Exercise Log 20190205

From Aerosmith:

Same old same old every day 

if things don't change you're just gonna rot

Cause if you do what you've always done 

you'll always get what you always got

Uh could that be nothin'

Homeostasis is the tendency of a biological system to return to an equilibrium point. In this case, my body's ability to lift weight, burn glucose / glycogen, and to mobilize body fat. Exercise is one of the three ways (diet, drugs) I try to manipulate my body into doing more of what I want. Changing how I exercise is how I do it.

There is also a theory, supported by muscle heads, but not so much in the literature, that "training to failure" has positive benefits. From a hormonal view, the train to failure last few reps seem to release the most cortisol, which increases lipolysis. I really want this. Failure is ill defined, going from "I don't want to", to poor form, to being simply unable to move the weight. One of the downsides of training to failure is that it increases the chances of injury. I really do not want this.

So, do different stuff, and drive the last set to failure. What I actually changed this morning:

• I replaced the second set of 1 arm rows with seated cable rows. This opens up an easy path to increased weight per rep. The 1 arm rows were limited to a 25 pound dumbbell. Last time I did seated cable rows, I was up to 6600 pounds per set.
  
• Some of my exercises are done in alternating pairs, as supersets. The intent was to do the 2nd of the pair to failure. That worked with every pair except the tris and curls. The tris exercises are a 3 exercise superset already, and I'm reluctant to go to failure with a 25 pound dumbbell over my face. The curls, I can barely do the reps I intend.
  
• Goblet squats are done as 3 sets, but they act as a warmup / separator / finisher. The finisher was done to failure.
  
• The face pulls, pull thrus, and pulldowns are at 5 sets. The 5the set went to failure.

Keeping score was a tremendous pain in the ass. I can see why having a trainer to keep score is a useful thing. But, here's what I think were the numbers:

total weight, pounds, 28,845; duration, minutes, 48; pounds per minute, 601. The rate is fine between 500 and 700.

Notes: Next time, add another set of seated cable rows after the 2nd set of chest press. Drive that added set to failure. Add another 2 plates as well.

Prepare a new "eyesightProg sheet", allowing for more space to clearly write about failure set stuff.

Stop thinking about the rowing machine while lifting. If there's any gas left in the tank, do a Tabata set on the rower.