Weight: 194.6. Got obliterated Friday night and skipped Saturday's workout because of a brutal hangover, then was under a mountain of work yesterday and couldn't get to the gym. Can someone PM bdiddy and ask if heavy alcohol consumption is optimal for either muscle gain or fat loss? I'm thinking yes to both, but an expert opinion would be nice.

3/10

DFII warmup

Smolov Bench (W4D2, 265 working max)
10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 3x175, 2x200, 7x5x215

Facepulls
5x15x45

DL
2x5x135, 3x225, 2x255, 2x285, 4x3x315

Pallof
5x12x35

Bench was snappy; finished in a shade under 25 minutes and kept it pretty close to doing a set every four minutes on the minute; did the facepulls in between the warmup sets and then ditched the rows since I was deadlifting. Deadlift form felt better; I just used chalk with no straps, and just wanted to get in a bunch of sets at a reasonable weight and not feel like I was jdocking the heavy stuff.

Given my lapse in judgement over the weekend, it looks like I'm going to finish up this week of benching on Saturday and, since I'm leaving for a mini-vacation on Thursday, test my max on Wednesday. I'll probably work up to an 80%ish single on Monday and just do some light back stuff. Kind of nervous because I haven't really gone for a heavy single in well over a year (at least I don't think), so fingers crossed that I don't die.

Obvious yes to both. I mean have you seen me

I'd be shocked if there's a single person who would argue against that.

Not as much as I'd like since you put that post-it note over your webcam, but point taken.

Discussing this abortion of a show is not appropriate for my log.

GOAT show. Ban yourself.

They managed to distill everything annoying about NYC and pour it into a group of characters that all portray the amazing dichotomy of an unhealthily paralyzing amount of useless introspection with an astonishingly gigantic lack of self awareness. It's like they created the perfect anti-tourism campaign to reinforce why I hate that city and its inhabitants with every fiber of my being.

As far as New York shows go I liked sex in the city way more than Seinfeld or Friends.

I typically find people who hate Seinfeld cannot stand Curb your Enthusiasm and basically anything Larry David. My wife is one such person. I assume you fall in that category, Monte?

I love seinfeld but hate CYE. I guess thats why i like Kramer more than George? I hate how larry puts himself in very uncomfortable situations. I can't even really watch that stuff, i have to turn away lol

I love both shows but know exactly what you mean. Larry, like George, has so many cringe-worthy moments that are difficult to watch.

I fall into this category as well, although the cringe-worthy stuff is probably not the main reason I dislike Seinfeld so much. Though, like Weasel, I have legit trouble not turning away during intentionally awkwardcore stuff like that, and as such Curb's brand of humor doesn't really fit my wheelhouse either.

Weight: 193.0. Realized I don't understand how time works this morning, considering I'll be driving back from Michigan tomorrow and there's no possible way I can lift. So I lifted today, and then I'll do the last day of the Smolov cycle Friday and try to max out next Wednesday.

3/11

DFII warmup

Smolov Bench (W4D3, 265 working max)
10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 3x185, 2x215, 8x4x230

DB Row
5x8x80

Facepulls
5x15x45

Single Leg Press
5x10x110

Last few bench sets had final reps of RPE >9, and it's pretty unlikely I could have done an extra rep; I'd guess the missing day of rest had a little bit to do with it, but I was still pretty wiped out after this. Did the back stuff in between bench sets, then some light single leg press to get some blood moving in the lower extremities. Was going to do abs but was tired.

Just finished my four hour drive to Michigan, and I get to do it again tomorrow. Fantastic.

Weight: 196.2. Lol me.

3/14

DFII warmup

Smolov Bench
10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 3x185, 2x205, 2x225, 1x240

Squat
10x45, 5x95, 5x135, 3x175, 2x205, 3x5x225

NG Chin
5x7

Facepulls
5x15x45

Pallof
5x10x35

Pretty easy day to ramp up to Wednesday. Going to try to hit a 75% single on Monday and then see what happens.

Weight: 196.8. YTF'd the whole weekend and did everything short of moving to a gas station. Whatever.

3/16

DFII warmup

Bench (1RM prep)
10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 3x185, 2x205, 1x215

DB Row
5x8x80

Facepulls
5x15x45

Single Leg Press
5x10x110

Pallofs
5x12x35

Really quick session just to get the blood moving; going to shoot for 240->265->285 on Wednesday and see how it goes. Probably just going to do an hour or so of LISS tomorrow to try to get a little activity and then have a few donuts before Wednesday's session and try to not suck.

3/17

LISS: 60 mins @ 4.0 = 4.0 miles

Tomorrow is the moment of truf

How're you feeling? Gonna hit 285?

I think OK; I guess we'll see. I'm a little nervous considering I haven't attempted a single at above 245 or so for quite a while (and maybe not even since my cut, which was two years ago almost), but YOLO and all that.

I'll take video of the top few sets at least.

Good luck monte!

Weight this morning: 194.0. Had a few preWO donuts to channel realB et al.

Bench
10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 3x185, 2x205, 1x225, 1x245, 1x265, fx285, 1x275

DL (M-O)
2x5x135, 3x225, 4x245, 2x2x280, 2x315, 3x4x245

Pallofs
5x15x37.5

Bench was a big pile of meh; 265 felt decent enough, but I just didn't have enough to get 285 more than 6 or so inches off my chest. 275 rep I'm only posting because of how much of a lolgrind it was, because other than that it's kind of an embarrassing result (although unsurprising, because I hadn't benched a rep over 250 for at least a year, or if I have I can't recall doing it). Maybe I'll do a miniWeasel cycle for my next strength block, but it'll be back to DF2arding after my trip to San Diego. Kind of looking foward to the upper/lower split again, actually.

Good work. Vids incoming? What does M-O mean?

So bad

It's a deadlift program (Magnusson/Ortmayer); just google it and the first link will download an Excel sheet that does all the calculations for you. Started with a relatively low max (350) and hopefully it will get me close to four plates.

tough break man

Thanks Weasel, but no worries. I feel like 275 would have looked a lot better had I not done 285 before it, and there's an outside chance I could have hit 280 had I done it instead of 285, but whatever. I kind of knew in my heart that 285 was somewhat of an outside chance considering my recent training history. Missing 275 would have pissed me off a fair bit, though.

Also I feel like the fact that the guy spotting me is the most ridiculously cut decently built guy that has my frame that I've ever seen is the universe trolling me. I tell myself he's at least on some of the Kpewz juice to sleep better at night.