean & Press @ 125#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

1x Clean & Press @ 130#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

Military Press

5x @ 95#

5x @ 110#

10x @ 125#

5x Assistance Work

10x Military Press @ 95#

5x Chin Ups @ BW

I’m easing back into the chin ups. We’ll see how it works out. Oh. BTW. That’s a theoretical 1RM of 167#. Still movin’ up.

Monday Evening

With the wife and kids out of town and my normal training partner out of town as well, the gym got an extra visit from me.

Warm Up

10x Deadlift @ 135#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

8x Deadlift @ 135#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

6x Deadlift @ 185#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

4x Deadlift @ 185#

3x Chin Ups @ BW

Deadlift

5x @ 245#

5x @ 285#

16x @ 320#

5x Assistance Work

10x Deadlift @ 225#

5x Toes-to-Fingers

That’s 1 rep better than the last time I tried @ 320# - for a theoretical 1RM of 490#.

I also, somewhere around rep 10 or 12, tore the crap out of a callus on my right hand. It was totally, absolutely, and in all ways my own dumb fault. I knew the callus had grown too big. I knew I should have shaved and filed it down. I did not. What I earned for my lack of attention to good hand health was a 3/8″ hole in my palm and a sticky pink paste of blood and chalk.

The two tall skinny blonde guys doing 115# bench press with their feet up in the dying cockroach position both stopped to look at me with a mix of horror and morbid curiosity. That was about the only redeeming part of that experience.