Thanks.

I was alternating sets with my buddy for a while (the guy at the preacher station), and since his workset is only 185, I had to get creative. It's one one of the least annoying things about lifting with him, so whatever.

Is that your not boss-boss? I may need to take back everything I've said about him. It's gotta be tough being the gooey doughboy walking around next to the new and improved quasi-loco approved Montecore. I'm sure the women have a hard time imagining why you even bother talking to him and why he insists on wearing tarps instead of some sort of workout shirt.

Was Monte quasi-loco approved?! I will have to revise my opinion of Monte post-haste!

I dno. I assume loco doesn't even read this log anymore and wanted to throw Monte a bone. Seriously though. I cannot imagine loco's verdict on that dude doing preacher curls vs. Monte would be anything other than even more complimentary towards H&F's very own.

fakebusto,

He was complimentary towards me at the end of my cut (~mid August 2013 iirc), which may be to what Yugo was referring. Pretty sure I'm a skinnyfat fagboy to him now, though.

Yugo,

He washes that shirt like once a week, too. He probably didn't have much more to lose than what I lost during my cut (~40 lbs), but it just looks worse because he's like 5'8" tops; I tried to help him, but he could just never make it work, so I pretty much just give him my opinion if he asks and lay off otherwise. You two do have comparable benches, though, if that's any motivation.

Missed yesterday, so I had to go today; feeling not so great because we had company over and I tied one on last night, but we move on.

5/24

Press
10x45, 7x75, 5x95, 3x115
3x5x135

Facepulls
8x15x50

Chins
3x5x+45

Spoto bench
10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 3x165, 2x185
4x4x205

DB Curl
2x10x40, 15x30

Cable row
3x15x100

Front raise
3x12x15

Feels like it's been forever since I've done this workout, so I kept everything light. Need to get not fat pretty soon since I leave for the beach on Friday.

Afraid to ask, but what kind of kinky **** is involved in "tying one in." Sounds exhausting. Maybe painful.

Was thinking the same thing lol

Worked the gym around some gardening, which I ****ing hate, but the patio area looks presentable now, so it's a net positive I guess.

5/26

Squat
10x45, 5x95, 5x135, 3x175, 2x195, 1x215
3x8x225

DL (speed)
10x135, 5x185, 3x235
5x3x255

Single Leg Press
3x12x110

Standing Calf Raise
3x12x160

Pretty sure, sad as it is, that the squats are a volume PR; higher rep stuff seems easier on my lower back, so I'll try this for a while.

When's the BBQ

I grill a few nights a week during the summer; any H&F regs unlucky enough to find themselves in my barren wasteland of a state can feel free to drop by for some good food and drink.

Patio pics?

I've also been doing some patio/garden work lately - planting a couple of new trees, building a water fountain etc.
Good times imo.

Pummi,

No pics on me, but once I get it mulched up and the plants grow to cover some of the power junction boxes on the side of the house, I may put some up.

5/27

Bench
10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 3x175, 2x195, 1x215
2x8x225, 7x225
8x185

Facepulls
8x15x52.5

DB Row
3x10x100

DB Shoulder Press
2x10x50

DB Curl
2x6x45, 15x30

Cable Lateral Raise
3x12x12.5

Cable Row (Closegrip)
3x15x100

23rd bench rep was really grindy, so no chance of a 24th, but I was still happy to get an extra rep from last week. Upped the weight on facepulls and they were still fine; finished all of the sets by the end of the first bench workset and then supersetted in the DB rows. 3x10 was a PR there, but by the time I got to my 185 burnout set I was smoked and didn't even get 10. Oh well.

I think I'm going to mess around with adding some more volume heavy sets to bench too, so something like a rotation of 3x8, 3x5, and 3x3 depending on the inclination of the North Star or whatever. I'm sure there's probably a better way to do this, but I barely even lift actual weight as it is so I'm not really sure it matters all that much. Looking forward to deadlifting on Thursday, though, I think I've got 2x3x325 pretty comfortably.

I'm probably not going to lift while I'm on vacation, but I may just do some LISS most days to try to mitigate some of the damage from eating all of the grilled meat and drinking all of the booze.

Monte,

This is where I would normally call you out for "resetting" your squat once again the second things started getting difficult. However, like Jaime after he lost his hand, I am kinda going through an identify crisis and wondering if you and Loco and EV and all the other puss's who never even attempt to squat heavy might have the right idea.

I mean, unless you are a competitive powerlifter, who really gives a **** how much you squat, and in the grand scheme of things is squatting 30% more really worth the costs (sore back, more frequent injuries, general DOMS and slower recovery). I am really starting to wonder.

QB,

I mean, I did add 9 reps to what I did the week before and set a (admittedly pathetic) volume PR, so maybe it's less gay? I just know that whenever I have to good morning the last few reps up that my back gets tweaked, and being the son of a father with some pretty bad back issues makes me cautious with this sort of thing. I think I can (slowly) get to 3x5x275 by the end of the year, but with a lot of volume sets thrown in that should (hopefully) strengthen my upper and lower back enough to actually support the weight. That + more frequent front squatting may at least get me to respectability, but we shall see.

Monte,

This is all rationalization. But that is ok. I am starting to turn around to your way of thinking. But lets be honest here. You (and now me?) are just pussies who look for any excuse to squat less weight when things start to get heavy and hard. I am sure your vacation will give you another opportunity to "reset." No reason to sugar coat it. It is what it is.

In my defense, I experience a decent amount of pain on left hip flexor when going S&F approved depth even when doing 175 lbs. I might start front squatting again, I forget if I get the same pain when doing that. Regardless of my pain, I still wouldn't go "heavy" unless I thought I had a shot of being in the 1k club or something like that then I would feel maxing out wouldn't be a total waste.

Yeah, I've never claimed not to be a huge vagina re: squatting, though, and there aren't going to be any fakebusto-like gainz seen in that respect either -- my levers are just too long (seriously) and it's going to take an assload of volume to get my back strong enough to do even moderate (for S&F) weight.

Yeah, no point if you're not in it for the weight. I can't really say I am either, but it would be nice to hit 1K at some point. I'm sure I have the 1 rep work capacity of an untrained woman on the squat, in that my 1RM is probably like 10 pounds more than my 5RM at this point.

So I was looking for my most recent posted nood after talking about my cut in EV's log, and noticed that I haven't been doing my nightly routine (ab wheel/planks, upside down KB press, shoulder prehab stuff) for a number of months -- I think I should probably get back to that from now on. My shoulders are feeling pretty good these days, and hopefully this will keep it that way.

Pacers will be gone from the playoffs in a couple days, so that should clear up the nights a little.

It just means I have to go downstairs to the dungeon and watch my sports, since that's where I keep all my fitness doodads and whatnot. It will give me something to do while the wifeacore is asleep and will keep me further from the kitchen, so it will be bonuses all around it seems.

Monte,

More time in the masturbatorium might not be a good thing for your lifting, tho. I hear that frequent fapping reduces T levels, and you have so little to spare as it is. Be safe.

Answers are basically squat more often, squat a slightly higher percentage of your max than a relatively easy 3x8. But you know that.

Aidan,

Maybe, but squatting blows. But you know that.

Then why bother at all? Its not like you couldnt use the time doing something else, even non-gym related.