Countdown to 21: First Workout (Part Three)

This part of the workout started at 1:45PM.

During my break between sessions I talked to a fella who I’ve seen every day I’ve spent more than two hours at the gym. Easily the leanest motherfucker there year-round (probably to his detriment given his mass goals,) I finally introduced myself and asked him some questions about his methods. In that order, reversed.

Name’s Ryan, turns out he works in a town neighboring mine. Might try to get a job there myself this Spring.

Cool guy.

Leg Press

1. 70lbs. x 10
2. 70 x 10
3. 70 x 10

Leg Curl

1. 40lbs. x 12

Calf Raise

1. 60lbs. x 12
2. 60 x 12

Flat Bench

1. 55lbs. x 12
2. 55 x 12
3. 55 x 12

Wide-Grip Cable Row

1. 60lbs. x 10
2. 60 x 12
3. 60 x 12

Lateral Raise

1. 65lbs. x 10 (stay)

Pulldown

1. 70lbs. x 12
2. 70 x 12

Of note, I did this in a quasi-circuit fashion. There were long rest periods (but less than five minutes if possible) between sets, but I did all the “1″ sets, then all the “2″ sets (so the “2″ didn’t include leg curls or lateral raises, etc.)

BREAK TIME: 3:41PM

Still have a lot of time to kill. I take a twenty-minute break before deciding to work my chest and back with light weights to failure instead of doing cardio. Lol. Again, I’m cycling through the movments, with maybe 2 or 3 minutes of rest between sets. Somewhere in there I had to stop for 8 for a phone call that reminds me that one should never answer one’s phone at the gym under any circumstances.

Bench Press

1. 45lbs. x 20
2. 55 x 20 (slowing down already)
3. 45 x 10
4. 45 x 11
5. 45 x 10

Narrow-Grip Cable Row

1. 10 or 15lbs. x 20 (the lightest isn’t labeled.)
2. 30 x 20
3. 30 x 20
4. 45 x 20
5. 45 x 20

Pulldown

1. 25lbs. x 20 (started with 10 and it was so comically light I’m not going to count it)
2. 40 x 20
3. 55 x 20 (getting tough)
4. 55 x 15
5. 40 x 20
6. 40 x 14
7. 25 x 20
8. 25 x 20
9. 25 x 20
10. 25 x 50

FINISHED: 5:41PM

And that was that.

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Depletion Bump

This workout made me consider the wisdom of increasing the weight on my volume workout.

Even more so now, two days later, with raped hamstrings.

Workout for Thursday, December 2, 2010

Body Weight: 169lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 16.7%

NOTE: Constipated…

START: 10:08AM
STOP: 1:19PM

Pre-Workout: EC1 (50/200mg) @ 8:15AM

3 x 15, no weight changes between sets but I’ll note what the increase was from previous workouts, as well as changes in rest periods throughout the workout.

• Leg Press (55lbs.; +5) ~ 1 minute rest
• Leg Curl (35lbs.; +5)
• Calf Raise (45lbs.; +15) ~ 1.5 min rest
• Leg Press
• Leg Curl
• Calf Raise ~ 2 min rest
• Leg Press
• Leg Curl
• Leg Press
• Leg Curl
• Calf Raise ~ 2.5 min rest

10 minute break.

• Bench Press (50lbs.; +5) ~ 2 min rest
• Cable Row (45lbs.; +0)
• Bench Press
• Cable Row

EC2 (25/200mg) @ 12:15PM

• DB Incline Press (30lbs.; +0) ~ 2 min rest
• Pulldown (35lbs.; +5)
• Machine Lateral Raise (20lbs.; +0)
• DB Incline Press
• Pulldown
• Machine Lateral Raise

I finish up here. I had to cut things short (heh) because I’d gotten a call from my dad, who wanted to take me out to lunch. Not about to refuse a free ride home,  y’know?

So I just decided to not sweat skipping the arms/abs/cardio on this day.

I did take some time to think about how to increase the poundages for this workout, however.

What I decided on was this:

1. Determine the tonnage for the bottom of the rep range at the new weight. (For example: Cable Rows can only be increased in jumps of 15lbs. The next jump up for me would be 60lbs. 60 x 12 = 720lbs.)
2. Divide the determined tonnage by the present weight. (720lbs./45lbs.)
3. The result is the top of the rep range to work towards (16)

HOWEVER.

The only time I will increase the weight on depletion exercises when I am returning from a diet break. If I hit the ceiling on all my lifts here and I still have three cycles (meaning three more depletion workouts) to go: DEAL WITH IT.

The weight stays the same and I won’t likely go for more reps unless it’s really, mind-numbingly easy to perform them.

I may progress slower even still, such as if I hit the ceiling on ONLY the workout before the break, I may retry at this same weight when I come back from the break. My reasoning is that this was the first break I’ve “come back” from, and there’s a remarkable regression of recoverability. A final-cycle depletion performance bump might just be indicative of a good day or excitement or what-have-you.

This is all conjecture for the moment, but I wasn’t happy with the thought of just leaving one of my workouts exactly the same intensity until MARCH.

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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

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Barely Online (P2C3A2)

Fridge Logic time:

• I got dumped
• I got dumped the same way the last girl dumped me: with a text, while I was chillan at the cabin with my dad.
• I got dumped on the previous ex’s birthday

Conclusion? HAX!

Anyway, here’s Thursday’s workout.

Incline Bench

1. 55lbs x 3
2. 75 x 2
3. 90 x 4
4. 85 x 3

I screwed the up the warm-ups here and on the flat bench. I set it up like I would have for an A1 workout, but just reversed the order.

Bench Press

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

I was sufficiently warmed up but still didn’t make reps. I’m thinking I’m going to drop the rep requirements for increase to the 3-5 range.

Horizontal Hammer-grip Press

1. 60lbs x 3
2. 80 x 2
3. 100 x 5

One rep short this time. Damn it all.

Pushdown

1. 37.5lbs x 3
2. 42.5 x 2
3. 47.5 x 5

Five or more was the goal here. I was originally going to drop the rep requirements only for compounds but I think I’ll do it here too. Increasing next workout.

Asschin (Body Weight: 170lbs)

1. 50lbs x 5
2. 75 x 3
3. 100 x 7 (FUCK!)
4. 125 x 3
5. 110 x 4
6. 95 x 4

I was really pissed that I over did my last warm-up set. I thought that was the working set. DAMN IT!

I actually set the rep goals correctly for the top set as well as the first drop set, though. I still mad.

Torso Rotation Machine

1. 30lbs x 5
2. 45 x 3
3. 60 x 2

Asshole steals machine. I move to pulleys.

Hi-low Twists (are these called woodchoppers?)

1. 70lbs x 5
2. 60 x 6
3. 50 x 7

Yay on managing weight for the one exercise that has shit-no importance.

Pre-workout Weight: 166.5lbs

I’m setting myself up for the next couple days to be as carb-loaded and bloated and disgusting as possible. I’m going to do a depletion, sure, but…

It’s a break-up binge. Fuck off.

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Notation Notsure (Workout A1)

Yesterday was the beginning of my 26-week quest to sub-10% bodyfat.

TONETONETONE

I’m not really sure how to title these posts based upon what I’m doing. I was thinking something like “Cycle 1, Workout A1″ but then I realized that doesn’t really cover my dieting phases.

Phases: periods of dieting (DIETING IS A PHASE HURR)
Cycles: periods of training (since this is infinitely continuous)
Workout: eponymous

Phase 1 Cycle 1 Workout A1 just seems really cumbersome. P1C1WA1, aside from looking hilarious, just sounds a little clinical to me.

Maybe what I’ll do is have a normal post title and just try to cram that stuff in in parentheses. Almost like I did here with this post. I’d go back and change it but I’m too lazy to update the permalink too.

Workout for Monday, May 24, 2010

Something different that I did was walk on the treadmill between exercises.

T(readmill): incline/mph; time @ approx HR

Bench Press (free weight)

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 50 x 3
3. 70 x 2
4. 85 x 8 (not bad)
5. 85 x 8 (last rep was slow as hell but I didn’t want to stop at 6)

Going to keep the weight here until it just ‘feels’ easier.

T: 2/2; 5min @ ~100bpm

Incline Press (machine)

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 75 x 3
3. 90 x 2
4. 120 x 1 (SLOOOW, felt like I was choking!)

Obviously staying the weight.

T: 2.5/2; 5min @ ~90bpm

Hammer-Grip Horizontal Press

1. 50lbs. x 3
2. 70 x 2
3. 85 x 8 (pretty easy)

This exercise I definitely want to increase weight on.

T: 2.5/2.5; 5min @ ~105bpm

Pushdown

1. 27.5lbs. x 5
2. 32.5 x 2
3. 37.5 x 12

Again, pretty easy. Probably will increase next workout as well.

T: 3/2.5, 5min @ ~105bpm

Pulldown

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 65 x 3
3. 85 x 2
4. 110lbs x 8

I could have done more probably, but my grip was failing. Especially on my right wrist which felt like my hand was being pulled out of the joint.

I’m going to increase the weight.

T: 3/3, 10min @ ~120bpm

Workout Time: 108 minutes

Body Weight: 167.5lbs
Body Fat Percentage: 17.4%

Condition: C+. Intention to come into this workout fasted went in the completely opposite direction of coming in carb-loaded. Didn’t get a full night’s sleep (too excited to work out, was anticipating a hair cut that I didn’t get.) I had a decently recuperative power nap pre-workout though. Had some peanut squares (kind of like peanut brittle, from Old Dominion) and a plain blueberry bagel about two hours preworkout due to a blood sugar crash.

Took EC about an hour preworkout and nearly two hours post, due to sauna (and just because that’s when it would have been timed, anyway.)

Pre-sauna weight: 168.5lbs
After 3 sessions, 20/10/10 = 40 minutes: 165.25lbs.

My goal was to try to drop three pounds and I did so, though it was more to lose the water from around my face to help gauge how my hair was going to look when I become leaner.

I ate a little under 1500kcal over the entire day, which is roughly half maintenance. I’ll be trying for maintenance today (should be pretty easy) and then fasting tomorrow.

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Thanksgoal

I’m setting a goal for Thanksgiving.

I was mulling over my dieting strategy throughout my fast today, trying to decide at what point in my strength-gain quest I should chase after fat loss once again. It got annoyingly abstract as I do not really know what to expect as far as strength gains. I said, initially, that when I could do eight bodyweight chin-ups, then I would be strong enough to consider strength-retention a worthwhile effort while dieting. I’m not that strong now, why bother maintaining strength if I can regain what I’ve got in four weeks anyway?

So I stopped for a moment and decided to look at the “after this, then that” part, then-that-being fat loss. It was my decision that I would initiate the resumption of the fat loss goal by introducing a slight, 10% deficit, while building my present lifts not to a greater weight, but simply to the ceiling of the rep range (or maybe one more) of the present weight. If I lost strength on lifts much to the point of hitting the floor of the range or necessitating less weight used, I’d do a refeed and hope I wouldn’t miss a lift on the next workout in the cycle. Two missed lifts would immediately result in a diet break (it’s possible to lose reps for lack of focus, which is common for me on a deficit, so I would allow myself a small margin for this type of error.)

I determined that I’d pick a key lift for each workout (except B2) to monitor, just to keep sane. Less than 2 x 6 on Bench for A1, less than 2 x 3 on Deadlift for B1, and Chins (I presently cannot even do any, and I was planning to build up to at least eight before cutting, but the floor would be 1 x 6.)

But then I looked at how much weight I have to lose right now.

My body weight ceiling is 170lbs. At last check I was 169 (165.5lbs after sauna) and that’s dangerously close to where I don’t want to be. I could foresee a lot of “mini-fix” weeks to drop a pound in the likely event of lean gains. That’s a lot of back-and-forth and, ultimately, probably good for composition-revision purposes… but not that predictable and thusly not that interesting to me.

So I decided to look at how much I have to lose. It will have to be revised somewhat on Monday, as today (Friday) I’m fasting, and the weekend will be decidedly low-carb and may result in below-maintenance eating as well. Will I lose fat? Probably not. But I’m going to try and get as dry a weight measure post-workout (that means sauna) to truly understand where I’m starting from. However, I’m in a fast-induced-frenzy of productivity and so I’m planning it out with what I’ve got.

May 18th: 169lbs. @ 17%; 28.73lbs. fat, 140.27lbs. lean.

I decided on phase-length of dieting on two points: the fact that I don’t trust myself to last through six weeks of dieting as I get leaner, and Independence Day overlap. Fireworks Day isn’t a huge holiday in casual-binge world, but it is a day that I’d be comfortable feasting on if the opportunity arises. I’d rather not risk a nervous breakdown weighing risk vs. reward and just eat some goddamn barbecue.

Phases are thusly: four weeks of dieting, two weeks of eating at (new) maintenance. With 26 weeks to play with (May 24 – November 24) I am going to shoot for 14lbs. of fat loss. While this initially sounds like 14lbs. / 26 weeks (and so about a half a pound a week), it is important to note that there are only 18 weeks of specific dieting. That brings me to about 0.78lbs. per week of dieting, not accounting for any kickass magical losses during my diet breaks.

Lifting goals will slow, of course. I’m going to remain with my benchmark idea stated earlier, in that I won’t worry so much if I CANNOT INCREASE weight, but I will be concerned if I lose reps.

A1 Bench Press: 2 x 6 @ 80lbs.
B1 Deadlift: 2 x 3 @ 135lbs.
Any workout except B2, Pulldown: 1 x 6 @ 105lbs.

However, that being the GOAL isn’t going to be my marker for diet FAILURE. For me there are three levels: GREAT SUCCESS (getting or surpassing what I want), SUCCESS (doing well), and FAIL (fucking up.)

GREAT SUCCESS, as I’ve just delineated, will be 14+lbs. of fat loss with no strength loss.

SUCCESS, however, is a bit less. Striking a balance between losing weight and not feeling like a subhuman puddle usually means about a half a pound of weight loss per week. Therefore, success will be set at a minimum of 9lbs. of fat loss. Strength loss on bench is acceptable, but not on anything else.

FAIL is anything less than that and/or becoming an even weaker pathetic bitch. Or gaining fat, which I guess is EPIC FAIL, but I don’t really consider my options for failure in great detail anyhow. I prefer spending my time on success.

According to that, my end stats should look something like:

GREAT SUCCESS: 155lbs. @ 9.5% fat

SUCCESS: 160lbs. @ 12.3% fat

FAIL: gross.

I’ll express my specific dieting APPROACH in another post. This is just to outline the goal and time frame.

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Sunday Workout

For scheduling convenience and to save gas, I did my Monday workout today.

As a result of sixteen or more miles of bicycling, I skipped squats. It hurt just skipping stairs on the way up to the second floor

So I tested my Bench Press and Deadlifts. I felt like I could have lifted more, but I already have this huuuge inroad on my recoverability, so… yeah.

• Bench: 3×5 @ 65lbs.
• Deadlift: 3×5 @ 135lbs.

I ate really well today. Going back to a little more strictness tomorrow, but my fat weight from two weeks ago is down.

Two weeks ago: 170lbs @ 20% bodyfat (so 136lbs. lean, 34lbs. of fat)

Today I was 172.2 @ 18.4% bodyfat (so 140.5lbs. lean,  31.7lbs of fat)

My goal, starting Monday, is to lose one pound of fat per week. My goal for the next nine weeks is to lose fat until I am at 15%. If I don’t lose any muscle mass I should be at about 165lbs. total. 24.75lbs of fat means I have almost seven pounds of fat to lose. At a rate of one pound of fat a week, that gives me two fuck-up weeks and still slide in proper!

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