I have to say that I've really enjoyed your log for exactly the reasons you state above. Very impressive results from where you started when you had gotten big and out of shape.

Also, I've always meant to comment on that torn pec pic you've posted, but never have – ouch!

Congrats on reaching your goals.

Thanks! I feel the training is going well to date.

You correctly noted that I didn't mention glutes stretching. I guess I specifically mentioned some areas because I'm placing special emphasis on them. My hip flexor stretch is a corrective stretch, while the hamstring and calf stretching are to keep from injury while running. Glutes have never posed a specific flexibility issue, so I simply stretch them along with everything else.

5/7/2011:

• Stairmaster: 20 min HIIT

Note: mid-90s vintage machine at the hotel fitness center surprisingly had a HIIT setting (called "strength" on this machine).

5/8/2011:

• DL (sumo): 135 X 10, 225 X 5, 295 X 5, 315 X 5
• Good mornings: 135 X 10, 185 X 2 X 7
• Hanging leg raises: BW X 3 X 8

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Notes: DOMS from 5 mi run and HIIT sessions, otherwise feeling okay....coming back from past back issues gradually but steadily

Thanks 9999! I appreciate that.

Likewise, I find your log interesting and informative. Congrats on the great progress you've made through hard work and perseverance.

TE, I wish I just had half the hard work and perseverance you've got... but that's the great thing about this place – it shows what can be accomplished with some hard work and dedication.

Now I've got to go away and not eat something.

5/9/2011

• Stretching: whole body with special emphasis on hip flexors corrective stretches
• Run, outdoor, moderate hills: 5.03 miles* (measured with GPS-enabled pedometer)

*lifetime PR

Notes:

• Running is continuing to strengthen my left leg as a unit (small muscles, coordination, etc.) in ways I cannot seem to with resistance training. My wife looked for any evidence of all of a limp while I was walking yesterday and was unable to find any, despite knowing exactly what to check for.
• Running form good...left foot hitting ground with okay spring

Week 2 results:

• Weight: 211.8 lb (+2.8 lb from 4/25/2011...no visible increase in body fat)
• Waist measurement: unchanged from 4/25/2011, tied for 2011 low
• Daily food intake (average): 2,359.4 kcal, 71.3 g fat, 233.2 g carb, 204.7 g protein

Week 3 plan

• Diet: plan to stay at 2350 kcal/day, with one refeed
• Training:
  • Trialing a four-day split via reintegrating chest/tri and back/bi days into single upper body day (I split it months ago just to add volume to days I'd be in the gym doing cardio anyway)
  • Less steady-state cardio, more HIIT
  • To reduce DOMS on leg day, eliminating cardio from upper body session and entire following day
• Continuing current supplementation: EC stack, 20g X 200g X 2; multivitamin; 1.25 g fish oil

congrats on the pr & on the leg progress

Thanks Cha! Now I have to get my DL up into your current range (by which time you'll be pulling >100 lbs more than now ).

You're doing a great job. You're now lighter than I am, by 2.5 pounds. I may have to catch back up and hit 209, but I think you'll remain lighter than me from now on.

Pull-ups are hard at first, but once they come in you'll be jamming on them. All that rowing you do will have you crushing those in no time at all.

The 5/3/1 lower body training is surprisingly aligned with my current training. In fact, my last couple of leg workouts have been 5/3/1-ish. I was happy to see Wendler recommending the type of workout to which I'm accustomed and assistance lifts I already do (hanging leg raises, good mornings, pull-ups, etc). I am slowing aligning my workout to prepare for the switch-over, assuming I decide it's something that will work for me.

I really like the idea of a deload week. I'm also good with the two to three conditioning sessions. I can do the HIIT sprints, distance runs (at least until I feel it's no longer strengthening my legs and is simply cardio), and sprints up hills and stairs that I do now.

I'm not as sure about upper body, though. Standing overhead presses may be okay, but I'll not be doing heavy benching. I may try close-grip bench instead.

Should be fun.

Well, you sure look trimmer than me! How tall are you?

I'm 5'-10' and (way) back in high school and college (played fullback) I didn't weigh any more then 185-190 lbs. and I was in great shape. I'm thinking I've got another 20 lbs. minimum to drop and of course I would have to reshape with some weight training, etc. to get where you look to be.

Is 210-ish the weight that "works" for you from a body type perspective? Just curious...

Judging by your training, you're well on your way to dropping the final twenty.

I'm 5'10.5", so we're about the same height. We probably just have different body types. I've done a lot of weight training over the years, so the effect of all that is still with me as well. Even when I was out of shape I was hitting the gym once or twice a week. Nothing like now, but enough to keep some lean mass.

Yes, 210-ish is working for me right now. It's right around where I ought to be, but I may trim by another five in a couple of months. That time lag should allow my metabolism to kick into high gear. Of course, I may get lucky and lean out a bit more just as a consequence of my current training.

I started 5/3/1 today. Given the state of my left pectoral, I substituted bench presses with bent over rows. As it's a compound movement with a large muscle group, I think it should be okay relative to my personal training goals.

5/10/2011:

• Stretching: Whole body, including hip flexors.
• Bent-over row: 45 X 10, 135 X 10, 215 X 5, 225 X 5, 245 X 5
• Pendlay row: 135 X 15, 135 X 13, 135 X 10
• Machine bench press (~90% of lift done with right arm): 135 X 3 X 15
• Pulley rope pushdowns: 65 X 20, 72.5 X 12, 72.5 X 8, 65 X 10

Notes:

• Harder than it looks, mainly due to not training recently at higher rep range...really pushed to get the final couple of reps of the final pushdown set, despite getting twenty reps at same weight on first set.
• Hamstring DOMS made Pendlay rows even tougher than usual
• Weight: 210.6 lb
  • 0.8 lb above original goal weight
  • no visible increase in body fat from 4/25/2011 YTD low weight of 209.0 lb
• Waist measurement: down 0.5" since 4/25/2011

I'm trying to figure out the best main lift for upper body in the vertical plane. The default 5/3/1 lift for this is the overhead press, but I can't do that for a maximal effort until my pec fully recovers (FWIW, I do plan to do some OH presses with my assistance work, though it may be with dumbbells to help keep the load off the pec).

This will just be for the initial four-week rotation.

I'm thinking either weighted pull-ups or lat pulldowns, and am leaning toward the pull-ups. Any thoughts?

Wendler is a proponent of weighted pull-ups: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...halk_volume_10

He does state that they're not the same as pushes, pulls, and cleans, but that's fine with me. I just need something functional that works with what I can do.

Definitely pull-ups/chins imo, they're a staple of every program I've seen. If your shoulder is up to it, I'd consider doing some volume variant in addition to the weighted ones. I.e. GTGing at home (or ladders if that's more suitable) or doing BW ones after the main workout is done.

Thanks Soulman. I appreciate the feedback. I think that will work for me.

I chose four main lifts some time ago, as can be seen ITT: DL, squat, pull ups, and bent over rows. It makes a lot of sense to continue these into the first 5/3/1 rotation.

I do weighted pullups sometimes - they're a very good exercise. Busto is the 2+2 king of weighted pullups. Check his log out if you havent yet.

Something a little different that your pec might tolerate - half kneeling one arm cable press. Go very light, keep your core tight & squeeze the glute of the kneeling leg. Its something Mike Robertson had me doing when he first started writing programs for me.

Thanks Cha. I took a look at Busto's log...great stuff on weighted pull-ups.

I'll also see about the half kneeling one arm cable press. It sounds good. It seems I'll just be stuck with different variants of low weight work on anything that directly hits the left pec, but that's okay. I'll take it easy on that training and will replace the anterior deltoid and triceps training that came from that with OH presses, front raises, and stuff like that.

I was 210.4 lb on 4/27 and I'm 210.4 lb today. Over those 14 days I averaged 2,204.6 kcal, 63.9 g fat, 217.1 g carbs, and 192.6 g protein.

I guess my metabolism is coming back, albeit rather gradually.

you sure you didn't just miscount by 70%?

I've been meticulous about counting, measuring, and logging. It's accurate within a few percent.

I sure am looking forward to everything ramping back up.

like I said, increase slowly or you'll be disappointed with weight gain.

how long will it take until he can eat 1500 more calories every day and stay the same weight?