Tag Archives: Yates row

Day 224: Close call

Day 24 - front

  • Weight: 137.8 lbs.
  • Workout C: 29 minutes, 44 seconds; next: Workout C, April 15
  • Total inches: 124.6
  • Protein: 134 g (4 g over target)
  • Calories: 2,299

Kettlebell swings can be dangerous. When done by an amateur. Like me.

I use a homemade T-handle, as described in “The 4-Hour Body” [Amazon | iTunes aff. links]. Author Tim Ferriss suggests making a new one every 6 months as they wear out and you don’t want to send a weight plate through a window.

Do I listen? No.

In nearing the end of my one-arm kettlebell swings during today’s workout, I nearly sent myself to the emergency room. The floor flange had become loose and bang! the two 15-pound plates crash on the floor.

Even this instruction set on making a T-handle warns: “Given how this device is to be used (repeatedly heaving it into the air), I recommend using a wrench to really tighten that floor flange.”

One plate had a small crack in its plastic casing, warping the inner ring. It’s a much tighter squeeze to put it on a barbell or a dumbbell, but fortunately still fits.

Even more fortunate, the crash didn’t break the floor or my feet. Whew.

Several readers have recommended places to shop for plates to add to my collection. I almost needed to add another 15-pound disk to the list as a replacement.

And the worst part: I think I would have completed the 25 reps for my right arm had my T-handle remained intact. No gain, but also, no pain.

Day 224 - side

Day 218: I’ve reached my limit!

Day 218 - front

Day 218 – front

  • Weight: 137.8 lbs.
  • No workout today; next: Workout C, April 8
  • Total inches: 124.4
  • Protein: 121 g (9 g under target)
  • Calories: 2,717

I’m stuck!

It’s a good kind of stuck. For my Yates row reps, I have completed the required reps at 135 pounds. The next stage is 150 pounds, but I don’t have large enough weight plates to move on.

Every big weight I can fit on the barbell is on there. I could strap on an extra 10 pounds (four 2.5-lb. plates), but it’s still not enough.

I’ve looked on Craigslist and found several barbell and dumbbell sets available for purchase at fairly low prices.

Perhaps the only way to continue is to not only bulk up my muscles and my eating, but my collection of home gym equipment, too.

Or, if you wish to donate your unused plates to my cause, they will be cheerfully accepted. (Please, no 2.5-lb. plates.)

Day 217 - side

Day 217 – side

Day 7: Half a rep

Day 7

  • Weight: 123.6 lbs.
  • Workout A: 18 min., 52 sec.
  • Total inches: 116.9
  • Protein: 139 g (23 g over target)

I was just a half rep away from glory. But it was not meant to be.

The workout regimen is to do 14 to 17 reps with weights. That’s it. Really.

And, you are expected to fail. As in work out to failure.

In today’s Workout A, I had a target of 65 pounds for seven reps of Yates row. Because I completed all seven, I increase to 75 pounds for the next Workout A.

I had another target of 40 pounds for seven reps of the barbell overhead press. As long as I complete six, I can consider the goal met and can increase to the next level for the next Workout A.

But at five-and-a-half reps, I had to stop.

And “The 4-Hour Body” [Amazon | iTunes aff. links] says stop completely. No more reps, no drop-down (doing the set over with a lower weight), no wait and start over. Pack up and go home (I’m already home!).

In addition, add 1 extra day between all future workouts (which was scheduled to go up from 2 to 3 days anyway). Workout B will now be in 3 days rather than 2 days. The reason is to ensure proper time for rest (muscle development) and feeding.

I debated for a minute on whether to do the optional abs exercises. I did them, since they’re part of a different muscle group than the standard lifts.

So the first standard workout ended just a half rep short of completion. If only I could’ve kept that barbell above my head just a moment longer …