Workout for Friday, August 6, 2010

I went out to my cabin after I went to the gym on Friday, so I didn’t get a chance to upload my workout.

I don’t really remember what I was going to rant about so this is going to be pretty bare-bones.

Workout for Friday, August 6, 2010

Weight: 167.5lbs
Body Fat %: 16.2%

Start: 10AM
Finish: 12:09PM

Bench Press

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 45 x 5
3. 55 x 5
4. 75 x 3
5. 95 x 2
6. 110 x 1 (the second rep was horribly dirty and the third didn’t reach lockout, obviously staying)
7. 95 x 5 (increase)
8. 80 x 7 (increase)

I’m not horribly concerned. My chest is probably still pretty fucked from the depletion workout that I over-volumed on. I felt pretty fucked yet from that coming into this workout. I don’t know how I’m going to sort out my B workout just yet, but at the time what I knew was that I wasn’t ready to be doing deadlifts and I didn’t have time to sort out an alternative program aside from the one I had readily available.

Incline Bench

1. 50lbs x 5
2. 90 x 2
3. 100 x 4 (one less than what I was going for, stay)
4. 85 x 7 (increase)
5. 70 x 8 (increase)

ChinAss (bodyweight = 172)

1. 42lbs x 5
2. 42 x 5
3. 72 x 5
4. 87 x 3
5. 107 x 5 (this pissed me off, I really have to keep the work set on the same line in my notebook as the exercise name)
6. 127 x 3 (fortunately I didn’t lose a rep over it, stay weight)
7. 107 x 5 (increase)
8. 87 x 7 (increase)
9. 77 x 9 (increase)

Overall this exercise went pretty well, though I was ready for a nap by the time I finished here.

Stationary Bike

3.17 miles, 22:11

Level 1 intensity. Just too tired to go the distance this day, really.

Notes

I’m pretty solidly 20lbs away from being 5% bodyfat. I mean, of course I should be taking these measurements as dry as possible. But I’ve started my proper LeanGains-inspired fasting protocol on Sunday (August 8) and I’ve gotten my yohimbine and BCAAs in the mail, along with complimentary fat caliper (“free gift” for spending an excessive amount of money on supplements.) On Tuesday I’m going to take measurements with both the bio-impedance meter at the gym, as well as taking a skinfold measurement of my gut.

There’s a three-site measurement method with the calipers as well, but having tried to measure my chest on my own made me realize I only measuredly care about the fat loss around my navel, so, that’s what I’ll be pinching.

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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.

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New Notebook (P1C2A2)

Just cracked open a fresh multi-subject cheapshit notebook.

First page got this workout loaded onto it. Hooray!

Workout A2 for Monday, June 14th, 2010

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs x 3
2. 65 x 2
3. 80 x 8
4. 70 x 9

I was really happy about this lift. No doubt increasing it next workout. Kind of annoyed by the EZ-deadlifter indirectly giving me shit about my form. You know why the bar drops into the pins when I’ve completed my reps? That’s called muscular failure. Try it some time.

Maybe with those deadlifts, sweet-cheeks.

Wide-grip Horizontal Press Machine

1. 35lbs x 5
2. 55 x 3
3. 70 x 2
4. 90 x 1

I made the horrible discovery that the BACK of the machine can be adjusted to augment the stretch of the starting position (basically mimicking how far your elbows would go below a bench in the real lift.) Seat back to 4 was optimal. But, given that I hadn’t been training full-range up until this point, I’m actually quite pleased with the eeked-out single at the raised working weight. Going to keep it here.

Hammer-grip Horizontal Press Machine

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

Phooey. Two reps short. Surprising, though, given that this is the same machine as above and the seat is adjusted. Maybe it’s to the benefit of my triceps while at the detriment of my pecs. I dunno. I’m probably not even doing these right. I’m suspecting the wide-grip is nailing my triceps and hammer-grip is recruiting anterior delts or something.

Pushdown

1. 32.5lbs x 3
2. 37.5 x 2
3. 42.5 x 11

FUCK YES! I really wanted to get at least ten with this movement. At these weights my abs are contributing like crazy to keep myself upright (rather than trying to crunch the weight down.) I noted last workout that I was going to drop the 5-rep warm-up to three reps and this apparently has helped. I know that my triceps are all but warmed-up by now anyway. Those two warm-up sets are more of a nervous wake-up than a muscular warm-up.

Pulldown

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 75 x 3
3. 95 x 2
4. 120 x 5

Shit. One short of being able to increase again. I really felt like I used too much biceps in this, even though I’m feeling it today and I had at least enough linkage to flex my right lat (vanity posing waiting for towel to dry, heh.) My leftie still doesn’t want to cooperate. I think I’m going to try to, next workout, not only get that next rep but BEGIN the movement with the lats and throw in dedicated bicep involvement when I can’t lower the bar further to just under my chin.

This workout took about an hour and a half. I was intending to do cardio but since I’m not going to get my full allotment of rest days and because I just felt catabolic generally, I decided to pass on it.

Body Weight: 164lbs

Condition: B-. Felt stringy/flabby at the same time. Morale was good, and just mentally ‘ready’ to kick some ass and WORK.

Stalling on more than half of my lifts makes me think I might need to bump protein in future cycles. This one is going to be a little weird though with training frequency (essentially trying to reconfigure my schedule to account for a root canal next Wednesday) so I’m bumping up calories to hopefully compensate for the relatively little rest. Luckily this Wednesday’s workout is the lightest in the cycle and I should be recovered for the next cycle by Monday.

…You know, having done the majority of my refeed today already I realize it’s feasible for me to work out on Thursday rather than tomorrow if I’m willing to wait longer for a ride home. Well. Neat. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning.

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No Excuse (P1C1WA2)

Week got off to a bit of a crap start.

Sometime over the weekend I had a seizure at my grandmother’s house. Banged up my right elbow, left hand, and both feet (more on the left foot, the right foot just has a cracked nail on the big toe.) It happened the day after training deadlifts, which summed itself as a fried CNS. Limping around, wincing… butthurt doesn’t even begin to cover it.

I wasn’t very motivated to lift on Tuesday, but I had the seizure and the binge working against my morale. So I used those things as encouragement. The unwillingness to let myself be put down by something I have only a limited amount of control over, coupled with the guilt over having let myself gorge so atrociously, lead me into the gym that morning.

Workout A2, June 1, 2010

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs x 3
2. 60 x 2
3. 75 x 8
4. 75 x 8 (too much shoulders)

I kind of forgot that I was supposed to deload on the second work set. Oops. I guess I can be confident in my increase for next workout!

Wide-Grip Horizontal Press

1. 35lbs x 5
2. 50 x 3
3. 65 x 2
4. 85 x 8

Hammer-Grip Horizontal Press

1. 40lbs x 3
2. 50 x 2
3. 65 x 8

Pushdown

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

At this point, I was feeling really fucking accomplished. My chest was the only part of me that WASN’T sore, so getting that little extra from my triceps made me pretty happy overall.

Pulldown

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 65 x 3
3. 85 x 2
4. 110 x 6

I lost a rep. Not cool.

Alternating: Forearm Curl / Reverse Forearm Curl

1. 3lbs / 3lbs x 8
2. 5 / 5 x 8
3. 8 / 8 x 8
4. 12 / 12 x 8
5. 15 x 8 / 15 x 3
6. 20 / 12 x 8 (though I got the reps, 20lbs just felt like too much)
7. 15 / 12 x 8

I’ve just been looking in the mirror and getting sick of the ‘funnel’ look of my growing upper arms and my ain’t-shit forearms. Fixing that with a little volume work, as I don’t want to fail them with high-intensity stuff. I need the grip stamina for pulls.

Cardio: I did 20 minutes at level 2 on a recumbent bike just to… I dunno. Burn something or other. I was thinking carbs when I decided to do it, but after intense lifting I have no idea if there were some free-floating fatty acids to be used, floating about, or what.

Condition: C.

Didn’t get enough sleep, felt bloated. Pretty standard. Feeling sorry for myself counterbalanced by FUCK IT.

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Berkhan Workout A2

Workout for May 5th, 2010

Incline Bench 8RM

1. 45lbs. x 8
2. 55 x 8
3. 60 x 8
4. 65 x 8
5. 70 x 8
6. 75 x 2 (got nauseous, stopped, didn’t muscularly fail though)
7. 60 x 10 (drop set; dropped from the last completed 8-rep set)

Wide-Grip Chest Press Machine, 8RM

1. 30lbs. x 8
2. 45 x 8
3. 65 x 8
4. 80 x 8 (nearly vomited again, blehh)

Rested for about 10 minutes after this. Resumed workout at 10:05AM

Horizontal-Grip Chest Press Machine

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 55 x 2
3. 60 x 8

Since this exercise was consecutive with A1 (as is the rest of the routine) I was able to precalcudict some warm-up sets and a slightly-bumped top set. This one will be bumped for my next workout.

Triceps Pushdown

1. 22.5lbs. x 5
2. 27.5 x 2
3. 32.5 x 12

This exercise will be bumped.

Pulldown

1. 40lbs. x 5
2. 60 x 3
3. 80 x 2
4. 105 x 10 (failed!)

I never actually determined the threshold for pulldowns on the A workouts, since I substituted chins with pulldowns. I think a 8-12 rep range would be appropriate, as the two B-workouts have 4-6 and 6-8 rep ranges. So, this exercise will be bumped!

Body Weight: 161lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 15.6%

Condition: C+

Again, didn’t sleep well the night before. But I had slept a lot during the day so this was not too surprising. Had a protein bar 60 and my EC stack 30 minutes prior the workout. I just felt ‘ready’ to.

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Berkhan Workout A1

I have an irritating preference to writing my most recent workout the day before the next scheduled one.

Well, my next workout SHOULD be Friday, but I’m going to go with Saturday so I can knock that out on the same day as HeroClix tourney. Plus I’m still feeling pretty sore today. I doubt this will change after a night of rest. Maybe it will, but, uh, I have phone calls to make all day tomorrow that I was supposed to make today that I instead slept-through and then bummed around with my bro. So I’ll get my clerical nonsense out of the way tomorrow (still trying to get a job, you see) with a workout on Saturday prefacing an afternoon of superheroic clicking.

Matin Berkhan is a badass.

It’s not the routine in the actual post, but one that he posted in the comments section; that I am now running myself. Or starting to.

Monday I did rep-max tests with the higher end of the rep range for each movement I wasn’t already doing (so, everything but incline presses and pulldowns.) This was so that I could inherently increase the poundage the next time I made it around to this workout (which is labeled as A1 in Martin’s post.)

The only thing I’m not directly ripping off from Martin is the fact that I’m very willing to use machines when I’m doing sets-to-failure. I don’t have a workout partner, and few people (though admittedly SOME) at my gym are reliable/useful spotters. I’m just here to stimulate muscles, not to wave my dick around.

Waving my dick around is for a much lower bodyfat percentage, anyway.

Workout for Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Flat Bench 8RM

1. 45lbs x 8
2. 55 x 8
3. 65 x 8 (arms feel tired, didn’t rest much)
4. 75 x 6 (slowing down, shoulders flushed)
5. 80 x 8
6. 80 x 7

I screwed up a bit here. I forgot the second working set was supposed to be a drop-set. There has been one less bench available for the past couple weeks and I ducked out to use the bathroom. When I came back I had to shoo someone away, and I guess I was just distracted by him. He moved to a decline chest press machine-for-barbell-plates thing and seemed to be working fine. But I dunno. Being a dick to people at the gym throws me off.

So rather than de-loading and getting an extra rep, I did a straight second set and lost a rep. Ah well!

Incline Press Machine (typical setup)

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 75 x 3
3. 90 x 2
4. 105 x 5

I’m still annoyed that this machine can only go in 15lbs. jumps, but it’s really the best place for me from a form perspective. When I reverse the order of pressing (doing two sets of incline and then one set of flat on May 5th’s workout) I’ll be doing the incline presses with free-weights because the jumps are obviously much smaller there. But for to-failure stuff? Here it is.

Horizontal Hammer Press 8RM

1. 45lbs x 8
2. 55 x 8 (starting to feel nauseous)
3. 60 x 4

I use this machine as a substitute for close-grip benching, hahaha… I realized during this exercise that I was pressing too much with my shoulders on the flat bench, though, when my shoulders came forward on the first set here. Fixed that quickly without incident. I had my wrists in a bad position for this machine, I think. The weight wound up behind my forearms rather than in line with it, and I think my poundages suffered as a result.

Pushdown 12RM

1. 12.5lbs x 12
2. 17.5 x 12
3. 22.5 x 12 (loooong rest)
4. 27.5 x 12 (damn close!)
5. 32.5 x 10
6. 37.5 x 6

This was exhausting. I haven’t actually done the two-handed triceps pushdown since I first trained with my dad back in 2004. I kind of didn’t want to stop doing them because of the nostalgia… MUSCLE NOSTALGIA… So after I got my 12RM, I decided to bump it and try for 12. Missed it, but it was still in my rep range, so I took another 5-minute rest and got the six reps with 37. I almost wanted to do these unilaterally, but at the same time the siren song of workouts long past made me want to try.

I remember not getting past 25lbs. so many years ago. I’m not that much stronger, but it felt really good.

Pulldown

1. 40lbs x 5
2. 60 x 3
3. 80 x 2
4. 100 x 12 (actually failed here too)
5. 105 x 7 (lost focus, got a headache instead of muscular contraction)

I rarely work this high of a rep range on pulldowns anymore, so I wasn’t REALLY sure where I’d be. I conservatively estimated based upon projected 1-rep-max, and it turned out to be spot-on. I was on a bit of a kick after I got my top-12 set on pushdowns so I decided to bump the weight a little and try for 10. I didn’t even lick it! I should have just walked away, I felt ‘done’ but at the same time ‘well, just ONE MORE set…’

The latter won, obviously.

Body Weight: 163lbs.
Body Fat %: 16.9%

Condition: C.

Felt okay overall, though my left hamstring was still TIGHT/clenched for some reason, probably as a result of my fail-y attempt to shed some water before the session… I wasn’t facially watered-up, though, so I’m probably just fatter.

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4.20 Lifts

Man. I’m really feeling that light deadlift work today.

Workout for FOH TWENNY, 2010

Lat Pulldown

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 45 x 5
3. 65 x 5
4. 85 x 3
5. 105 x 2
6. 125 x 5 (this was really hard)
7. 110 x 6
8. 105 x 7

Pulldowns are a bitch. I don’t think I could pull these poundages if I had this exercise anywhere else in the routine. I’m tempted to bump the weight to 130lbs. on the top set and just do a single next workout. The drop sets I’m going to keep the weight though and work up to eight reps on each before I bump the weight further.

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs x 5
2. 45 x 5
3. 65 x 5
4. 90 x 3
5. 120 x 2 (had help, it was probably more like 110-115)

I just thought I’d try to go back to free weights. Bad idea without doing a 5rep test. Luckily a Joe offered to spot me, and I got stuck. Probably more performance anxiety than lack of ability, but fact is I didn’t get the bar up on my own. Four fingers of help. I’ll be going back to the machine next workout.

Don’t say you can’t at the bottom, or you never will.

Thanks Joe.

Lateral Raise

1. 40lbs x 4
2. 55 x 3
3. 75 x 6 (cheated a little towards the end, somehow my back got in on it)
4. 70 x 4 (dead)

Didn’t get the volume I would have liked. Still working to sets of eight on all work sets. I’m pretty sure it was because of doing incline bench… my bench form is shit. I’m feeling my shoulders (front and laterals) and triceps waaay too much today. I fucked up.

Straight-Leg Deadlift (SLDL)

1. 45lbs x 10
2. 45 x 10

That’s all I did. Got a decent stretch to the hamstrings, definitely feeling it in my lower back today. I should have never stopped deadlifting. Oh well!

Then I tried hanging from a chinning station to stretch my back. Could barely hold on for five seconds. I think instead I’ll just hold the very last rep of pulldowns at the eccentric portion next workout, or something.

Body Weight: 164lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 16.7%

Condition: B-

I could have gotten more rest, but I got just-enough. I also took some preworkout ephedrine/caffeine which helped immensely. I’ve definitely developed a dependency on it… I took another dose postworkout, around noon, and the final dose, around 5. Around 8PM I had a large salad, a full rack of bbq ribs, and a slice of garlic toast. Yeah buddy!

After I left the gym I did some job applications, but only turned in the one for Potbelly’s because I have a pal working there that might help me in the door. I also want to try to get the job at the chocolate warehouse (seriously) in town, and if I do and wind up part-time, that will at least leave me able to better determine my availability for other work.

AFTER THAT, I bought some HeroClix and got some Magic Draft Tourney information. More on that in another post.

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Sans Bullshit

I received an ankh for my birthday; I've wanted one since I was very young.

Lots of horeshitastic nonsense in January, I mean ta tells ya!

But rather than get into all of that, suffice to say I’ve been binging rather orgasmically. The only record I’m obliged to place at the moment, is Thursday’s workout.

Depletion workout on Monday, with a return to fasting as well.

Birthday Lifts

Deadlift

1. 65lbs. x 5 (from hang; hook grip)
2. 65lbs. x 5 (hang-hook)
3. 95lbs. x 3 (hang-hook)
4. 140lbs. x 2 (from floor; hook grip)
5. 165lbs. x 5 (from floor; left hand under; increase next week)

Incline Bench

1. 45lbs. x 5
2. 45lbs. x 5
3. 60lbs. x 3
4. 80lbs. x 2
5. 90lbs. x 3 (stay-at next week)
6. 80lbs. x 5

Hi-Low Twist

1. 20lbs. x 5
2. 30lbs. x 5
3. 40lbs. x 3
4. 50lbs. x 2
5. 60lbs. x none! half-way, static hold (staying the weight)
6. 50lbs. x 1 (keeping in mind the goal of the de-loaded sets is to get one more rep than the previous set…)

Weight: 161lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 15.8%

Obviously, I didn’t make my birthday goal. My goal by the end of May is sub -9% body fat. Let’s get to it.

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Nevermind Cardio

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