Swami Vivekananda:
"Strength is Life. Weakness is Death."

Come Back Crying (P4C5A1D)

Posted: July 12th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Body | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

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.

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Barely Online (P2C3A2)

Posted: July 2nd, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Body | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

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)

Posted: May 25th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Body | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »

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

Me from two angles, topless.

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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