Minty Fresh

(Title Note: Recently recovered my preference for Linux, on the Ubuntu-based Mint distro. All it really took was having my graphics card driver work NEARLY out-of-the-box for me to come back. Ubuntu was a good run, and Windows 7 went as I expected: nice at first, barely-passable pig-disgusting towards the end. Ah, Windows. Predictable user experience.)

So, I’ve yo-yo’d back once again to pursue strength goals in favor over physique.

There won’t be any dirty-bulking, this time around, however.

According to a trusted source, my present weight at a lower body fat percentage is my genetic muscular potential. This seems to suggest a call for a recomposition: lose fat AND gain muscle.

So because I seem to be behaviorally disinclined to cooperate with my own “lose fat as fast as fucking possible” regimens, I’ve decided instead to focus on increasing my bench and deadlift scores while maintaining vaguely the same amount of weight. I’ll still be keeping composition scores… but I won’t be expecting any radical changes any time soon.

I’m also considering changing my routine more than will be described in this post, but some of the changes will be apparent here and is mostly the reason I’m even logging this workout. I also slightly edged past my 1RM tested earlier, even though this wasn’t a true test for that purpose. Just a failed 10lbs. jump, really.

The biggest change to my routine (meaning the one that will stick even if all the other changes I’m considering do not) is that I’ve moved my incline benching and chinning to the shoulder day I tend to do between deadlift workouts when I have that much time to work out. I actually have a job now, so I get to make excuses.

On to the workout for 5/11/11:

Deadlift

1. 135lbs. x 5 (double-overhand)
2. 155 x 3 (d-o)
3. 220 x 2 (d-o)
4. 260 x miss (straps+left hand over)
5. 260 x miss (s+lhu)
6. 250 x 2 (s+lho)
7. 215 x 1 (s+lhu)

I considered making a third 260lbs. attempt, but I kind of wanted to maintain my hand-switching for top sets… kind of dumb, but not as dumb as throwing out my back. My form was pretty terrible. I could just tell it was. I wasn’t “all there,” due to poor sleep quality. I’m going to try to make the jump to 260 next session, but if I miss it again I’m moving down to 5lbs. jumps.

Bench Press

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 45 x 5
3. 55 x 5
4. 80 x 3
5. 100 x 2
6. 115 x 2 (no change)
7. 105 x 5 (bottom of range)
8. 90 x 2 (stopped because weight felt weird, as though I’d misloaded. I had not.)
9. 90 x 7 (wanted to get at least 8 reps at this weight)

Because of the slightly-pinchy shoulder issue on my first warm-up last time I benched, I possibly over-warmed for this: doing dynamic stretching before most sets, especially the first. Spent five minutes warming up before my first set. The should-have-been-last set caused me to consider doing the dumbbell variation of this exercise to balance out my strength on both sides. It’s something I’ll have to look into: how much total weight ought I drop down to, how to kick up the dumbbells properly, and so on.

Low Cable Rows (narrow grips)

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 45 x 5
3. 60 x 5
4. 75 x 3
5. 105 x 2
6. 120 x 5
7. 120 x 5
8. 120 x 5

I was ready to call it a day by the time I started these, some combination of CNS and “I DINT SLEP SO GUD” fatigue. Going by my last row session (in my notebooks, I’ve been lax about updating on here) I should have ramped up to 150lbs. for a top set of 3. I’m very glad I did not. I’ll just be doing simple straight sets of five here to support my benching efforts, so I’ll be bumping this to 135lbs. x 5 next session. I don’t expect to make all the reps next time, but I’ll just stay at that weight and try to get at least 2 more reps per workout until I get my 3×5 before bumping again.

START: 9AM
STOP: 11:25AM

WEIGHT: 165.5lbs. – 168lbs.*

*I weigh myself before and after my workout.

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Sick Lifts

Been sick since Thursday of last week; was really surprised to get all my lifts yesterday. I’m starting a new notebook today though (old one is getting unwieldy, and I want to tool around in sci-fi land rather than fantasy and would rather not get my streams crossed.)

Here’s Wednesday:

Another Workout – 4/13/11

START: 10AM
Body Weight: 161.5lbs.

Deadlift

1. 135lbs. x 3 (double-overhand)
2. 195 x 2 (d-o)
3. 230 x 2 (third rep failed at half; left hand under, straps)
4. 205 x 2 (left hand over, felt form weakening so didn’t go for a third rep)

I was incredibly surprised on the top set here just flying up at me.

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 45 x 5
3. 50 x 5
4. 70 x 3
5. 90 x 2
6. 105 x 4
7. 95 x 6
8. 85 x 7
9. 75 x 8

This required a lot more “GRAHH!” on the last rep of everything, but it felt good to hit the top of the rep range on all the sets.

Chin Assist

1. 33lbs. x 5
2. 33 x 5
3. 53 x 5
4. 73 x 3
5. 93 x 2
6. 113 x 5
7. 83 x 5

The thing I like about pulldowns is that the weight being lifted is a little easier to negotiate. I had the workout prescribed at 125lbs. for the top set and I somehow managed to mess up the math between sets. Oh well.

STOP: 12:33PM
BW: 164.5lbs.

I didn’t really eat anywhere near enough post-workout, as I still was feeling pretty appetite-less from illness. I had a giant smoothie and went to bed immediately when I got home.

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First Day Fast

The first two weeks of dieting always suck.

The first day doesn’t, but it’ll never be perfect. Can’t let it get to me. Gotta stay loose.

At exactly the same time yesterday as I’m writing this, I took the photos for this:

I didn’t have all the data yet (weight and lifts were measured the same day, just five hours later) but I made a flattened version just to get an idea of what the final image might look like. Then my .psd got corrupted ¹ so I just filled in the information on top of it. That’s why there’s a discrepancy in the font even though the font is technically the same.

Cool story, I know.

My goal is to be doing daily fasts, from 9PM to 1PM the following day. This was fucked by a hypoglycemic episode (80mg/dL), so I had a bagel around 7:20AM and took 50mg/200mg ephedrine/caffeine at 8AM. Both pre-workout.

I tested immediately pre-workout at 219mg/dL, and I stayed pretty high (I’m talking 400 range) until just an hour before I began my fast.

Pre-workout: Bagel with peanut butter

Post-workout: Cup of tea at Teavana (Zingiber Ginger + Strawberry Lemonade + 4tsp German Rock Sugar); followed immediately by a Strawberry Hulk from Smoothie King (made skinny, sub ice cream with fat free yogurt.)

Dinner: Bowl of chicken with rice. It was crap. I was disappoint.

Last Meal: 238g 2% expired cottage cheese (I actually weigh everything I eat at home, but this was specific to make up my protein requirement for today); 5 Babe Ruth minis (just had a taste for it.)

After the fast started I took some psyllium husk fiber. I wanna poop.

A Workout

All sets are singles unless noted; I’m testing rough 1RM to set up the rest of the workout. Pretty much just adding 5lbs. to the top sets and calculating downward from there.

Body Weight: 169lbs.

Start: 9:08AM

Deadlift

1. 150lbs. (double-overhand)
2. 175 (d-o)
3. 195 (d-o)
4. 220 (d-o)
5. 245 (left hand-over; started using straps)
6. 250 (l-u)
7. 255 – FAILED, passed ankles (l-o)
8. 225 (l-u)

Time Check: 10AM

Incline Bench

1. 50lbs. x 3
2. 60 x 2
3. 75
4. 85
5. 100
6. 110
7. 115
8. 120
9. 105 x 3

Chin Assist (total weight: 180lbs.)

1. 30lbs. x 5
2. 40 x 3
3. 50 x 3
4. 60
5. 70
6. 80
7. 90
8. 95
9. 100
10. 105
11. 110
12. 125
13. 140
14. 155 – FAILED

Time Check: Noon

Lateral Raise

1. 20lbs. x 2
2. 25
3. 30
4. 35
5. 40
6. 45
7. 50
8. 55 (5 minute rest after this, started doing tri-sets)
9. 60
10. 65
11. 70 (rest)
12. 75
13. 80
14. 85 (rest)
15. 90
16. 95 – FAILED (about half-way)

Stop: 12:53PM

For the next ‘A Workout’:

Deadlift: estimate 3RM based on 1RM = 255lbs.
Incline Bench:  estimate 5RM based on 1RM = 125lbs.
Chin Assist: estimate 5RM based on 1RM = 145
Lateral Raise: estimate 8RM based on 1RM = 90

Rep ranges for each exercise, respectively: 1-3; 3-5; 3-5; 5-8

Just going to do a basic progressive overload style workout for the next eight weeks, at which point I’ll test 1RM based on estimates from the most recent relevant workout. I don’t know if I will include drop sets in future workouts, it might just be a feel thing: today it was easy to include them due to lack of fatigue and sufficient, em, “fed-ness,” having been eating at maintenance and such.

So I’m probably looking at, for next time:

Deadlift (1-3) @ 230lbs.
Incline Bench (3-5) @ 105lbs.
Chin Assist (3-5) @  125lbs.
Lateral Raise (5-8) @ 70lbs.

If I get to the top of the rep range, bump it five pounds next workout. Fairly basic.

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Aprun

While I have been keeping a log of my meals and general intake, today I’ve actually plugged those figures into a proper calorie count to see where I stand.

5-Day Average

Calories: 2826
Fat: 98g
CHO: 390g
Protein: 120g

The craziest thing to me: if I were to reduce my average carbohydrate intake by 250g (so, down to 140g) I’d lose 2lbs. of fat that week.

I really just wanted a relevant snapshot to see how much of a fuck-up I’ve been since I’ve stopped being incredibly anal as to what goes into my mouth. I’m just assuming that this is my maintenance intake. If I come in somewhere around 167-173lbs. at tomorrow’s pre-workout weigh-in, then it definitely is. ¹

A pretty fabulous fuck-up, it looks like! I even managed to get weaker, way to go!

I’m pretty much at my last-call to looking good for this summer. I have a convention to attend in June to look my best for. Odds are, if I can’t manage to look cut and inspire envy in the otaku of Texas, I’m going to give up on this venture entirely and fully focus on strength gains for a few years. ²

I’m not entirely sure how I want to set up my workout, though. I’m fairly convinced I want to do “Deadlift + Incline Bench” ONLY, but I want a little more frequency than what that would demand.

I want to work out roughly every four days, but also wouldn’t mind making the “B” workout optional/droppable in the event of a suddenly-busy schedule. I can usually find ONE day a week to exercise, and if I have only that one day I’ll deadlift it.

Initially considering something along the lines of:

A
Deadlift – 1 x 1-3
Incline Bench – 1 x 3-5
[Chin Assist - 1 x 3-5]
[Lateral Raise - 1 x 5-8]

B
Squat – 1 x 3-5
Flat Bench – 1 x 5-8
[Low Row - 1 x 5-8]
[Lateral Raise - 1 x 8-10]

Deadlift + some kind of press is pretty much a full-body workout. If I didn’t have any benches to work with I’d just do a basic military press.

I suspect someday I’ll have such a situation ³ as the incline bench is a vertical push, I feel it has enough synergistic benefit to be applicable. It’s also easy to “save” myself from it if I fail, using my legs.

The bracketed movements are “optional for this workout,” and I chose chin assist as it’s another vertical pull. It’s also something I want to get stronger at, which is the theme here anyway.

The second workout is a little trickier for me. I wanted it to be a lighter workout, one that didn’t demand as much of a strain on CNS but would still force me to focus (this has been a problem for me with the high-rep routines I’ve been trolling myself with lately.)

For the first two movements, I simply threw in the remainder of the Big Three. I’m sure RDLs or power cleans would be more supportive of my deadlifting, but I feel that performing RDLs degrades my DL TECHNIQUE, which I sweat, and that power cleans are too technical for me if I’m to be dieting. If I could achieve passable form of complex moves, I’d be doing Olympic lifts.

And I’m sure it’s weird to be lifting less on Flat Bench than on Incline Bench, but it’ll probably catch-up/exceed it eventually anyway. I don’t mind.

The rows are the plane-opposite of flat benching, so there that is.

I saw no reason to replace Lateral Raises. They’re already optional. If I’m too burnt-out to do lateral raises it’s not as though I’m going to be able/willing to do much anything else. Abs? Curls? Fuck that noise.

Maybe calf raises.

MAYBE.

Probably not.

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Strength Test 2

Roughly 17 days ago I tested my Deadlift 1-rep max and my Incline Bench 3-rep max.

03.04.2011
Bodyweight: 173.5lbs.

Deadlift: 245 x 1
Incline Bench: 110 x 3

03.21.2011
Bodyweight: 165.5lbs.

Deadlift: 245 x 1 (used straps for the first time)
Incline Bench: 110 x 3

Not going to bother filling in the warm-up sets. There were far less today than there were the first time, because I wasn’t blindly feeling for a benchmark.

Also, today I did 30+60 minutes on the stationary cycle for a “distance” of 14.92 miles. My goal is to do roughly 21 miles each workout; I simply did not have the time today as I was being picked up earlier.

First day of shooting for Mediocracy tomorrow! Can’t wait!

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Countdown to 21: Second Workout

Posting the whole thing all at once this time since I have the time to kill.

Also to show how much better it is to cut it up…

New notebook is the first one that isn't just a generic solid color. 89 cents from Wal-Mart.

Workout for Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Body Weight: 163.5lbs. (-2lbs.)
BF%: 16.5% (-1.3%)

Skinfold
Belly Button: 31mm (-7mm, the goal is 4mm, long way to go; taken an inch to the right)

Pre-workout: 50mg ephedrine/200mg caffeine

START TIME: 9:00AM

I’ll be noting the rest periods before the set lists; the rest times are ONLY for work sets. Warm-ups don’t have a set amount of rest, I just go when I feel ready.

Deadlift

Rest: 5 min.

1. 135lbs. x 5 (double-overhand)
2. 145 x 2 (d-o; form was much better here, nearly perfect)
3. 155 x 10 (left-under)
4. 155 x 10 (left-over)
5. 155 x 10 (l-u)

I find myself having to reset my grip (due to failure) and needing to catch my breath by the 7th rep or so. Need to work out a proper tempo. Will be increasing the load next workout (this workout was a +20lbs. increase.)

Pulldown

Rest: 2 min.

1. 55lbs. x 3
2. 75 x 2
3. 85 x 8
4. 85 x 8
5. 85 x 8

Increasing.

DB Shrug

Rest: long; had to wait on grip recovery. 3-6 minutes.

1. 25lbs. x 3
2. 35 x 2
3. 40 x 8
4. 40 x 8
5. 40 x 8

Increasing. Weight is per-dumbbell, and it was far too easy despite my grip problems.

Narrow-Grip Cable Row

1. 75lbs. x 3
2. 90 x 3
3. 105 x 8
4. 105 x 7
5. 105 x 6

Stay.

10:45AM = Break to regroup concentration.

Back Extension

1. 55lbs. x 3
2. 80 x 2
3. 95 x 15
4. 95 x 15

Increasing. Felt really good, though.

Reverse Concentration Curl

1. 10lbs. x 5
2. 20 x 7
3. 20 x 6
4. 20 x 4

Stay. I tried to go straight into the 20s but it wouldn’t budge.

Squat

1. 105lbs. x 10

BREAK: 11:40AM

Incline Bench

Rest: 5 min.

1. 45lbs. x 6
2. 55 x 3
3. 75 x 2
4. 85 x 9
5. 85 x 8
6. 85 x 6

Increasing. I didn’t make rep goals for any of my work sets, but my next workout is the scheduled scheme-change, and I’ll be doing 4×6 instead of 3×10. I didn’t get less than six reps on any of my sets here so I’m confident I can make the leap.

Machine Fly

Rest: 2 min.

1. 75lbs. x 8
2. 75 x 8
3. 75 x 8

Increase. I almost thought I was going to have to do warm-up sets when I couldn’t get the weight to move… and then I realize the weight was set much higher from the last guy (120lbs.) Derp. I figured out a lot about the form for this, as well, this workout.

Lateral Raise

Rest: 3 min.

1. 50lbs. x 3
2. 65 x 11
3. 65 x 9

Stay. I really do not want to cut the warm-up set here, but I do need to make it lighter. Maybe 40-45lbs for that set, next time.

Tricep Extension

1. 12.5lbs. x 10
2. 12.5 x 4

Stay. My left arm is really crappy!

Crunch

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 65 x 3
3. 85 x 2
4. 95 x 8
5. 95 x 8
6. 95 x 8

Increase. I was enormously surprised at how easy this actually was, after doing back extensions.

BREAK: 1:30PM

I didn’t plan the rest of this workout. I thought vaguely that I could maybe try something like I’d done last time, but, I don’t want that to be a “regular thing” and I don’t really care about my progression on it, so I allow myself to go into it blindly and “on feeling.”

I chose the same three exercises as last time, but this time I did it as a tri-set: no dedicated rest between individual exercises, and then 2 minutes of rest between each tri-set.

So:

• Pulldowns @ 25lbs x 20 reps
• DB Bench Press @ 20lbs. total x 20 reps
• Close-grip Cable Row @ 30lbs. x 20 reps

I did that for five tri-sets before stopping.

It was around 3PM, my blood sugar had skyrocketed (into the 400s), and I was pretty much beat. I probably could have done some more tri-sets, but I would have been really grinding them out.

Instead, I attempted cardio!

Stationary Cycle

Distance: 3.66 miles
Time: 30′ 17″

I probably could have kept going, my patience just biking is pretty high. However, it was immensely worn-down by the fact that I’d brought my phone and expected my Last.FM app to work. The frustration at it loading slowly, and only barely playing the beginning of one song (TEASE) just made me ragequit for the day.

Which turned out just fine because I bumped into a friend who was walking home, and got to chill out and watch Friday while I waited for my ride home (two hours later.)

…

TWO MORE DAYS.

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My Shoulders Are Weird

You know you’re developing your shoulders (or perhaps neglecting your upper arms, which I am also doing) when someone points out the glaring slope differential of the peak of your lateral deltoid to the insertion point of your triceps.

(cue snorty geek laughter) Nyaahhawwhaw!

Anyway.

Body Weight: 181.5lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 20.3%

I feel awful about the above. There are maybe three excuses for that, none of them I like.

So I decided that, if I was as carb-heavied as I hope I was, that I ought to be strong enough to make decent progress on deadlifts. I pretended that I didn’t have any other lifting to do today and just balls-out deadlifted.

Deadlift

1. 135lbs. x 3 ~ double-overhand
2. 155 x 3 ~ d-o
3. 220 x 1 ~ d-o (should have been mixed grip, but I lifted it anyway. This is a good sign.)
4. 260 x miss ~ left-under (pissed off)
5. 260 x 1 ~ left-over (at this point I am solid on my decision to keep adding weight to the bar until it doesn’t budge.)
6. 270 x 1 ~ l-u
7. 275 x 1 ~ l-o
8. 285 x miss ~ l-u; I didn’t retry this. I was starting to feel lightheaded.

I added fifteen pounds to my deadlift, which I would be doing consistently anyway if I hadn’t been dieting. Another nail in the coffin.

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 45 x 5
3. 50 x 5
4. 70 x 3
5. 90 x 2
6. 100 x 6
7. 105 x 3 (the floor on this exercise is 6 reps)
8. 95 x 7 (prescribed drop set)
9. 90 x 12 (prescribed, though I went to failure.)

I’m still feeling this in my triceps. My chest doesn’t hurt nearly as much, but its barely getting taxed either… when I flex it it hurts, so I’m not going to worry about my form too much.

Chin Assist

1. 116lbs. x 3
2. 146 x 1

I didn’t like my lat activation here. I don’t think I had too much arm involvement (like I usually think I do) but my forearms were starting to cry from all the pulling and my triceps were on fire from the benching. So, thinking my lats weren’t firing properly (and shit, maybe they weren’t after all the DL) I decided to switch to pulldowns. I decided to do a five-rep test and reconfigure my workout from here on to have straight sets. I’m already starting to lag synaptically.

Pulldown 5-rep

• 45
• 70
• 90
• 115 (got five, but form struggled)
• 105
• 105
• 105

I want to work this up to 155 or so.

Lateral Raise

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

I kind of want to cut the last set from these. If I don’t, though, I’m going to count this as strike 1 of my 3 misses.

Posterior Delt Fly

1. 30lbs. x 6
2. 60 x 8
3. 60 x none

Just felt fried. Had to leave. Didn’t finish the rest of the prescribed workout.

START: 9:09AM

STOP: 1:02PM

I kind of want to go back to the basic Deadlift + Press variation workout and just forget everything else.

I’m not going to enjoy the winter holidays at all. I’m already back to where I started, fatass-wise, I don’t want to make it worse.

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260 finally

I was really starting to worry I was going to have to look up how to deal with a stall, if I’d failed another attempt at a 260lbs. deadlift.

But, to kill any attempt at building drama: I fucking did it!

To the credit of the fag who unloaded my bar when I stepped off the floor to take a leak. I was pissed, and after loading the 260 I wasn’t NOT going to lift it after clanking around and slamming plates about in a hissyfit. Princess loaded 300+ on the bar for a quarter squat afterwards and my world was mended.

Workout for Wednesday, December 8, 2010

This update is sorely tardy due to a busy weekend including: final day filming for Nocturnal; audition for So Dramatic; winter formal at Carroll College; cousin’s wedding reception; tuxedo photoshoot.

It’s actually thrown my cycle into a clusterfuck as well, so I’ll be greatly surprised if my stats on the next power workout are much improved upon.

Those stats are:

Body Weight: 168lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 15.9%

JUST BARELY under 16%. Edging my way there! Fuck yeah!

Deadlift

1. 135lbs. (double-overhand) x 3
2. 155 (d-o) x 3
3. 220 (left-under) x 1
4. 260 (left-over) x 1

I had nearly twenty minutes of rest before my top set. I’ve decided to cut drop sets from deadlifts, both out of impatience/fear, and a desire to eek out as much top-poundage as I can while I attempt to lose fat.

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 45 x 5
3. 50 x 5
4. 70 x 3
5. 90 x 2
6. 95 x 6 (increase)
7. 95 x 4 (goal was 7, stay)
8. 85 x 8 (increase)

I didn’t feel like I was going to be able to push 100lbs. today so I decided to legitimately make my top-set rep ceiling rather than pretending I “could have gotten another rep,” and it seems like I was right. There were at least two more reps in there on that set and I proved THAT to myself in the following set… which unfortunately cut out short because I decided to be a wuss.

Chin Assist (bodyweight = 173lbs.)

1. 113lbs. x 3
2. 138 x 2 (goal was 3, but I’m changing the goal to 2 now, so I will be increasing this set)
3. 118 x 4 (increase)
4. 108 x 7 (goal was 5; went to failure and hung around for a bit after)

Lateral Raise Machine

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 60 x 4
3. 75 x 2
4. 90 x 3 (goal is 6; stay)
5. 85 x 5 (goal is 7; stay)
6. 75 x 7 (goal is 8; stay)

I really need to look up better form (still do, that is… PROCRASTINATING…) on this. I think I’m working my traps more than my delts, just on a visual indication. Perhaps that was just because I did deadlifts today. But maybe not.

Crunch

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 65 x 3
3. 90 x 3
4. 120 x 2
5. 135 x 3 (increase)
6. 125 x 4 (increase; goal is 3)

Reverse Concentration Curl

1. 12lbs. x 5
2. 25 x 1 (too much)
3. 20 x 5
4. 20 x 5
5. 20 x 5

Going to try to get seven on each set of 20 before I bump the weight to 25.

Machine Chest Fly

1. 35lbs. x 8
2. 70 x 8
3. 70 x 8
4. 70 x 8

Increase.

Machine Delt Fly (whatever it is for posterior delt)

8-rep test:

• 25lbs
• 40
• 55
• 60 (got it, but form struggled)
• 55
• 55

55 it is, next time!

The Stall Count

Because I was so worried about having to reset Deadlifts, I decided to keep a running tabulation of “failures” in this workout. Failures are progressive resistance failures: failures to increase either the weight being lifted in a given exercise or the amount of reps performed toward a preset limit.

Deadlifts, obviously, not lifting more weight is the only gauge. I only do one balls-out rep, so either I lift more weight or I’m a failure. Pretty simple.

Everything else, well… I write down how many reps is the “goal” for each set. If I miss my combined rep goal by 3 or more, that lift is a FAILURE in that workout.

So, for this workout, I’ve FAILED: Incline Bench (three reps missed in the second set) and Lateral Raise (missed SIX reps overall.)

Three FAILURES, time to reset that lift.

Cardio for Friday, December 10, 2010

I had an audition and a ball to attend over the weekend. Thought I’d sweat some water weight out beforehand. I had initially intended to simply sauna/hot-tub it out, but when I got there I decided to at least TRY to do some cardio… and soon enough found myself doing the entirety of my sweating on the stationary cycle.

Yay for caloric burn, I suppose!

Body Weight: 170lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 14.6%

Clearly the glycogen-filling portion of the program does indeed continue post-power workout…

11:15AM- START

12:22PM- Completed 11.94 miles in 65 minutes. Heart Rate topped at 133bpm while at level 3, but when HR came down later I boosted the level up to 4 all the way to the five-minute cooldown.

1:07PM- 168.5lbs

2:24PM- Completed 12.96 miles in 65 minutes. HR topped @ 136bpm, also boosting from a starting rate of ~90bpm a lot quicker. Level 2 was sufficient, but RPM had to near 90 more often.

3:16PM- 166.5lbs.

4:31PM- Finished 10.1 miles in 65 minutes. HR topped at 126bpm, starting around 113bpm; never exceeded level 1, nor more than 70rpm. My butt HURT at around the 20 minute mark. Leg tension and a teaspoon of willpower saw me through the duration.

5:05PM- 165lbs. and to the shower!

Verdict, of course, that this is the incredibly slowest way of three for me to drop some water.

But it was sufficient! I found myself wishing I had sized-down my tux trousers.

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260 fail

I was under the impression that this workout was a failure while I was performing it.

I don’t feel so bad about it at the moment.

Workout for Monday, November 29, 2010

Weight: 167lbs.
Bodyfat Percentage: 16%

START: 9:23AM

Deadlift

1. 135lbs. x 3 (double-overhand)
2. 155 x 3 (d-o)
3. 220 x 1 (left-over; goal was 2, felt TOO WEAK)
4. 260 = miss (left-under; rested 7 minutes, felt like I could have gotten it but my grip slipped; need chalk)
5. 260 = worse miss, barely off the floor (l-o)
6. 250 x 1 (l-u; good; fell through after lockout rather than lowering it controlled: my left hip! Fuck!)

No drop set performed. My left hip felt like something was pinching and I didn’t want to push the issue.

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 50 x 5
3. 70 x 3
4. 90 x 2
5. 100 x 5 (goal was 6)
6. 90 x 7
7. 80 x 7 (goal was 8)

Not really sure what I want to do with this.

Only one set met my rep goal so I should really only increase that one. Unless I decide at the last minute otherwise,  I think that’s all I will do.

Chin Assist

1. 113lbs. x 2
2. 133 x 2 (goal was 3; GRIP! ugh!)
3. 113 x 4
4. 98 x 6 (goal was 5, but I decided to go for failure just to see)

I almost want to wear gloves.

No I don’t. I need to stop pansy palm-sweating.

Lateral Raise Machine

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 60 x 3
3. 75 x 2
4. 90 x 2 (goal was 4-6)
5. 80 x 6 (goal was 6-7)
6. 75 x 5 (goal was 8)

I’m not going to change the load on any set, here.

Crunch Machine

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 65 x 5
3. 90 x 3
4. 115 x 2
5. 115 x 3 (unintentional, forgot to change the weight)
6. 130 x 3
7. 120 x 3

Wanted to work on form with this exercise. It was definitely better this time. I’m going to keep this weight for one more workout, I feel like I should be getting a fuller contraction and I want to get that before I bump the load again.

Time Check: 2:16PM (the exercises below are strictly optional, I check time after the “requisite” maneuvers in case I have to plan for… brevity.)

Reverse Concentration Curl

1. 20lbs. x 5
2. 20 x 5
3. 20 x 5

I’m going to increase the load here, as well as include a warm-up set. I suspect that I should cut forearm work from one of the other workouts, but I have not yet decided which: to deplete them and not have them on tension would possibly increase the amount of glycogen storage; to not deplete them and have them on tension might not be enough recovery time but, if workable, would have me training them with a greater load which is necessary as well.

Will try them both and see.

Unilateral Cable Extension

1. 7.5lbs. x 8
2. 12.5 x 8

This was intended to be an 8 rep test, but after the second set it felt as though my left tricep was going to rip out. So I stopped.

The reason I even did this was suspecting that my arms are too involved with my benching and holding me back. It is also the reason for the next exercise.

Fly Machine – 8 rep test

1. 45lbs.
2. 50
3. 60
4. 70
5. 85 (7)
6. 75 (5; had to stop because my elbows hurt)

FINISH: 3:23PM

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The Workouts

Oh boy. Going to dump some workouts now. Actually managed to make my schedule for once.

And by schedule I mean something other than my vaguely-once-a-week sort of deal. Which thoroughly surprised me.

Workout for Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Pre-workout: 1 scoop Purple Wraath BCAAs, ephedrine/caffeine (25/200mg)

Body Weight: 167bls.
Body Fat Percentage: 18.8%

Start: 9:06AM
Stop: NOON

Round 1

Bench Press: 3 x 15 @ 45lbs.
Row: 3 x 15 @ 45lbs.
Lateral Raise: 3 x 15 @ 25lbs. (a little too heavy)

Round 2

Bench Press: 3 x 15 @ 45lbs.
Row: 3 x 15 @ 45lbs.
Lateral Raise: 3 x 15 @ 20lbs.

Round 3

Dumbbell Incline Bench: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs. (so 15/db)
Pulldown: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs.
Lateral Raise: 2 x 15 @ 20lbs.

Round 4

Dumbbell Incline Bench: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs.
Pulldown: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs.
Lateral Raise: 2 x 15 @ 20lbs.

Round 5 (because I had more time to waste but didn’t feel like doing cardio before I finished leg depletion)

Leg Press: 3 x 15 @ 50lbs.
Leg Curl: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs.
Calf Raise: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs.
Dumbbell Curl: 2 x 15 @ 8lbs.
Pushdown: 2 x 15 @ 22.5lbs.
Crunch: 2 2x 15 @ 35lbs.

Workout for Friday, October 9, 2010

Pre-workout: 2 fun-size Baby Ruth, ephedrine/caffeine (50/200mg)
Peri-workout: 2 scoops Purple Wraath BCAAs

Note to Self: Don’t let that shit get room-temperature if you value it staying in your stomach. Close call.

BW: 163.5lbs
BF%: 18.6%

Start: 9AM
Stop: 10:30AM

This was after a day of rest, which on low-intake really means a day of suffering. So I lowered the weights in expectation of just “not being able to do it,” and I was right. This was a lot tougher for me than it looked on paper.

Round 1

Leg Press: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs.
Leg Curl: 3 x 15 @ 25lbs.
Calf Raise: 3 x 15 @ 15lbs.
DB Curl: 2 x 15 @ 5lbs.
Pushdown: 2 x 15 @ 17.5lbs
Crunch: 2 x 15 @ 25lbs.

Round 2

Leg Press: 3 x 15 @ 30lbs.
Leg Curl: 3 x 15 @ 25lbs.
Calf Raise: 3 x 15 @ 15lbs.
DB Curl: 2 x 15 @ 5lbs.
Crunch: 2 x 15 @ 25lbs.
Pushdown: 2 x 15 @ 17.5lbs

Workout for Monday, November 1, 2010

Pre-workout: 2 scoops EAS premium protein + 200mg caffeine (1.5 hours pre)

BW: 164.5lbs.
BF%: 18.0%

Start: 9:16AM
Stop: 11:22AM

No rest within supersets, 2 minutes rest between each coupling. I did a warm-up set for each NEW muscle group (so no warm-up on leg extensions because I’d done leg presses, and no warm-up on curls because I’d done pulldowns, etc.) I really guesstimated a lot of the poundages here as well. I figured it was supposed to be muscularly-challenging but not to the point where it’d hurt my head like a max-effort might. So that’s what I looked out for.

Superset 1

Leg Press: 1 x 12 @ 50lbs.;  2 x 12 @ 70lbs. (increase)
Leg Curl: 1 x 12 @ 30lbs.; 1 x 12, 1 x 9 @ 60lbs. (stay)

Superset 2

Leg Extension: 1 x 10; 1 x 2 @ 60lbs. (stay)
Seated Leg Curl: 2 x 12 @ 50lbs. (stay, it was HARD)

Set 3

Calf Raises: 4 x 12 @ 60lbs. (increase)

-5 minute BREAK to 10AM-

Superset 4

Incline Bench Press: 1 x 6 @ 45lbs.; 2 x 12 @ 60lbs. (good; MAYBE increase)
Pulldown: 1 x 6 @ 45lbs.; 2 x 12 @ 70lbs. (stay)

Set 5

Lateral Raise: 12, 11, 6 @ 45lbs. (stay)

-5 minute BREAK to 10:55AM-

Superset 6

DB Hammer Curl: 2 x 15 @ 10lbs. (increase)
Pushdown: 12x 9 @ 32.5lbs. (stay)

Set 7

Crunch: 1 x 12 @25lbs.;  3 x 12 @ 50lbs. (increase)

Workout for Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Pre-workout: 2 scoops EAS premium protein, 2 Hershey’s walnut cookies, ephedrine/caffeine (25/200mg)

BW: 166.5lbs (yay!)
BF%: 17.8%

Start: 9AM
Stop: 12:26PM

Deadlift

1. 135lbs. x 5 (double-overhand)
2. 155 x 3 (d-0)
3. 220 x 1 (left-over)
4. 260 x failed twice (left-under)
5. 240 x 1 (l-u) ~ managed it, but can probably do more. I couldn’t find my most recent deadlift record so I’m not that surprised I jumped too high up. Going to go for 250 next week.
6. 215 x 2 (l-0)

Met Xavier, college quarterback doing olympic lifts with the squat rack to my left. Cool cat.

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 60 x 5
3. 80 x 3
4. 105 x 2
5. 120 x FAIL ~ same story.
6. 100 x 3
7. 85 x 7

Chin Assist weighed at 173lbs.

1. 103lbs. x 2
2. 118 x 5
3. 98 x 8

NOTE: the weights listed are lifted, not the offset (first set offset was 70lbs., for example.)

Lateral Raise

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 85 x 2
3. 105 x 1
4. 80 x 4
5. 60 x 7

Crunch

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 60 x 5
3. 85 x 3
4. 110 x 2
5. 125 x 3
6. 115 x 3

I really didn’t like having the numbers ready for this workout. This is easily the most important workout of the week. Not knowing what I wanted to accomplish with each exercise really left me in the lurch on this day and… just pissed me off.

Top Set Rep Goals

Deadlift – Singles

Incline Bench – Sixes

Chin Assits – Triples

Laterals – Sixes

Crunch – Triples

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