As you embark on another long cut, I wanted to offer you the encouragement of reminding you that you've done nearly this exact cut before, and were happy with the results. Good luck on the road ahead. Hopefully we can grab some beefs and fried chicken before you leave jolly territory.

Also, I'm not sure when you were last around 225 - you probably are - but at 245 you did not look like a guy who had another 20-30 lbs to lose.

VintageDowntown in that video. Then double dadbod happened.

Is there a single event besides dadbod that has taken more S&Fers from us? Don't think it's even close. Props to the montecore.

@cit:
Thanks, dude. Diet should be no problemo long term. I can eat fried chicken on this diet! Ergo it's called the fried chicken diet. Also I assume you meant beers and not beefs, but it's a Chicago-specific enough vernacular that I'm not sure! Ha. Anyway, I am down. The 1st Mon in May may work for my schedule, actually.

Also: Oof my lifting looks bad there. It was right after I restarted. Mods... always trollin imo.

Re: target weight I may just go on feeling or how much body fat I'm carrying as much as anything. I look ok at 245, but I have only really felt "fit" at maybe 255 when I was pretty strong (for me). Idk. We'll see!

eta @loco
I wouldn't say dadbod, just a big belly mostly. Is that what dadbod is? Today I look exactly the same as my last pressing vid and I'm the same weight today as that date - and probably ~ as strong, though now a slightly better bench maybe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx1EajqsEV0

DT,

we obviously need full frontal noods to decide on your dadbodedness. Yugo can judge.

I think DT is a strong contender for the title given the weight #s and dad joke #s he puts up on a regular basis. You have a shot but you really have your work cut out for you.

4.9.2018
bw 281 (-8)

fasted

Deadlift
405x3
It's been quite a while since I lifted off the floor. Felt really unstable so I just cut it. I could probably train this now - back is fine imo. So... I will either go back to rack pull or work back up from something really light and dl. I will think about it. k.

RDL
315x6 focusing on form

Press
175 x8
165 x6
155 x6
Probably gonna notice a halt in progress here pretty soon - Noticeably less energy for the drop sets. I'll work to maintain as much as possible, of course.

a. ez bar curl
105 x10x2 (ez)

b. dips
8
6

Walk

4.11.18

Bench
265 x8
250 x8
240 x9

DB Row
130 x8 ea side

Oddly bruised my left hand under a callus at the base of my ring finger, then got interrupted with a call so had to jet anyway. K.

4.13.18
bw 280

Front Squat
225 x10
205 x8
Hi rep fs is prob not for me. I'll either do low rep or build up from really light. Idk. We'll see how my back tolerates it.

Lat pulldown
180 x8
160 x8
140 x12

A. Face pull
B. Tricep pushdown

Sauna

130lb db rows, monster

I'm just testing what I can do with good form. I'm kinda large at the moment, so my arms are relatively strong just bc they have to move me around. E.g. super fat dudes can bench 405 easily!

Anyway. I may strap those up so I can do more volume without frying my grip. As long as I can DOH 405 dl, that's good enough for me, IANA strongman or pl and that seems good enough for daily life? Idk anything about grip, but sounds k to me. Then if I do that for a while, k I do no straps. K.

4.16.18

Diet:
week 00 - 4.2.18 - 289.4 lbs (start)
week 01 - 4.9.18 - 281.3 lbs (-8.1)
week 02 - 4.16.18 - 277.3 lbs (-4.0 for week, -12.1 overall)

I angled this weekend's diet by getting food poisoning (?). Other than that my protein/kcals have been in check. I probably won't lift until I feel better, hopefully tomorrow. K.

I dont know many people who double OH (not hook grip) DL 405 aside from you, me and one guy on my team.

Me either. Sounds like we need some stronger friends!

4.17.18
A little dehydrated and tired from being sick.

TBDL
400x6
360x10
Just testing this out, not pushing it. Seems k.

Press
180 x7
170 x5
160 x5
Tired and recovering, so I'll give this weight another shot before reset.

A ez bar curl
115 x10x2

B dips
8
8

cool down walk

4.19.18

In which eating less + having been sick + weight loss = end of lp

Bench (goal >7)
270 x6
255 x6
240 x6

Cable Row
260 x8
240 x9
220 x10

Walk

Maybe a general reset is in order. Feeling pretty run down this week, still recovering I guess, which of course is probably more difficult on a deficit. Otherwise... lucky to be alive, as always. K.

4.23.18

Diet:
week 00 - 4.2.18 - 289.4 lbs (start)
week 01 - 4.9.18 - 281.3 lbs (-8.1)
week 02 - 4.16.18 - 277.3 lbs (-4.0 for week, -12.1 overall)
week 03 - 4.23.18 - 278.2 lbs (+0.9 for week, -11.2 overall)

I was dehydrated last week, and then sick, so this is actually fine imo. 3 parties over the weekend and stayed in kcals fine and hit protein goals... should be fine for -2 or so this week. As always, K.

4.23.18

liftin'

press
185 x6
175 x5
155 x6
I'll reset my top set to 155 next time

TBDL
420 x6
380 x6

Ez-bar curl
115 x stopped at 5 or 6 bc forearms hurt - nothing major, idk

Sauna

k

Because of neck issues, heavy curls have bothered me for decades. I would not be surprised if the forearm pain is neck related due to upper trap activation/neck irritation from that. If you figure out that is the case and still want to do some kind of curls, preacher curls, concentration curls and some machines can help take the upper traps out of the movement.

ive pulled up to 455 before DOH but that was with a fake news sumo stance. can do at least 405 conventional, might be able to do 455, prob depends on how good of knurling the barbell has. K.

Nice. Yeah, the knurling matters a lot. I usually double 405 double overhand when I warm up. I have gotten 500 double overhand a few times but I dont do that on a regular basis. I got 545 hook grip once. **** hook grip imo.

cha,
Hmm it could be my neck as I've driven a lot (more than normal) the past weekend and past few days and even the much vaunted MDX makes me hunch ever so slightly, historically royally ****ing my neck. My forearms do feel tight though... I'll roll them and see. Frankly the biceps/triceps stuff is not important to me so I don't really mind cutting it on any given day.

Re:hookgrip great t-shirts!

bees,
Congrats on joining our truly average internet club! There is no megalomaniac gold award so you just get nothing. Sorry.

​4.28.18

Bench
275 x6
260 x8
250 x7 f8th

DB Row
130 x8
115 x9
105 x10

Later, the Chipotle dude gave me actually just a little sour cream. Wow.

K.

4.23.18

Diet:
week 00 - 4.2.18 - 289.4 lbs (start)
week 01 - 4.9.18 - 281.3 lbs (-8.1)
week 02 - 4.16.18 - 277.3 lbs (-4.0 for week, -12.1 overall)
week 03 - 4.23.18 - 278.2 lbs (+0.9 for week, -11.2 overall)
week 04 - 4.30.18 - 278.4 lbs (+0.2 for week, -11.0 overall)

I was at 276.1 on Fri and stayed on kcals and I was active all weekend, but I did have too many carbs and not enough protein (we were out a lot)... also my stomach is still ****ed up from the food poisoning and I haven't deuced in several days... dieting. Fun. Maybe a small whoosh this week if I keep my (unneeded) extra carbs in check, which usually prevent me from eating enough protein anyway so no problem. Anyway, overall k, not too worried about this unless the stall lasts another week, in which case I'll take away 100 kcals or check my scale via throwing it out the window. K.

4.23.18

liftin

Press
​155 x9 @8.5
150 x10 @9
140 x 10 @8, felt some tightness in left elbow, maybe neck(?) or same thing I was talking to cha about. Nothing major and overall I am feeling very healthy.

TBDL
​430 x6
Flew! G4S-like power meter ratings (no comment on post-MI or not). Bumping this to 450 next week. Might add straps idk.

390 x10
My grip started to fatigue before my body did, I'll try to remember to strap up for anything heavier or higher rep.

Neutral-grip Pullups
2
2

Sauna

Feeling k.

​5.2.18
bw 275

Big whoosh the past 2 days so I was interested how the bench would respond.

Bench
280 x7
265 x7
250 x8 bad setup and R scap slipped out and I was all over the place on this 3rd set

DB Row (ea side)
130 x9
120 x10
110 x10

The weather has been nice. I'm trying to golf more... which is new, or... old. Same thing.

k

5.7.18

Diet:
week 00 - 04.2.18 - 289.4 lbs (start)
week 01 - 04.9.18 - 281.3 lbs (-8.1)
week 02 - 04.16.18 - 277.3 lbs (-4.0 for week, -12.1 overall)
week 03 - 04.23.18 - 278.2 lbs (+0.9 for week, -11.2 overall)
week 04 - 04.30.18 - 278.4 lbs (+0.2 for week, -11.0 overall)
week 05 - 05.07.18 - 276.4 lbs (-2.0 for week, -13.0 overall)

My body comp is slightly but noticeably improved. I can wear more of my clothes that I was getting too fat for, e.g. most of my 46L/XL jackets are just too tight now rather than unwearable. -10lbs and they will be better, probably -25 to -35 to fit correctly though. Overall though the weekend and especially Saturday was bad (ate ~2k kcals over on Sat at event - went ham on some ham), otherwise the week overall was k.

Generally this time around is a bit different in that I hit my week's low weight around Thursday each week (e.g. last Thursday I was at 273.2) then gain back over the weekend... this weekend was more than usual, though I was also really active. So, I *feel* like my progress is better than my Monday weigh-ins have shows. And when dieting, what is more important than feelings... oh yeah kcals. Anyway, I'd like to stop doing these mini weight yoyos. K.