New Info on the Pool and a New Bench Press Program

The water was a little more forgiving to me Thursday. I swam

3,200 1:12:33

4 X 100 @ 2:25

2 X 50

200 medium paddles

100 large paddles

brick kick (25 yards)

total: 4,200 long course meters.

Two things. One, I wrote long course meters. Wednesday I confirmed a long held suspicion I had about the outdoor pool. Although I will continue to refer to it as such, it is not a meters pool. Tucked away in my memory from forty or more years ago is the information that the pool was 55 yards. That equals 50.29 meters. I took a wheel in and measured the thing. It came out with 165 feet and 10 inches. The ten inches I think came from a less than straight line. So it was true, it is a yards pool, the yards equivalent at the time of construction to 50 meters.

Two, I was able to do a little bit of quality in the four 100s and the two 50s. Like Wednesday, I did not feel like swimming, but the long warmup worked its magic and got me in the mood for a bit of lung busting. Just a bit, but a bit is better than no bit.

I ran out the gravel road which has been my habit lately. I am trying to avoid being seen on the streets. I am a bit embarrassed by my slow pace and would rather run where people cannot laugh at me. I know, I know, I have nothing to be ashamed of, at least I am out there trying. But I still feel that way.

At Plate City, I did some rearranging in anticipation of a new piece of equipment I ordered. The new machine is part of my program to get ready for the nationals I hope to do next spring. I also started a new bench press program that I picked up from Steve Shaw on YouTube. This program sounded intriguing to me so I thought I would give it a go. It has a heavy day where you bench a seven rep max weight for five sets. Set one is for one rep. Set two is for two reps. Set three is for three reps. Set four is for four reps. Set five is for as many reps as possible. When you can do five reps on set five, you increase the weight at the next heavy day.

The light day is done with a twenty rep max weight and involves four sets. Set one is done for five reps. Sets two and three are for ten reps each. Set four is as many reps as possible. When you make twenty reps on the fourth set, you increase the weight.

I used a one rep calculator to set my weights and started with the light day at 100 pounds since I had already benched once this week. Although it hurt like heck, I made the twenty reps on the fourth set so I will go up five pounds next week. Monday I will do the heavy day and Thursday the light day.

Thus I had a good day, a solid one. Thank you, Jesus.