7/17: 192.0

7/16: 2058 (218 p/54 f/168 c)

Shoulders/Tris

OHP: wu, 2x6x135, 5x135 (5 minutes, LsRPE ~9)

Seated DB Press: wu, 60sx8, 55sx8, 50sx8 (3 minutes)

CGBP: wu, 185x7, 175x7, 165x8 (3 minutes)

Lateral Cable Raise: 18, 9, 9, 10 (drop sets, descending)

Tricep Pushdown: 3x20 (drop sets, descending)

EZ Curl: 3x12 (2 minutes)

DB Hammer Curl: x8, x10, x12 (2 minutes)

Probably could have toughed out the last OHP rep, but I'm trying to be more mindful of not WIMming everything up, often with questionable form, just to hit my arbitrary rep goals. Everything else pretty k. Added in some bicep volume for funsies in lieu of cardio since I forgot sneakers; kept things light, strict, and well short of failure.

Leaving for another trip in a few hours, then home for a day, then to the UK until next Wednesday. Fun.

7/19: ???

On the road, so no logging. Kept it around maintenance, though.

Upper Back

Widegrip pullups (bw): 12, 9, 8, 6, 6, 6 (n=47, 2 minutes)

Seated Cable Row: 3x10 (2 minutes)

V-Grip Pulldown: 3x10 (2 minutes)

Hammer Strength Row: 3x8 (2 minutes)

Cable Pullovers: 3x12 (90 seconds)

Facepulls: 3x20 (90 seconds)

Machine Rear Delt: 3x20 (90 seconds)

On the road this week; almost skipped this due to laziness but glad I didn't. Closing in on the mythical 50 rep barrier in pullups: hype. Finished this workout up in a shade over 50 minutes, so kept things brisk.

Home tonight then UK Saturday morning.

7/20: 192.8

7/19 calories: ???

Legs, Abs

Squats: wu, 2x6x260, 5x260 (6 minutes, LsRPE ~8.5-9)

Single Leg Press: 10x180, 12x160, 10x160 (3 minutes)

Single Leg Extension: 16x65, 8x55, 10x45, 12x35 (drop sets)

Machine Crunch: 4x12 (90 seconds)

Standing Calf Raise: x18, x16, x12, x12 (drop sets)

Ab Wheel: 12, 9, 9, 7, 7 (90 seconds)

Used a band across my knees for my squat warmups, and it definitely helped me keep my knees out more. Probably could have grinded out the 18th rep, but w/e. Maybe 4x5 at this weight in three weeks. Everything else was k.

Got in at 1 am last night and leave at 7 am tomorrow. Good times.

Have you noticed much change in work capacity?

Since I started this program? It's hard to say . . . This isn't a ton different than the kind of self created 5/3/1 + accessories template I was doing a few years ago - I'm for sure being a bit more purposeful with tracking my rest times, but with all of my travel and the fact that I'm still probably emphasizing intensity more than I should be and volume (on the main lift) less than I should be . . . Eh. Throw in the fact that it's only been a month and I'm theoretically cutting and it's too early to draw conclusions. It's fun, though.

Re: volume/intensity, I think I'm going to up-titrate volume for a while and see how it works out. If I get to Leicester in time today, I should be benching in the 2-3 rep range, so we'll see how that goes . . . Something along the lines of 6x2x100 or 4x3x100 with RPE around ~8 (hopefully) and rest times a bit shorter, then add volume for a few cycles until bumping up the weight makes sense. Viewing progress as something other than the weight on the bar is challenging for me, but given what my goals actually are it seems like what I should be shooting for.

7/22: ???

Bit jetlagged, but whatever, we move on. First time lifting in non-freedom units in this log, I'm pretty sure.

Chest/Bis
Bench: wu, 5x3x100 (4 minutes, LsRPE 8.5)
Facepulls: 6x12

Single Arm DB Incline Bench: wu, 30x9, 28x10, 24x12 (2.75 to 3 minutes)

Dips (@ bw): 20, 13, 9, 8, 8 (n = 58, 60 seconds, 5:36 total)

Cable Crossovers: x15, 2x12 (90 seconds)

EZ Curl: 10x37.5, 11x35, 11x32.5 (90 seconds)

Bayesian Curls: 3x12 (90 seconds)

Pretty k. Cut the rest down from 5 minutes to 4 for the bench worksets, and everything felt pretty good. Kept the weight in kg roughly analogous to home, and other from a few tweaks (i.e. the incline on the bench being a bit higher), everything else was fine enough.

Hopefully this helps me sleep tonight. Going to try to pull tomorrow.

7/23: ???

Socialist units again.

Lower (Hams/Calves)

Deadlift: wu, 6x2x150 (4 minutes, LsRPE ~8)

Leg press: wu, 150x8x3 (3 minutes)

Seated Single Leg Curl: 12x30, 10x25, 12x20, 14x15 (Density/drop sets)

Standing Calf Raise: 20x75, 15x85, 12x75, 12x65 (Density/drop sets)

HLR (bw): 12, 10, 8, 8 (1.5 minutes)

Didn't feel like hauling my weight belt or squat shoes across the pond, so I just tried to get some work in. DL felt harder than I'd hoped but looked k on the video; overall my plan to dial down the rest and up the volume a bit seemed to work.

No idea what the leg press sled weighed, so I just added weight until it felt k then went at it. All else fine.

You have amazing commitment. Great work

Is the sled weight usually accounted for? I always count the plates and not the sled because I don't know no better.

Thanks Weas!

JT,

I usually do, but I'm on the spectrum.

7/24: ???

Last full day in the UK. Multiple boluses of steak per day this trip. Gainz.

Still commie units.

Shoulders/Tris

OHP: wu, 6x2x65 (4 minutes, LsRPE ~9.5)
Facepulls: 4x12

Seated DB Press: wu, 28sx9, 24sx10, 22sx11 (3 minutes)

CGBP: wu, 85x6, 80x7, 75x8 (3 minutes)

Lateral Cable Raise: 12, 9, 9 (drop sets, descending)

Tricep Pushdown: 3x20 (drop sets, descending)

EZ Curl: 3x12 (2 minutes)

DB Hammer Curl: 3x10 (2 minutes)

Pretty k. OHP was pretty consistently ~8.5 until the last set, which was hard but not a grinder. Shorter rest/higher volume is kind of fun. Everything else fine. Now steak and eggs for breakfast.

7/26: 192.4

Up at 3:15 this morning; jet lag is fun. Managed to push through the gym playing carols this morning for Christmas in July - anti-gainz.

Upper Back

Widegrip pullups (bw): 13, 9, 8, 6, 6, 6 (n=48, 2 minutes)

V-Grip Pulldown: 8x150, 9x140, 10x130 (2 minutes)

Hammer Strength Isolateral Row: 9x113, 10x108, 11x103 (2 minutes)

Seated Cable Row: 3x12 (2 minutes)

Cable Pullovers: x12, x9, x10 (90 seconds)

Facepulls: 3x15 (60 seconds)

Incline Curls: 3x10 (90 seconds)

Zottman Curls: 3x10 (90 seconds)

Machine Rear Delt: 3x15 (90 seconds)

Actually going to the gym while I was gone helped me keep my diet in line, apparently (and shockingly). Inching closer to 50 total reps on the pullup ladder. Added a bit more horizontal pulling. Kept everything else snappy; 65 minutes total for the whole shebang.

7/27: 190.2

7/26 calories: 2157 (185 p/103 f/178 c)

Ate out twice yesterday so may have overestimated, but feeling good. Got that pre-vacation whoosh.

Legs, Abs

Squats: wu, 6x2x275 (4 minutes, LsRPE ~8.5)

Single Leg Press: 8x200, 2x8x180 (3 minutes)

Single Leg Extension: 16x65, 9x55, 10x45, 12x35 (drop sets)

Standing Calf Raise: x18, x16, x12, x12 (drop sets)

Machine Crunch: 4x12 (90 seconds)

Ab Wheel: 12, 9, 9, 7, 7 (90 seconds)

As with the other three main barbell lifts, redid the rep scheme to be a bit more volume/work capacity centric; started getting under the bar and doing my spergy unracking prep routine with 30 seconds left on the timer, so it was a legit four minutes rest. LsRPE was maybe 8-8.5 by bar speed. Everything else k.

What is your calorie goal and goal weight? Also, you weigh less than me again

How do you like the single leg leg press? I liked it a lot better than 2 legged leg press

Weasel,

Re: calories, nothing really hard and fast - my schedule has been pretty hectic lately, and I didn't really open MFP when I was on the road in July. I just kept the booze to a minimum and tried to get 80% of my calories from whole food type items. When I'm home, I pretty much just try for something in the 2300 calorie range when lifting and a few hundred less on off days, with ~200 g of protein and ~70-80 g fat as basal targets.

Re: bodyweight, I think I'd like to shave off another 5-6 pounds, eat at maintenance for a while and stabilize at 186-188, and then work on accumulating volume and see where I end up. I'd guess 25-2700 calories should keep me stable and hopefully help me regain some strength, but who knows.

Given how much you lift/roll, sub-180 by year end seems like a pretty reasonable target for you - regardless of what loco says, I agree with your thoughts that ~175 is pretty doable without any kind of ridiculous level of effort.

Single leg press is pretty sweet; given my right knee issues (slight inward collapse on squat reps if I'm not concentrating), unilateral work seems indicated in some shape or form.

Of course single leg press is sweet, especially when explosive out of the hole.

There was some research where single leg press correlated more to explosive cycling performance than the backsquat. Color me facking shocked, the human body uses a leg at a time when running and cycling and thus unilateral movements can be as good as the king of exercise. Never would have guessed.

And you don't have to schlep as many weights onto it.

7/29: ???

Drove 14 hours in the last two days, so a bit fatigued; that said, I am at the beach. Wifeacore told me I'm getting skinny after she stole some gainz, so I'm moving in the right direction.

Chest/Bis
Bench: wu, 4x6x200, 2x6x190 (4 minutes, LsRPE 9)
Lat Pulldown (Wide): 6x12

Single Arm DB Incline Bench: wu, 65x9, 60x10, 55x12 (3 minutes)

Dips (@ bw): 20, 12, 8, 7, 7 (n = 54, 60 seconds, 5:30 total)

Cable Crossovers: 3x15 (90 seconds)

EZ Curl: 8x85, 2x10x75 (90 seconds)

Bayesian Curls: 3x12 (90 seconds)

Was attempting to do 6x6 across for bench with the last set being ~8.5, but I guess I'm not used to that volume/rest combination. Might drop down to 195 in 3 weeks and try to get from 6x6 to 5x8 or something over the next few months. No real concerns otherwise; gym was South Carolina hot/humid, so not sure if that affected endurance or not.

Also, my the proximal end of my right bicep tendon is still sore - I generally only feel it while pressing horizontally, but notice it when I'm picking something up in a certain way during daily life. It hasn't been getting any worse, really, so I'm just going to keep training and hope it gets better eventually.

Had this, and only on the right, since 2011. I remember it first started hurting the same workout I did 2 platesx5x3 for the first time flat bench. Do you have winged scapula on that side? Which exercises hurt and don't hurt?

I wish I could say I've found anything helpful; the only thing that's made a difference is strengthening scap retraction.

7/30: ???

Vacation going well. Hot as **** here, though; gym has a KC approved lack of A/C or dehumidification.

Lower (Hams/Calves)

Deadlift: wu, 5x6x290 (4 minutes, LsRPE ~9)

Paused squat (beltless): wu, 4x4x225 (4 minutes)

Seated Single Leg Curl: 4x10 (Density/drop sets)

HLR (bw): 12, 10, 8 (1.5 minutes)

I picked 290 because I figured it would be pretty easy.

Narrator: It was not.

Form wasn't great from the start, and while things didn't really degrade, the subsequent sets were just harder than I'd hoped. Learned my lesson and kept squats super light; increasing reps shouldn't really be an issue here. Beach time now.

Re: scapular retraction helping, that's been my experience as well. I usually just feel it in flat bench and getting dumbbells into position for seated pressing. I think I had some kind of shoulder imbalance/scapular winging in my left shoulder in '12 or so, and some combination of PT woo, chiro woo, and being more mindful and less of a spaz while lifting fixed it.

What have you done specifically to strengthen retraction? I'm open to anything.

emphasizing traditional barbell rows and doing "reverse flies". Basically lie facing down on an incline bench and do a rear delt fly with full internal rotation squeezing your shoulderblades together. Gets a decent bropump too. Look at the Dr. Locke bench rehab videos.

YMMV

Will do, thanks

In other news, the minis just acquiesced to having their training wheels taken off their bike a week or so ago (they refused until they turned 6 for some reason). We just rode to/from one of the little villages on Hilton Head for some time on the playground and ice cream; they did it completely on their own - 5 miles total. On the one hand, I had a fair bit of Dad pride; on the other hand, I can't help but think they've been sandbagging for a while if they can do five miles ten days after wobbling around without training wheels for the first time.

Did you do much running along side stuff in those 10 days? That’s pretty cool. Big step into family fun freedom.

When do you anticipate teaching them strength training? I’m not at the stage of considering it yet with mine but I am looking forward to it.

Sure seems like it!

Re: running next to them, none of that, mostly because I was gone the last two weeks. They've farted around with one of those trainer bikes sized for a three year old over the last few months, but they mostly decided it was time to take off the training wheels and just went.

Strongly considering getting a pull-up/dip station at some point over the next twelve months and having them do that daily; my Dad hung a pull-up bar in the basement when I was a kid, and I had to do chin-ups and pull-ups daily (8 of each when I was eight years old, etc). I can't imagine putting them under a bar until they at least sprout a pube, but pushups, dips, and pull-ups seems like it could be a decent protocol to keep them from being quite as much of a weakling shrimp as I was at that age.