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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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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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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She Grabs My Ass and I Deload

Body Weight: 161lbs.
Body Fat Percentage: 18%

Flat Bench:

1. 100lbs. x 2 (and 3 assisted…)
2. 90lbs. x 5 (+)

Incline Bench:

1. 80lbs. x 5 (+)
2. 65lbs. x 5 (+)

Incline Fly:

1. 25lbs. x 4
2. 25lbs. x 4
3. 25lbs. x 2

Plus sign means “increase next workout.” Just trying some easier notation for myself.

Now I get a little volume-bonkers.

Horizontal Row: 6×12 @ 40lbs. (+)

Lateral Raise: 2×12; 1×6 @ 10lbs. DBs

Squat: 1×12 @ 45lbs.

[WE INTERRUPT THIS PROGRAM]

Bicep Curl: 2×12 @ 5lbs. DBs (+)

Triceps Pushdown: 2×12 @ 30lbs. cable (+)

Cable Crunches: 6×12 @ 30lbs. (+)

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It’s All In The Wrists

Well I just got home from lunch with pops, who picked me up from the gym.

I had an apple and a protein bar pre-workout. Probably close to 300kcal.

Getting Right to It:

This is the first time I've been sub-18% in over a year.

Body Weight: 159lbs.
Fat %: 17.7%

Fat Weight: 28.143lbs.
Lean Mass: 130.857

Deadlift:

1. 1×4 @ 200lbs. (LU)
2. 1×4 @ 180lbs. (LO)

Getting there. Next week should be my last at 200lbs, haha! Following this, a personal trainer I had never met before (Andy, in case I mention him in the future) seemed interested in my program. He wasn’t trying to shove a new program down my throat, so we were able to talk for a bit.

And then he taught me how to power clean. I have a new friend.

Chin Ass:

1. 1×2 @ 124lbs. lifted (35 off)
2. 1×5 @ 99lbs. lifted (60 off; going to increase this set next workout)

Horizontal Row:
3×5 @ 75lbs. ~ Getting increased again next workout.

Cable Crunch:
3×5 @ 50lbs. ~ Increasing next workout as well.

Big ol’ carby meal PWO: Bagel in the car (plain, just wanted some fast carbs because I was feeling light-headed… very glad I brought it with me); swiss steak with mashed potato and corn at the restaurant. Today’s maintenance day, though, and so I still have enough calories for dinner!

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Beat of the Rhythym of the Night

Not a great workout, but I’m not too ashamed of it.

My carb-up last night didn’t go great. It did the job, I guess, but there was way too much fructose/sucrose going on. I should have just made some pasta but I just wanted to eat and go to bed. It was a stressful fast. It’s working great for getting my numbers back up but I don’t know if I want to keep periodizing my eating in this way if I can’t be sure I’ll have the food sources I’ll need to make it work.

Especially since my protein powder is running low.

Numbers:

Body Weight: 159lbs.

Flat Bench:

1. 1×1 @ 100lbs. (failed halfway through second rep and barely made it to the low pins)
2. 1×4 @ 90lbs. (aw.)

This is the first workout this year that I didn’t get a text message. Holy crap I can start wearing a watch.

Incline Bench:

1. 1×5 @ 75lbs.
2. 1×5 @ 60lbs.

Looks like both of my sets on incline bench are going up next workout. They’re going to catch up to my flat bench quick if this keeps up.

Incline Flys

1. 1×5 @ 20lbs.
2. 1×4 @ 20lbs.
3. 1×5 @ 20lbs.

Not sure what to make of this. First set came easy, second set felt like my eyes were going to fall out, and the third set was a “just right” challenge. I don’t know if I want to wait until all three sets come easy or if this was just a mental thing and I should just bump it up another five pounds.

—

Made a pretty nice friend though. Lynn saw me screw myself on the second rep of the top set of flat benching and offered to spot me on my next one. I declined (making me sort-of wish I did more sets at a weight I wasn’t sure I could handle), but I really appreciated the offer. Turns out she went to my old Bally’s, only before I was born, haha! She was really fit though, turned out she used to be an aerobics (spin?) instructor. She was working back/bi’s in no particular fashion, unless she can keep meticulous records in her head.

I think I’m going to try dumbbells next workout though. I’m not feeling any activation in my chest on flat benches, it’s all arms it feels like. Which is probably why I’m stalling, the weak suckas! They’re also looking a lot better than my chest, in no small part to their relatively lower fattiness. I used to hate dieting down because of how small I’d feel in my arms and calves. When I first started training with dad, forearms and calves got beaten like crazy. Dad had me training them and abs every workout.

Now I’m doing two work sets per exercise and I’m smaller than I’ve ever been since I started weight training.

I should just have him train me again, what am I screwing around by myself for? :P

(Just kidding.)

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Full-Belly Workouts

I think I should stop having a bowl of oatmeal before I workout. It’s fucking up my bodyfat readings. Not to say I’m NOT a lardass, but the meter is essentially laughing at me as hard as I was laughed at in middle school. It saddens me.

10/8/09
Deadlift – 1 x 1 @ 195lbs. (left hand under, after failing a right-under of 205lbs.)
Bench – 1 x 4 @ 95lbs.

So next workout I bump up the Deadlift and Bench stays the same.

BW: 171lbs.
Fat%: 19.3lbs. (33lbs.)

10/14/09
Squat – 1 x 5 @ 195lbs.
Press – 1 x 2 @ 70lbs. (FUCK!)
HamChin – 1 x 5 @ 55lbs. offset (114lbs lifted; since I’m the same weight I was the last time I attempted this lift, I got the final rep I wanted, yay!)

Weight: 169lbs.
Fat%: 22.8% (38.5lbs)

See, this is why I shouldn’t eat a big bowl of oats before a workout. Not only when I breathe deep do my lungs expand fully, push down my organs, and make me feel like I should shit right there in the squat rack, but it bumps my bodyfat up too! Waah! I don’t really know how to do the math for this! So I gained nearly six pounds of fat and lost… seven and a half pounds of muscle. What the fuck? /sarcasm

At any rate, I need to get my diet in order. I think I’m going to change to something a little more staggered, where the majority of my calories are eaten on training days. I know that retained water artificially inflates my bodyfat “score” but I’m not going to be doing any bizarre glyco-deplete bullshit until at least a month from now.

Invoking Katch-McArdle: 370 + (21.6 x 58.725) = 1638

Multiplied by an activity factor of 1.375 leads me to 2252 calories for daily maintenance.  Suddenly the weight gain doesn’t seem so implausible =\

Anyway, I’m going to be eating at maintenance on training days ONLY, and dropping to 30% of that on days I don’t train. As much as I hate to diet by percent, I’m going to just for the sake of daily adjustments/sanity. Fat/carbs/protein; 20/50/30.

Using today as an example: I eat as close to 2252 calories as I can without going over and with getting at least 169g protein.

Tomorrow, I’ll assume nothing has changed, and use “yesterday” values: 2252 – 30% = 1576, with 118g protein and 197g carbs.

And then Friday I go to the gym again, so I’ll re-weigh and re-measure accordingly. I’m going to try to go in without a carb meal (maybe just some eggs or a proshake or something), it won’t fully deplete me or anything but I hope to get a more accurate reading nonetheless. Then I’ll use that to calculate for that day, which will be hard to manage if I don’t get to my dad’s house for fooding up, and then for the low days following all the way to Monday.

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Lifting Goals, Phase One

Going to briefly recount Wednesday’s workout, and then gloss over the first stage of lifting goals that I have.

• Squat: 3×5 @ 150lbs.
• Press: 3×5 @ 55lbs.
• HamGrip ChinAss: 3×5 @ 90lbs. offset (80lbs. lifted)

So, if you couldn’t deduce, I weighed 170lbs. on Wednesday. I did not bother testing body comp.

My lamer beginner goals are as follows:

• Press: 110lbs.
• Bench Press: 165lbs.
• Squat: 220lbs.
• Deadlift: 275lbs.

I should be there in like four months right? Yeah!

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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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