Not Pylo-Ready (P4C6B)

Workout B for Saturday, July 24, 2010

Start: 9:05AM

Deadlift

1. 135lbs x 5 ~ hg
2. 140 x 3 ~ L/R
3. 180 x 2 (mis-loaded, wanted to do 160 here) ~ R/L
4. 200 x 3 ~ R/L

Today is the first day I really felt like I got the form nailed on deadlifts. I watched the Starting Strength instructional DVD and, wow. Highly recommended.

Lateral Raise Machine

1. 50lbs x 5
2. 70 x 3
3. 90 x 2
4. 100 x 1

Lost a rep. Shit.

Pulldown

1. 65 x 5

I’m cutting pulldowns from B workouts. I don’t want to do two pulls anymore.

Crunch

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 65 x 3
3. 85 x 2
4. 95 x 3

Went rather well.

DB Curl

1. 8lbs x 5
2. 10 x 3
3. 15 x 1
4. 15 x 8

Going to try increasing this.

Wrist Curl

1. 10lbs x 5
2. 15 x 3
3. 20 x 2
4. 25 x 8

Hurt. Going to keep it here.

Weight: 169lbs.
Body Fat %: 18.8% (Had a rack of ribs for dinner that didn’t finish digesting, along with some cottage cheese, etc….)

Finish: 11:05AM

Aside from watching the DVD, I also read the Vertical Jump Training Bible by Kelly Baggett. I wanted to start incorporating beginner-level plyometric drills but after doing 2 x 50 ankle hops I was spend. I kept toppling over doing the 4-star drill.

I’m going to start the plyo work this week, since I don’t think I’ll be getting to the gym.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Some Other Measures

I was paging through this food log I’ve been writing since I started on Friday.

I don’t have any of the macro information yet (aside for maybe some of the stuff I’ve eaten outside of the house, because I looked it up on my phone so I knew how much insulin to take.)

Apparently the day after my first training session on the fasting scheme of LeanGains, I took some circumference measurements. I really want to make clear that the only portion of his program I’m really aping is his 16 hours of fasting, 8 hours of feeding, roughly the same times every day. My macronutrient splits are nonsense and my calories are not yet in order (look for that post on Friday when I look back on this first week, doing a dietary audit, hah.)

Now, I barely remember doing this. Certainly not what day this all was done, specifically, but I do remember being astounded that my chest was even a quarter of an inch larger than my waist. I intentionally pushed out my gut but relaxed my chest. I wanted to see my absolute worst relative measurements in these regards…

And I definitely remember being irritated that I couldn’t properly measure my shoulders because I didn’t have anyone to help me and my wrists wouldn’t bend enough to do it myself.

As Posted in the Workout Log, July 16, 2010

Weight: 171lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 17.2%

Fat Weight: 29.241lbs
Lean Body Mass: 141.759lbs

July 17, 2010

Chest: 35.75″
Waist: 35″
Hips: 40″
Thighs: 22.5″ (they’re the same size)
Calf (L): 15″
Calf (R): 14.5″
Neck: 15.25″

And then, Today, because I forgot to do my arms, July 21, 2010

Wrist: 6.25″
Forearm (R): 9.5″
Forearm (L): 9.25″
Upper Arm (R): 13″
Upper Arm (L): 12.5″
Shoulders: 44″

Popularity: 31% [?]

Standard Strength

Much like I did here, I’m going to post what my poundages are for some lifts.

These are the lifts I’m going to struggle to maintain as I diet down. I will not be increasing weight much, if at all, until next year. Most likely.

The new rep range on all exercises is 3-8. If I hit 8 reps on a set for three workouts in a row, I’ll increase the weight on that set and start over with 3 reps. This is ENORMOUSLY conservative, because I don’t know how fucked my recovery will be as I start scaling back calories.

Workout A

• Bench Press: 110lbs x 2 reps
• Incline Bench: 95lbs x 5 reps
  • Drop set: 85lbs x 8 reps
• Close-grip Bench: 80lbs x 5 reps
  • Drop set: 70lbs x 8 reps

Workout B

• Deadlift: 200lbs x 2 reps
  • Drop set: 165lbs x 4 reps
• Lateral Raise Machine: 95lbs x 3 reps
  • Drop set: 85lbs x 4 reps
• Pulldown: 130lbs x 3 reps
  • 115lbs x 6 reps

I’m probably going to still do Chins (assisted) on A days, but they won’t be a part of the central workout whose numbers I want to maintain. It’s almost a push/pull routine!

Probably going to fill this in with more goal-talk at some point, but I wanted to post up my numbers for my own reference. It’s surprising how useful this blog is when I have a phone with internet access.

God, I am so weak.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Set Weight A (P4C6A)

Got social shit to do Tuesday, and I was itching to work my chest anyway, so I worked out today.

I had a lot of noodling-over the night before trying to decide how I wanted to order my “A” workout: Bench or Incline first? Bench makes more sense from a prep perspective, it works pecs fully and sets me up for incline. But incline benching is what’s actually important to me and should probably get priority, so I wrote it that way.

Unfortunately, I was out of it this morning (I doubled my caffeine in my EC stack to get me up and going, along with a 20oz Diet Coke during the first two exercises.) So I set up and did two warm-up sets on flat bench before I realized I was supposed to be doing incline. OH WELL! That’s how it will be, then!

Workout A for Monday, July 19, 2010

Bench Press

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 55 x 3
3. 85 x 2
4. 110 x 2

I saw the biggest black guy at the gym lip-synching Hollaback Girl. It threw me off so badly I mis-loaded the second warm-up set.

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 55 x 3
3. 75 x 2
4. 95 x 5
5. 85 x 6

Close Grip Bench (5 rep test)

1. 45lbs
2. 55
3. 65
4. 75
5. 80 (stopped ramping here)
6. 70 (for 8)

Took some tinkering to get the form right, but I really enjoyed this exercise after working chest. It kind of was nice to switch flat, incline, back to flat, but I suspect if I ever come here at less-favorable hours pairing the two flat bench exercises would be less of a hassle. I probably would increase this though…

Pushdown

1. 32.5lbs x 3
2. 42.5 x 2
3. 57.5 x 1

After the close-grip benching this wasn’t easy to do at all. I’m actually going to be removing them from the program entirely.

Asschin ~ Weight: 161

1. 51lbs x 5
2. 71 x 3
3. 101 x 2
4. 131 x 2
5. 91 x 3

I’m going to do Pulldowns on B days because my hips are warmed-up enough to help me pull the weight down to the seat when I set up.

Cable Twists

1. 30lbs x 5
2. 50 x 3
3. 50 x 2 (forgot to increase the weight stack, ugh)
4. 90 x 3

Somebody stopped by between my warm-up sets to ask me what the exercise actually works and what my rep layout was like. I usually increase the weight before I start my rest period, but I was distracted. Baww.

Reverse Wrist Curl (5 rep test)

1. 5
2. 10
3. 15
4. 20 (didn’t get any reps, just held at the bottom)
5. 10 (did 8)

Body Weight: 167lbs
Body Fat %: 17.4%

I had a big meal the night before. Four chicken thighs and a drumstick, a cucumber, and a cup of 2% cottage cheese. I’m not worried about this reading being accurate, haha.

(Weighed myself before doing the Asschins at 161, which would put me at 14.3% with the same lean mass, HAH! As if!)

Duration: 9:15AM – 11:55AM

Popularity: 30% [?]

Hey Deady (P4C5B)

Man. I think this workout was the nearest to my 1RM in good form on deadlifts. I’m STILL feeling it, three days later. Tomorrow’s another workout, though, so I gotta stick this one up.

I’m simplifying the workout to A and B days only, essentially just alternating push/pull days.

Workout for Friday, July 16, 2010

Deadlift

1. 135lbs x 5 left / right
2. 140 x 3 left / right
3. 160 x 2 right / left
4. 200 x 2 left / right ~ STAY
5. 165 x 4 right / left ~ INCREASE

The first time I attempted 200 this workout it didn’t budge. I think I was just scared of it though. I got pissed off at my inability to lift, grit my teeth, and pulled. I set up for a third rep and got light-headed, so I stopped. I’m happy being only one rep away from bumping the top set again. It’s a good compromise between getting exactly what I want and utter failure.

I don’t remember how that drop set wound up so much lighter than it should really be. Ah well. Up it goes!

It took my forty-five minutes to get through this lift alone. I took as much rest as I needed, which turned out to be a lot.

Lateral Raise Machine

1. 35lbs x 5
2. 55 x 3
3. 75 x 2
4. 95 x 3 ~ INCREASE
5. 85 x 4 ~ INCREASE

These two lifts have a 3-5 rep range top set, once I hit three reps the weight gets bumped.

Leg Curl

I did one set of 30lbs for 5 reps, and one set of 45 with 3 reps, and decided that direct leg work is not only redundant but painful after deadlifting and I’m not at all interested.

Pulldown

1. 50lbs x 5
2. 75 x 3
3. 100 x 2
4. 130 x 3 ~ STAY
5. 115 x 6 ~ INCREASE

Top set is the same rep range, but because I’m going to work lats (the real ones) every workout, the frequency is greater, and I’m only going to add weight when I hit the top of the range.

These three exercises mark the composition of the formal workout. Movements after this aren’t really expected to be repeated on a consistent basis.

Crunch

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 50 x 3
3. 70 x 2
4. 90 x 5 – INCREASE

Not doing a drop set here. Just want to strengthen my core in opposition to the deadlift working my lower back.

Dumbbell Bicep Curl

1. 8lbs x 5
2. 10 x 3
3. 15 x 2
4. 20 x nope
5. 15 x 7 – STAY

Biceps are going to have to be ranged at 5-8. Failure is not an option here, my biceps would probably just pop out of my arms and run away. If I work them, I’ll work this slightly higher range.

Wrist Curl

1. 5lbs x 5
2. 10 x 5
3. 15 x 5
4. 20 x 5
5. 25 x 5 (only barely managed this)
6. 20 x 8 ~ INCREASE!

5-8 on the forearm work too. These suckers need to grow a little!

I tried to do a set of 5 with 5lbs on a reverse wrist curl, but my arms were spent and I couldn’t ramp up the weight any.

Workout span: 9AM – 11:40AM

Weight: 171lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 17.2%

Fat Weight: 29.241lbs
Lean Body Mass: 141.759lbs

Very slightly surprised by the gain in lean mass. Not expecting it to stick around, but after watching non-essential weight creep up and LBM sticking around 140, this was pretty nice.

Fast was initiated a little later than I would have liked (midnight), and broken a bit too soon (noon.) I ate quite a bit this day. A decently-sized post-workout meal from Panda Express (note to self: Kung Pao Chicken is fucking AWFUL and you will WAIT for a double-serving of Mandarin Chicken…) Then had a massive(ly awesome) dinner at my aunt’s following that.

I’ve been faithfully cramming at least a cup of cottage cheese down my throat every day as well, so far.

I have another workout coming on Monday and I’ll reflect on my so-far in that post.

Popularity: 34% [?]

Come Back Crying (P4C5A1D)

UD2 kicks my ass. I just do not have the balls for it.

So I’m going back to the lofty realm of cheesecake and BBQ ribs that is LeanGains. Also less volume work. Today was my last day of volume work. It’s fun, but, I really have no use for the pump.

Heh.

So I went back to my old A1B1 routine, starting with A1 today. Chest/tricep day. Monday. Fuck that worked out horribly.

Not really. I came in early. I finished the heavy portion of this day looong before the benchbros. came to town. I finished up entirely around the same time that Ken11 did. I don’t know if I’ve talked about Ken before or not (I know I’ve cited him as one of the strongest people in my gym) but today we’re christening him because I accurately determined his bodyfat percentage. Woot.

Workout for July 12, 2010

Bench Press

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 60 x 3
3. 80 x 2
4. 100 x 3 ~ increase
5. 90 x 6 ~ increase

This felt really good, honestly. I’m flirting with the idea of increasing the top set by ten pounds instead of five next workout.

Incline Bench

1. 55lbs x 3
2. 70 x 2
3. 90 x 6 ~ increase

This I’ll probably still only bump by five. Too much shoulders, though I found out I can use my legs to help me get to the low pins (failed my seventh rep…)

Horizontal Press, Hammer Grip

1. 65lbs x 3
2. 85 x 2
3. 110 x 1 ~ Actually failed the first attempt but refused to mark down a zero…

I’m ditching these. The machine’s starting to hurt my wrists because of the awkward angle of them to the grips. I could probably fix this. And I am, by switching to close-grip benching.

Pushdown

1. 42.5lbs. x 3
2. 47.5 x 2
3. 52.5 x 5 ~ INCREASE!

Gosh. I almost didn’t EXCITED over this because of the Ryan Reynoldsalike Douchebag who spit LORDLY GOBS OF PHELGM into the water fountain. I wanted to see him fail his 315lbs bench. I didn’t see it from here.

In retrospect: FUCK YEAH! That much closer to lifting the whole stack, HAHAHAHA!

Asschin ~ bodyweight 171.5

1. 51.5lbs x 5
2. 76.5 x 3
3. 101.5 x 2
4. 126.5 x 4 ~ Increase.
5. 61.5 x 6 (misread my log and set the pins to the weight I intended to lift rather than the proper offset, I’m not counting either drop set today)
6. 96.5 x 6

I’ve basically decided that, for top sets, 3-5 will be the rep range of increase. If I get at least three reps at a given weight, I’ll increase it next workout.

Cable Twists

1. 30lbs x 5
2. 40 x 3
3. 60 x 2
4. 80 x 5

Not doing drop sets on core work of any kind.

Weight (preworkout): 169.5
Body Fat %: 17.1%

This is bad. I haven’t been able to properly keep a lid on my appetite following the refeed. I’m going back to UD2, with cardio on off-days to help with the deficit I’m behaviorally incapable of properly achieving through diet.

Start: 10:20AM
Finish: 11:48AM

I took about a half hour break to rest and reflect on my approach (yes, again, another post on planning coming up. Sorry I suck at adhering.) before returning to the floor to do volume-centric work. I cut out some sets based upon the above workout as well. This was from my INTENDED UD2 depletion workout, and I only managed to get one round in before I checked time and blood to decided to do some cardio. Here we go.

Superset: Leg Extension / Leg Curl: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs / 25lbs

Cable Rows: 3 x 15 @ 45lbs

Superset: Lateral Raise / Calf Raise: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs / 45lbs

Dumbbell Curls: 2 x 15 @ 8lbs (no rest, alternating arms)

Pushdown: 2 x 15 @ 27.5lbs (probably should have just skipped these, but I had planned to do the ENTIRE depletion workout, and I cut the extra sets from the back-end.)

Cable Twist: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs (I almost just skipped them because somebody had the pulleys, but he was all “Nah man! I only have one more set on each one!” so I hung out.)

For the single-exercise portions I just waited 2 minutes straight between sets. On the supersets, I did the first exercise, started my timer, walked over and did the second exercise, walked back, and waited for the timer to hit 2 minutes before I did the next set of the first exercise. Seemed to be the least-bothersome way of organizing the rest periods, to me.

Start: 12:35PM
Finish: 1:30PM

I didn’t check time as to when I did the cardio. I think it was around 1:40PM after I called my dad to secure a ride home (I would otherwise be stuck until 7PM, and as I’ve typed this my mom called to tell me she was running late besides… but this was why I figured I’d have time to do the entire depletion routine.) Once sure, I hit the bike for 5 miles in 14 minutes. If I keep biking, I’ll work on speed and try to get to 7.5 miles in 15 minutes, before I work on duration.

Realistically, though, I don’t give a shit about my cardio performance. I’ll probably drop the intensity and go for calories in the future.

I got out of the gym at 2:55PM, after showering/shaving etc.

Popularity: 80% [?]

Nothing in the Universe Applies to Me

I wasn’t even trolling this time, guys!

This fellow was flirting with me for probably about… four days. I guess. Yesterday I told him that I thought things were going too fast, and that I’d like him to back up considerably. He seemed to amiably agree, requesting a hard-restart to friends. Great! I can work with that. He’s a reasonable fellow listening to reason! I can SO be friends with that.

Eh-heh. Sure.

So I’ve spent most of today sleeping. I got out of bed quite a bit past noon (I had a workout scheduled for today, but with all the running around and carrying of things I did for mom yesterday, I didn’t get anywhere near enough recuperation and I was just not willing to drug myself through a four-hour depletion workout. I took most of today reconfiguring the next few weeks into being a different workout setup now that I’ve mostly-recovered from Summerfest binging. Then I had dinner with mom and watched Still Walking with her, a great little Japanese slice-of-life flick that…)

…my point is I haven’t been checking my phone today. Haven’t been doing much on the computer other than referencing dietary stuff.

I just checked my phone when this fellow AIM’d me. He pretty obviously implied that I’d been ignoring him, yet the only text I’d gotten was a “Where are you?” about an hour or so ago.

(11:25:47 PM) Matte: I love being ignored
(11:26:03 PM) Eric: Cool. I’ll do that then.

Sarcasm isn’t lost on me, folks. I’m very reflective.

(11:26:13 PM) Matte: Even though I did nothing to you?
(11:26:14 PM) Matte: Nice
(11:26:27 PM) Matte: Way to be rude

…Right.

(11:26:45 PM) Matte: Not only are you a coward then, you also have zero social skills
(11:27:11 PM) Matte: Because all I ever wanted to do was be friends and you’re responding with this kind of abuse
(11:27:12 PM) Matte: =\
(11:27:22 PM) Eric: Abuse? Touchy.
(11:27:29 PM) Matte: What would you call it then

I was going to say ‘neglect,’ but that’s a passive form of abuse. So I let it slide. I didn’t directly contradict his usage here anyway, just jabbed him for being… touchy.

(11:27:30 PM) Matte: ?
(11:27:37 PM) Matte: I’ve done nothing to you but be nice
(11:27:38 PM) Matte: =]
(11:27:46 PM) Eric: I’ve not done anything at all.
(11:27:53 PM) Matte: Mhmm, indeed you have

Indeed I have or have not done something?

(11:28:10 PM) Matte: You’re obviously upset with me for some reason

This wouldn’t have been true if he hadn’t said it. Really. I wasn’t upset with him.

(11:28:16 PM) Eric: Huh?
(11:28:30 PM) Matte: You haven’t talked to me at all since the other night
(11:28:35 PM) Eric: What’s your point?
(11:28:35 PM) Matte: On purpose
(11:28:42 PM) Matte: You’re avoiding me
(11:28:48 PM) Matte: And you have no reason to
(11:30:05 PM) Matte: For someone who tries to so hard to be in control of his emotions, you certainly are very out of touch with them =\

Alex was better at psycho-analyzing me. I had no reason to avoid him, and I wasn’t. Now I do, and am. Way to win that one, buddy.

(11:30:05 PM) Eric: I haven’t avoided you. I wouldn’t have you unblocked on my buddy list if I was avoiding you. I would have removed you from our social sites if I was avoiding you. I’m aware I have zero social skills, and as such, I lack capacity for thought-out spite-induced dedicated neglect.

The last sentence is a blatant lie, but everything before that was true when I said it.

(11:30:55 PM) Eric: I’m not in control of anything. I’m not in touch with my emotions on purpose.
(11:31:04 PM) Matte: That’s a severe weakness
(11:31:17 PM) Eric: That doesn’t bother me.
(11:31:21 PM) Matte: You would do well for yourself to remedy that
(11:31:27 PM) Eric: I’m alright.
(11:31:32 PM) Matte: Are not
(11:31:33 PM) Matte: =]

I don’t like people who use emoticons ironically. Hipster trash.

(11:31:51 PM) Eric: If it means I get into paranoid fits whenever someone doesn’t respond to me, I’ll pass.
(11:32:16 PM) Matte: The fact that you would even say that makes me even more right
(11:32:23 PM) Matte: And proves how socially retarded you are
(11:32:37 PM) Eric: I don’t care if you’re right. That wasn’t the point I was making.
(11:32:43 PM) Matte: You have a point?
(11:32:46 PM) Matte: Get to it then
(11:32:58 PM) Eric: Go away. I’m not avoiding you, I just have better things to do.

What is the point of proving what a retard I am? Troll alert.

(11:33:08 PM) Matte: What are you being so hostile for?
(11:33:32 PM) Eric: You wanted me to get to the point. It just seems hostile because you don’t like it.
(11:33:40 PM) Matte: No, you’re being hostile
(11:33:50 PM) Matte: And quite rude
(11:33:56 PM) Eric: Then go away.

Seriously. If I’m infringing so heavily upon your well-being by having a life, well… shit man. I’ve been trolled so hard today. Good show.

(11:34:02 PM) Matte: Because you agreed that we were going to start over and try to be friends
(11:34:12 PM) Matte: But obviously you don’t want that
(11:34:19 PM) Matte: So make up your mind, NOW
(11:34:30 PM) Matte: Because I refuse to be jerked around by the likes of you
(11:34:33 PM) Eric: This is how I treat my friends. They realize I have a life, that I do other things than talk to only them, and they wait.
(11:35:00 PM) Eric: You don’t. And I don’t have time for you if you’re going to whine to me.
(11:35:14 PM) Eric: So knock it off or I will be consciously avoiding you.
(11:35:25 PM) Matte: I’ll do whatever the fuck I please
(11:35:30 PM) Eric: Then good day, sir.
(11:35:34 PM) Matte: No rules in any universe exist that apply to me
Matte is typing…

You are now blocking Matte.

Aw, crap man. I blocked him too fast. Oops.

You know, as much as I want to say he was a troll, he really doesn’t quite earn the honor. He’s a queen. The vast majority of gay men that I’ve flirted/dated have been enormously pleasant, even if it didn’t work out for us. This boy was angry and wanted to project his frustrations on me for being another one of his failures.

That sucks, ya’ll.

I didn’t set out to troll him, and I almost believe he wasn’t trying to inflict harm on me.

Almost.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Lats Are Like Your Back (P3C4P1)

Really, all I remember from yesterday that I didn’t note down was the “I’m such an exercise geek” broski next to me when I was working delts.

Bro1: Nah man I don’t do direct ab shit, that’s all about fat loss y’know?
(I’m quiet.)
Bro2: Yeah I guess, but once the fat’s gone there has to be something under it to show off right?
(I nod to myself, I might have smiled but my shoulders were screaming.)
Bro1: I’ve been cuttin’ up for a while. I’mma hit some lats in a minute next to mah man here. My arms’ been leaning up real nice.
(Do what? Whose man? He sits in the lateral raise machine next to me and pounds out a set, lots of reps. I’m moderate reps so, even though he started his set before me, I still finish sooner.)
Bro1: Damn man, you liftin’ pretty light huh?
Me: (I actually didn’t say anything, but I mistakenly managed to acknowledge him.)
Bro1: You trying to build up your lats?
Me: Not at the moment.
Bro1: What are you doing then?
Me: My… shoulders.
Bro1: You should lift more if you wanna build ‘em up.
Me: (I look over at his stack. He really did a lot of reps. I didn’t count him, but he wasn’t lifting anywhere near as much as me. I still ask.) How much do you lift?
Bro1: Every day. (err’day?)
Me: I don’t see you here every day.
Bro1: That’s cuz you ain’t here every day.
Me: …Yet you are?
Bro1: Yeup.
Me: Do you work your lats every day?
Bro1: Sometimes.
(Head explodes.)
Me: You do rows or chins?
Bro1: For my lats or my back?
Me: Silly question, where are your lats?
Bro1: (he taps his shoulder)
Me: Oh.
Bro1: They compound exercises (ezzrsizes?) though. Hits my back and my lats. AND MY ABS. (Bro2 flips him off.)
Me: They… sure do…
Bro1: I’m kinda an exercise geek, you know?
Me: Oh, I know man. I got you. I also got a set, hang on.

Conversation doesn’t resume as I make my way through the drop sets. I fortunately don’t have to explain the concept to him.

Power Workout for July 9, 2010

These are all straight sets. I have tiiiime~

Romanian Deadlift

1. 75lbs x 5 (hook grip)
2. 110 x 3 (hg)

Deadlift

1. 145lbs x 2 (hook grip is slipping now)
2. 185 x 3 (right / left) ~ Increasing.
3. 165 x 2 (left / right) ~ Questioned my form on the top set but the red flag didn’t shoot up until this set. Staying this weight.

I think I might eliminate RDL and do solely DL. I need more practice, and I’ll put more warm-up sets in if I have to in order to get that.

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 55 x 3
3. 75 x 2
4. 95 x 3 ~ increase
5. 85 x 4 ~ increase
6. 75 x 6 ~ increase
7. 65 x 8 ~ increase

The range for the top set is 3-5, adding one rep to the range each drop set at least. This exercise went surprisingly well.

Lateral Raise

1. 55lbs x 3
2. 75 x 2
3. 95 x 2 ~ stay
4. 85 x 3 ~ stay (I almost forgot that Always was playing during this set. I make a note of it whenever I get HARMONY’d or RickRoll’d….)
5. 75 x 5 ~ increase
6. 65 x 7 ~ increase

I just don’t have it in me to do pulldowns after deadlifts on the same day, I guess. So I skipped working my lats.

Or did I?

Pushdown

1. 32.5lbs x 3
2. 42.5 x 2
3. 52.5 x 2 ~ stay. I’m officially past halfway to pushing the entire stack, haha!
4. 42.5 x 7 ~ stay.

I almost was going to increase the drop set, but then I realized that the range for the triceps-isolation work is 5-7 not 3-5. Which means the top of the drop set is 6-8. One more rep!

I decided on this exercise that if the drop-10% is not exactly 5lbs or less, I won’t round it to 5lbs. I’ll round it to the next highest increment and try to make it to the top of the rep range first.

Dumbbell Curl

1. 5lbs x 5
2. 10 x 5
3. 15 x 5
4. 20 x 1
5. 15 x 5

I wanted to have a fifth movement in for the workout but I didn’t know what to do. I did a 5 rep ceiling and just went along to see where I’d end up. Turns out I have really weak biceps. Who knew? Well, I guess that’s a good sign for my lats, I know my arms aren’t pulling THAT MUCH weight, hahaha…

Oh well.

I just felt really nauseated about the prospect of doing chins (I really pull my abs in hard when I do them) so hopefully on my next carb load I’ll have enough time to digest more of the food before the power workout. It’ll be at least a 24-hour refeed this week.

I don’t really know if I want to do creatine for all my loads now or not. It seemed to have really help me put water in the right places in such a short span. I remember reading that one day of creatine loading is like two days of carb loading, which convinced me to try it given my time limitation. I might try this next refeed without, though, just to see if I have similar results with two-day-carb vs. one-day-carb-with-creatine.

Weight: 169lbs
BF%: 16.6%

I thought it was pretty amusing that the bodyfat % was largely unchanged despite the fact that weight went up so much. Goes to show the accuracy of bio-impedance. I’ll use it as indicative of a successful carb load.

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REFEED ME (P3C4T1)

My computer has been down for a while.

As such, I’ve totally blanked on all the flavor text I was going to post with this workout.

Tension Workout for Thursday, July 8, 2010

Superset: Leg Extension / Leg Curl

1. 30lbs x 5 / 25lbs x 5
2. 45 x 3 / 40 x 3
3. 60 x 2 / 55 x 2
4. 75 x 6 / 65 x 6
5. 70 x 7 / 60 x 7
6. 65 x 8 / 55 x 8
7. 60 x 9 / 50 x 9

Pretty straightforward superset. Throughout the workout I’d usually rest a minute, so that it would be two minutes of rest for the same exercise (Extension, rest a minute, Curl, rest a minute, Extension, etc.)

Superset: Chest Press Machine / Cable Row

1. 30lbs x 5 / 30lbs x 5
2. 45 x 3 / 45 x 3
3. 60 x 2 / 60 x 2
4. 75 x 6 / 75 x 7
5. 70 x 7 / 75 x 8

The cable row was in 15lbs. jumps so I just… didn’t do a drop set there. I should really look up better form on them as well. This was the first time in a LONG time… I fucking HATE rowing.

Superset: Incline Press Machine / Pulldowns

1. 45lbs x 2 / 50 x 3
2. 60 x 12 / 65 x 2
3. 60 x 6 / 85 x 8
4. NA / 70 x 11

Superset: Calf Raises / Lateral Raises

1. 15lbs x 5 / NA
2. 30 x 3 / NA
3. 45 x 2 / 40 x 3
4. 60 x 6 / 55 x 2
5. 60 x 7 / 65 x 6
6. 60 x 8 / 55 x 8
7. 60 x 9 / 45 x 10

I started the Lateral Raises a little later because my calves recover quickly and because I wanted to end the superset together rather than trailing off with increasing reps on calf raises…

I do a lot of thinking while I’m sitting in the Lateral Raise machine. I decided that if Depletion workouts are going to be against the clock (rather than increasing the weights on them), and the Power workouts are going to be the opposite of that (increasing the weights regardless of how long it takes me), what do I do to mark progress on the Tension workouts?

I’m just going to try to get 12 reps on every movement (the rep range is supposed to be 6-12.) I’m not going to be doing this workout plan for very long, but 12 is where I’m going to go “okay, time to increase the weight a little bit here.”

Training to failure isn’t the point of this workout anyway, it doesn’t NEED to be HEAVY, it just should be challenging.

Superset: Dumbbell Curl / Pushdown

1. 10lbs x 10 / 32.5 x 12
2. 10 x 12 / 32.5 x 12

So, for example, I’m going to bump both of those on my next tension workout and just try for about six reps.

Weight: 160.5lbs
BF%: 16.7%

Those measures were taken before this workout, and will count as my ‘depleted’ scores.

Start: 10AM
End: 11:30AM

OBSERVE THE CARB LOAD

1. Smoothie King’s Strawberry Hulk w/ Muscle Builder (or whatever the creatine+glutamine stuff is), used fat-free yogurt instead of pecan ice cream, sized @ 20oz
2. 3 chocoloate chip cookies from The Chocolate Factory
3. Chicken Chalupa w/ baja sauce + bacon club chalupa and an order of cinnamon crisps at Taco Bell
4. 59g Baby Ruth bar (grabbed it in the gas station when I was buying milk, $0.69!)
5. A gallon of milk and a box of raisin bran crunch, the 56oz box. Whichever one is the bigger one because that happened to be on sale at Sentry. (Didn’t finish the box until Friday’s breakfast, and finished the remaining cup or so of milk after I got home from Friday’s workout.)

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Ow, My Everything (P3C4D1)

Tuesday I decided to run a depletion workout to “make up” for the Independence Day Eat Like a Moronathon.

And, well… holy fucking ow.

The routine I’m following for this cycle is based off of Lyle McDonald’s Ultimate Diet 2. The nomenclature for the, uh, callsign stuff, is changed as follows:

• Phase and Cycle numbering will press on linearly. It’s a different diet set-up, and the workout is different, but it’s still “the next in line.”
• The workout LETTERING, however, will change. A and B will be reserved for when I return to a LeanGains-inspired routine. For Lyle, I’m using D, T, and P: Depletion, Tension, and Power workouts as inspired by him.

I’m not actually running UD2, because I lack the autism for that. But a lot of the principles will be recognizable to those who have read it, and utter nonsense to those who have not.

If you haven’t read it, tough. I’m not going to go out of my way explaining what I’m doing beyond this: the depletion workout day(s) are exactly as it sounds. It’s high-volume, low-nutrition (specifically carbs), and murders my muscles. The tension workout primes me for a carb refeed, which in turn fuels me for a power (strength-retention) workout. I only plan for the poundages to go up on the power workouts and POSSIBLY tension (meaning: I’ll decide when I get there.)

The marker for improvement with the depletion workouts will be that I get them done faster.

I wasn’t used to such high volume, and I found myself winded and needing to rest way more than I would have liked with this type of workout. I had to drop poundages several times to be able to continue working. I’m going to use the lowest numbers that I found in this workout in the next depletion workout to be the weight across all sets in the next attempt at this workout. I was time-restricted to begin with, taking so long get through this workout had an exaggerated annoyance factor for this reason as well (I need to be done by 11:30AM to have time to shower and be on a bus to visit a friend an hour-and-a-half away, on time.)

So, not having time for the full four-hour workout I would have “liked,” I did two rounds, one of each depletion. The distinction between the two is purely hitting chest, back, and midsection from different angles. This will be obvious when you look at the routine itself.

Depletion Workout for July 6, 2010

Round One

• Leg Extension / Leg Curl Superset (no rest)
  • 65lbs x 15 / 55lbs x 15
  • 50 x 13 / 45 x 15
  • 30 x 15 / 25 x 15
• Chest Press / Row Superset (no rest, except *five minute break)
  • 75lbs x 12 / 75lbs x 12
  • 65 x 12 / 60 x 6*
  • 50 x 15 / 45 x 15
• Lateral Raise / Calf Raise Superset (no rest, except *five minute break)
  • 50lbs x 12 / 45lbs x 15
  • 35 x 15* / 45 x 15
  • 35 x 15 / 45 x 15
• Dumbbell Curl / Cable Pushdown Superset (no rest)
  • 10lbs x 15 / 27.5lbs x 15
  • 10 x 15 / 27.5 x 15
• Cable Torso Twist
  • 30lbs x 15
  • 30lbs x 15

Ten minute break, then on to the next round.

Round Two

• Leg Extension / Leg Curl Superset (no rest)
  • 30lbs x 15 / 25lbs x 15
  • 30 x 13 / 25 x 15
  • 30 x 15 / 25 x 15
• Incline Press / Pulldown Superset (no rest, except *five minute break)
  • 45lbs x 15 / 75lbs x 15
  • 45 x 15 / 75 x 12*
  • (should have done a third set, but I didn’t)
• Lateral Raise / Calf Raise Superset (no rest)
  • 35lbs x 15 / 45lbs x 15
  • 35 x 12 / 45 x 15
  • (only two sets on shoulders, did the third set of Calf Raises later)
• Dumbbell Curl / Cable Pushdown Superset (no rest)
  • 8lbs x 15 / 27.5lbs x 15
  • 8 x 15 / 27.5 x 15 ~ really had to push for the last couple reps on the left arm curls
• Crunch Machine
  • 30lbs x 15
• Calf Raise
  • 45lbs x 15
• Crunch Machine
  • 30lbs x 15
  • 30 x 15
  • 30 x 15

While I never sat around and ‘rested’ like I ordinarily would, I certainly didn’t make any effort to rush from one machine to the next. The extent of my rest periods would probably be the 20 seconds or so it takes walking from one machine to the next.

Workout Start: 9:05AM
Round 1 Finish: 10AM
Workout End: 11:20AM

Weight: 169.5lbs
Body Fat Percentage: 16.9%

I ate somewhere in the neighborhood of 175g protein since that workout. Presently fasting until pre-workout tomorrow barring any wonky blood sugar issues or free lean protein.

Seeya then!

Popularity: 57% [?]