Not that it really matters other than giving me a baseline, but I just dug out a tape measure and figured out my BF as per the army body fat calculator (21%). Waist was a little bigger (38.5, 38 pants are way loose) and neck was a little smaller (16, 17 in shirts are tight in the neck) than I figured per my clothing measurements, but that's par for the course. I guess, whenever I decide to cut, if I lose 10 pounds that'll get me into the 210 range and roughly 15% BF, which is probably as much work as I'm willing to put into it.

Got a link?

http://www.calculator.net/army-body-fat-calculator.html

Nice thanks, seems like it gives pretty reasonable results.

It gives awesome results for the 12-25% bodyfat range. Even lyle agreed. I have been blabbing about it nonstop for 6 months on these forums. Thank goodness someone else is using it, I thought I was going crazy using some voodoo method.

mine says 10%

pretty much spot on

8/17
Lower Intensity

Squat
wu+ 1x5x260

Solid, worked on staying back, upper and lower back tight, chest up, all that jazz. Felt really good.

DL
wu+ 1x5x265

Fixed some stuff from last week; hips were higher, back tighter -- this was really easy. Hopefully I can keep it up.

Pullups
1x5xbw+5, 1x4xbw+2.5, 1x5xbw

Probably would have gotten five across but started laughing in the middle of the fourth rep of the second set because I was listening to Huff and Stapes.

Back Extensions
3x15xbw+25

All in all, a good day. Hopefully I can work back up to where I was before weight-wise with significantly better form.

26%. I has a sad.

Just had the wifeacore floss my elbows, and wow, what a difference. My left elbow was the tighter one and she noticed the difference after manipulating both joints.

The inside of my elbows looks just as jacked as whoever posted a picture earlier. Worth it though.

8/20
Upper Volume

Decided to RPT most of my stuff today, worked pretty well:

Bench
wu+ 1x5x260, 1x5x257.5, 1x5x255
Probably could have done 260 across, but I like the idea of micro-RPTing to give myself a way to progress slowly on my volume sets without going up in weight too quickly. 260 across is where I was pre-minicores, so I'm not exactly in uncharted waters here.

Press
wu+3x5x142.5
Felt pretty smooth, probably had 145 or 147.5 across in there. I'll probably keep microloading for a week or two and then RPT afterwards.

Dips
1x5x50, 1x5x47.5, 1x5x45
Felt pretty good. As a PSA, always pay attention when walking to and from the water fountain with 50 pounds of weight within inches of your dick; I narrowly avoided cutting off the tip of my dong between the 45 pound plate and chain.

Chins
1x5xbw+15, 1x5xbw+12.5, 1x5xbw+10
Tough but smooth, going to keep adding weight. Hopefully I can get to a quarter before I start stalling.

8/21
Lower Volume

Squat
wu+5x5x230
Smooth and easy.

RDLs
3x8x175
Easy

Pendlays
3x5x180
Still doing ok with these, going up slowly in weight and using a belt seems to help my form not go to hell.

Stand DB Curls
3x10x35
For the ladies

Don't forget to kiss your bicepts after your sets.

I actually saw a high school kid do this a couple months ago.

Random (positive) GGO:

Ran into a guy at the gym today who competes in local powerlifting stuff; roughly 40 years old, in the Army (does ROTC stuff at the local college I think). Came over to talk to me and my workout partner because he was so shocked someone else in the gym was actually doing barbell work, and asked if I competed (of course I laughed and said no). He was finishing up his bench workout from earlier this morning by supersetting his bench sets (2x4x295, 2x4x305) with tricep pressdowns and a whole bunch of other ****, then he burned out with 16x225. He also mentioned that he squats in the 400s and pulls 555. I was impressed.

We were chatting later in the locker room and he mentioned elbow tightness and whatnot, so I told him about elbow flossing and he said he'd check it out. Nice to finally meet someone in the gym that actually does something other than the bicep curls and the whore machine.

Obviously I ripped the sleeves off my shirt after the third set

8/23
Upper Intensity

Bench
wu+1x3x285
Again, rep number 3 was super grindy, and again, I yelled no at my partner spotting even though he was nowhere near the bar. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. He said the bar never really stopped, so I'm assuming it was one of those "looked easier than it felt" reps.

CG Bench
3x5x235
Experimenting with my grip width a bit on these; went a little narrower this time and it hurt my stability on the first set. I also have to be conscious all the time to set my right wrist so the bar doesn't bend it back; sets 2 and 3 were much better after I did this.

Stand EZ Bar Curl
2x10x67.5, 1x7x70

Stand DB Hammer
3x10x20

My workout partner was wondering why I couldn't do more on bicep stuff than he does, considering I do more weight on everything else. I pointed out that I use strict form (elbows back, little to no lean back except on maybe the last rep), which he then tried for his last set of hammers. Light bulb on.

Nice. It's always easier than it feels.

He's obv stronger than you.

Either this week or next week I'm going to go for a true 1RM test instead of my intensity set. I hope I can get somewhere in the 305-310 range.

Confirmed, although his ROM is way shorter due to his TRex arms and 20 lb spare tire.

He's approaching a 225 1RM so we're having a friendly competition to see who's going to break our respective multi-plate barrier first. I may have to Gillooly his elbow though, he's already at 215 . . .

When I'm going to be testing my 1RM, my progression will probably be similar to my normal warmup to a point, so:

1x5x45
1x5x95
1x5x135
1x3x185
1x2x225

I was thinking of something like singles at 255, 285, and then maybe try something in the 300-305 range, with another single if the first heavy one feels easy. Is this kind of standardish, or am I doing something that could impede my ability to find my "true" 1RM?

I'm thinking about doing a full mock meet a week from today, so I'd be curious as to this answer as well. My previous attempts I think were probably too close in weight.

Montecore - how do you have to yell anything at your partner at this point? It seems you've worked out more than once with the same person. It only takes one time to teach someone a lift-off and how to spot properly.

Or, as you were saying, is you screaming "no" more like the jodockian dragonball Z scream of heroic exertion?

It's kind of both. It messes me up if he even has his hands close to the bar, which he usually doesn't anymore; I've turned him into quite a good spotter.

I guess at this point it's evolved into an affirmation, whereby I realize that I can get this rep and don't need a spot. Even now, whenever I do an intensity set, I always progress as follows:

--First rep: Oh ****, 285 is heavy, how am I lifting this
--Second rep: Push harder and stop being a bitch, saw is totally benching 5 lbs more than you on intensity day now
--Third rep: Holy **** I think I'm past my sticking point, goddamnit if he touches this ****ing weight I am going to shove this bar up his ass

Lol, that's pretty awesome actually. Mine often goes like this on the final work set (or what I remember form last cycle):

"Suuuuper easy lightweight, np at all."
-- first two reps: yeah buddday, ain't nothing but a peanut!
-- next two reps: Hmmm, maybe I shoulda taken one breath for each of those reps
-- fifth rep: ugh, this seems hard, aren't I supposed to get at least 7 here?
-- sixth rep: pusshhhh
-- seventh rep: upupupupupupupupup
-- eighth rep: @#$@#$ @#%@#% there was no 8th rep - how am I not stronger than 2 months ago?!?!

I can't even think coherent thoughts during a rep. It's just some kind of unconscious mishmash of "get the ****ing bar up gogogogogogogogogogogo"

When I was a younger, skinnier man, and starved for the attention of the fairer sex a la Soulman, I would frequently have it in my head the entire set "<Insert crush X> would never date a guy that can't do <insert number of reps> at <insert weight>, let's go pussy".

WRT my current internal monologue, I'm taking a bit of dramatic license as I'm not really sure if those exact words are going through my head, but it's certainly the gist of the emotions going the momentary fear -> rage transition I undergo while lifting a heavy set.

8/24
Lower Intensity

Squat
wu+1x5x265
Pretty AIDsy, totally GM'd the last few reps. I would guess I have a mobility issue or something; I remember reading a post in cobra's log where he posted some hip mobility wods that he did to fix his issues, I probably have to get on this. Repeating this weight at best next week, may drop down 5 or 10 pounds. Gay.

DL
wu+ 1x5x275
Really easy, feel pretty good about my DL form now.

Pullups
1x5xbw+7.5, 1x5xbw+5, 1x5xbw+2.5
Grindy but good, these really tweak my elbow, though, so I'll have to floss those puppies tonight.

Back Extensions
3x12xbw+25

Incorporated a 1 second pause at the top of each rep and that made it significantly more difficult. Good times.