Workout - 6/26

Press: 3x5 @ 162.5
Neutral-grip-chins: 2x6 @ +25
Squat: 3x5 @ 305

Can't get to the gym tomorrow so this week is Sun/Tues/Thurs. Also had to go to a different gym than usual since I didn't want to drive all the way to work (which is where I usually work out). Press was a little tough, but I did it. I'll probably try 165 next time, but I'll definitely fail, and then I'll reset after that. This stupid gym doesn't have a normal complete bar to do chin ups on, just neutral grip or wide grip pulls. O well. Squats were squats, will move up again, they were fine.

Workout - 6/29

Bench: 2x5 @ 245, 1x8 @ 245
Curls: 2x14 @ 70
Deadlift: 1x6 @ 315

Bench is just exploding, it's a very exciting time. Feeling pretty confident about 247.5 next time. Reset deadlifts for form purposes. Took a vid, I'll get that up in form check tonight.

nice work progressing the lifts on a deficit!

Thanks man! I'm a little bit scared at how well they're going. Based off how difficult everyone says it is to get stronger on a cut, I'm thinking there's some combination of 2 things at play here:

1. New/better form for bench and press (which I changed on both of the most recent resets) is having a much bigger effect than I thought.
2. Since I'm not losing weight (and let's be honest, I've been cheating a bit with the hamburgers and the booze lol), maybe I'm unintentionally bulking/recomping...

Time will tell. Good news is I think once the summer ends, I can cut more successfully, since the lack of weight loss is mostly about endless social situations rather than diet adherence.

That most recent workout is supposed to say 6/28, not 6/29. I'm doing Sun/Tues/Thurs this week and next week.

Workout - 6/30

Press: 2x5 @ 162.5, 1x6 @ 162.5
Chin-ups: 2x7 @ +25
Squat: 3x5 @ 310

Press and chin-ups: gonna move up next time, and gonna fail em both, haha. Squat is great, no problem there at all. Super excited to hit the double whammy next time: PR + 3 plates!

Nice press.

Thanks loosbastard!

Weight: 183.2

I'm clearly the fat loss master.

Workout - 7/3

Bench: 2x5 @ 247.5, 1x7 @ 247.5
Curls: 2x15 @ 70
Squat: 1x4 @ 315, 2x5 @ 295

Alright, weird day I guess. Totally rocking bench which is fun. I think it's gotta mostly be due to that form change, otherwise that would be an abnormally big strength improvement compared to the other exercises + the fact that I'm cutting. The squat failure wasn't really a strength thing, I kinda just lost balance and fell over. Thinking I'll still reset though so I can do the AMRAPs and go into 315 next time with a bit more momentum.

Workout - 7/5

Chin-ups: 2x8 @ +25
Press: 1x5 @ 165, 1x3 @ 165, 1x5 @ 155
Deadlift: 1x6 @ 325

Did not expect to get the chin-ups so that was sweet. Press was trouble, but I pretty much knew I was gonna fail going in. Sort of "forgot" my 1.25 lb washers on purpose so I would give 165 a shot haha. I'll do a nice little greyskull reset on this exercise now. Deadlift form felt surprisingly good. Couldn't get the vid of my phone from last time, and forgot camera today. I'd really like to get deadlift form checked again, so hopefully I'll be able to do this next Wednesday.

Workout - 7/7

Bench: 2x5 @ 250, 1x7 @ 250
Curls: 2x10 @ 75
Squat: 2x5 @ 285, 1x7 @ 285

Still rocked bench, but it's definitely getting harder...

Weight: 181.6

Alright, hopefully this is the beginning of some progress.

Went to NYC this weekend and ate and drink a lot, so that probably didn't help any of my goals. Felt pretty awful yesterday, got a terrible night's sleep, and felt exhausted all day. Nonetheless, here's what turned out to be a pretty decent workout:

Workout - 7/11

Press: 5,5,6 @ 165
Chin-ups: 6,6 @ +30
Squat: 5,5,6 @ 290

Wow sick, somehow went from failing 165 to extra-repping it. Good stuff, 167.5 next time. Chin-ups is pretty tough, 7's next time could be rough. Squat is squat; we'll see what happens when I get back to 300 territory.

Cardio - 7/12

2.00 mi @ 6.0 mph
0.75 mi @ 3.2 mph
1.00 mi @ 6.0 mph
0.35 mi @ 3.2 mph

Usually I don't stop and start back up again like I did today, but I got a weird pain in my left shin (shin splint or something maybe?) and decided to just quit. About halfway through some walking I was completely rejuvenated and thought I could do some more. Plus if I had quit then I would've had to go home during the peak of rush hour...

EDIT: Also plugged in my BodyMedia Fit. Dragging the selector over the time period where it looks like I was doing my cardio... I think I burned about 550 calories. Way more than I expected. Badass.

Workout - 7/13

Bench: 5/5/7 @ 252.5
Curls: 11/11 @ 75
Deadlift: 3/4 @ 330

Bench was great. Curls was great. Made the dumbest mistake on deadlift I've ever made. Forgot to switch to alternate grip, and then I had to stop at 3 reps because of grip. Took like 60-120 seconds rest and went at it with the alternate grip. Probably could've squeezed out some extra reps even with the 3-rep-double-overhand disaster, but I was just done mentally. I'll rock that 330 next time because it's below my 5RM; great workout overall.

Weight: 184.8

I have this pinched nerve feeling in my forearm. My arm was falling asleep until I moved and now it's just a pinched nerve feeling, does this mean I am dying? Or is it just aids.

Ok, that was meant for the **** thread. Now that I'm here I guess I better look around.

Sorry about that. Nice numbers. Surprised I missed your log!

no prob, thanks bro

6000 calorie day yesterday was a little counterproductive towards my cut. But I have high hopes for the next couple months.

Workout - 7/16

Press: 5/5/4 @ 167.5
Chin-ups: 7/7 @ +30
Squat: 5/5.5/7 @ 295

Was pretty pleased with press, hopefully I'll hit em all next time. Chin-ups were surprisingly easy, which was awesome. Squat was like jokingly easy for the first time in a while, including times with lower weights. I put 5.5 for that 2nd set just because I felt a little tight and only did like a half ROM rep for the first rep of that set, then proceeded to do 5 more legit ones.

Also STRONGLY considering switching up the workout to an RPT kind of thing like Martin describes on LeanGains. Just seems like it'd suit my personality well and I wanna give it a shot. More details on this as I think about it more.

Workout - 7/18

Bench: 5/5/7 @ 255
Curls: 12/12 @ 75
Squat: 5/5/7 @ 300

Good stuff all around, not much to say here. Still contemplating switching up the programming. Very excited about it, just can't quite decide on a couple things. I might post in the beginner questions thread about it.

Cardio - 7/19

1.5 mi @ 6.0
1.75 mi @ 3.3-3.6

Exhausted. One of my worst cardio performances. Whatever, just getting some activity in on rest days. Not trying to strain myself too hard.

Workout - 7/20

Press: 5/5/6 @ 167.5
Chin-ups: 7/6 @ +30
Deadlift: 7 @ 315

Yup.

That bench is looking kinda beasty.

I have kind of a bad shoulder because of lifting heavy stuff over my head at my old job. It doesn't hurt when I bench but it hurts when I press. iyo Has doing the press exercise really helped your bench?

Honestly I'm not sure. I think most of the improvement came from a form change. I was really working with the back arching, staying tight, and getting the energy from my legs through my body when I was working in the 200-230 range, and then the form eventually stuck and I think that's what has shot me up to 255. Press form changed too a bit, getting it a little tighter and more efficient. So maybe they've both helped the other out a little bit, but I'm thinking it was form optimization. Really not sure though.