Monday, June 5, 2017

Chin-ups / Push-ups / 90s rest:

5, 14
6, 16
7, 18
7, 18
6, 16
5, 14

It's late, I'm tired, I'm sore. I couldn't offer much to this workout, but at least I showed up.

Wednesday, June 7, 2017 Training
Bench Variant, C4W2 TM79 4x8 @70%

1. Close-Grip Bench (kg):

20x10
35x5
50x2
55x8
55x8
55x8
55x10 @10 [PR]

2. T-Bar Row (kg):

55x9
55x9
55x9
55x9

2. Arnold Press (#):

35x8
35x8
35x8
35x8

3. Push-ups:

20
20
20
20

3. Chin-ups (@57kg):

7
7
7
7

3. Cable Laterals (#, leverage):

15x11
15x11
15x11
15x11

***

Pretty much an ideal day. My bench form was better than usual. Progression is smooth, with me adding one rep every 3 weeks to my 55kg AMRAP:

Week 8 - 5x6, 1x8 @10
Week 11 - 4x7, 1x9 @10
Week 14 - 3x8, 1x10 @10 (today)

It's hard to complain about these results, imo.

As for things non-bench, t-bar is still awkward and I moved up to the 35s on dumbbell press, which is pretty nice.

Thursday, June 8, 2017 Training
Squat Variant, C4W2 TM121 4x8 @70%

1. HBBS (kg):

20x10
40x5
60x3x2
75x2
85x2
85x3
60x6
70x6
80x6
70x5
70x5

2. Romanian Deadlift (kg):

80x10
80x10
80x10

2. Cable Straight-Back Crunch (#, leverage):

115x15
115x15
115x15

3. Leg Press (kg):

160x10
160x10
160x10
160x10*

3. DB Hammer Curl (#):

25x8
25x9
25x10

*Added a leg press set to make up for the lack of squat volume.

***

This is the first bad workout I've had in a very long time. When I got under the bar for the first work set, I quickly discovered that the belt was way too tight. It was downhill from there. I recorded every set, but I don't see much point in uploading them as each is flawed in a completely different way. The main theme was that I simply could not find a bottom position that felt right at loads >70kg. I'm not sure why paused squat form comes so much more naturally to me than touch and go.

Anyway, the other reason I'm not bothering to post the vids is that it's probably purely psychological. I ****ed up the first set, got psyched out for the second set, and there wasn't a stance width or toe angle or technique cue that would miraculously regain the momentum after that.

Saturday, June 10, 2017 Training
Overhead Variant, C4W2 TM47 4x8 @70%

1. Press (kg):

10x10
20x5
27.5x3
32.5x8
32.5x8
32.5x8
32.5x11 @10 (failed 12th) [PR probably]

2. Chin-ups (@58kg)

+15 lb x7
+15 lb x7 @9.5
+15 lb x6
+15 lb x6 @9.5

2. Paused CGBP (kg):

20x8
35x4
50x2
55x6 @9.5
55x6
55x6 @9
55x6 @8.5

3. DB Incline Press (lb):

30x13 (*)
30x13
30x6
30x11
30x10

3. Cable Face-pull (lb, leverage):

75x16
75x16
75x16
75x16

3. DB External Rotations (lb):

10x9
10x9
10x9
10x9

***

Another very solid upper day. A gain of one rep on the AMRAP from the last cycle. I really wanted the 12th rep so I could totally justify increasing the TM a bit for weeks 3 and 4. Getting 11 makes it borderline, but I'm still going for it as I feel that I have a lot of momentum at this point. Bench press also went really well, with my form getting better with each set. A lot of gains there too, as I was doing this weight for 5's last cycle.

(*) For DB incline, I'd intended to move up to the 40s. The problem is that at my gym the 40s and up have skinnier handles which made it seem way heavier and more awkward than the 35s. I felt like I was going to hurt my shoulder getting the 40s up, so I decided instead to move back to the 30s and use a much slower tempo and pause at the bottom. For the first two sets, I used a high incline which felt fine but seemed to hit more delt than pec. So I switched to a much lower incline for the third set, and that set felt terrible, with a weird popping in my left shoulder during the eccentrics. I aborted that and moved to a more intermediate incline for the last two sets, which felt a bit better, but still the popping on some of the reps. Gonna have to fiddle with this more next week. I'll get some videos as well.

Skinner handles making it seem heavier seems backward. Thicker handles increase grip requirement which can make a lighter weigh harder - hence the reason Fat Gripz exist.

But at the same time I think I know what you mean - its actually forcing you to have a much more closed tighter grip to maintain stability of the dumbbell.

I think there's an optimal bar diameter for grip and difficulty increases as you move away from that in either direction. Imagine what a pain in the ass it would be to hold a 100 pound dumbbell with the diameter of a pen.


Sunday, June 11, 2017 Training
Deadlift Variant, C4W2 TM143 4x6 @70%

1. 6cm Block Pulls (kg):

20x10 good morning
20x10 rdl
60x4
75x3
90x2
100x6
100x6
100x6
100x7

2. HBBS (kg):

30x10
60x5 paused
60x5
70x2x2 paused
70x5
80x2 paused
80x5
87.5x2 paused
87.5x5

3. Machine Seated Row (lb):

130x11
130x11
130x11

3. Leg Extensions (lb):

80x12
80x12
80x12

***

The pulls went really well today at first, but then I made some careless mistakes in the last two sets. In the amrap, for some reason, I pulled the first two reps double overhand. Really bizarre considering that I even pull my warmup sets with mixed grip...

It looks like Spenda saw this coming. I start nitting excessively over form and depth and my squat progress comes to a screeching halt.

Today was mainly me trying to get comfortable with squatting to depth at >80kg. Results were mixed. I am going to cross post these vids in the form check thread and see what's up.

That said, returning to the Spenda quote, I'm going to bring the nitting down a bit. On Thursdays I am going back to my marginal-depth squats that allow me to push as hard as possible. On Sundays, the paused squats will train my bottom and "keep me honest," since it's pretty hard to cheat depth on those.

I will be making some changes to the assistance work. I was going to drop the seemingly-redundant good mornings anyway, and leg extensions take hardly any time to do. I doubt they could do any harm. I'll replace the leg press on Thursday with a deep squat variant of some kind, either a front squat or high rep goblet squat.

Week 61 Diet
Mass Phase Week 2



This was a bit tamer week. I still feel like this food is making me sluggish. Being able to eat this much is relaxing the requirements of how clean my meal choices must be. When I was eating at 1900, there were still certain foods that were off-limits for me. This week I had lasagna bolognese and managed to stay under calories. And I don't feel like I'm making an amount of gains that earn me the right to eat like this.

Not going to change anything as yet, just venting a little for now. Gonna hold the calories at 2200-2300 and just try to make more sensible meal choices.

Monday, June 12, 2017

Just posting to record that I willingly passed on today's push-up/chin-up ladder. I let it get too late and my shoulders are kind of jacked up anyway. Accountability and such.

I need to figure out a way to raise the mental stakes on this workout so it doesn't feel like some optional attachment. I haven't missed a single gym day in 16 months but it's way easier for my mind to let go of this obligation.

Seeing as though you haven't missed a single gym day in 16 months, I am willing to give you a pass on the missed push/chin ladder this time. Please do not let this happen again.

I've been taking a week or so off from frequency pushups, so by the transitive property, I think you're ok?

This week in subtle brags:

Looking sharp!

+1

Sharp but why would you buy a suit for a 125lber.

My mom is getting married in 3 weeks. Yeah, I'll probably outgrow it, but meh.

Smile some!

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 Training
Bench Variant, C4W3 TM79 5x7 @72.5%

1. Close-Grip Bench (kg):

20x10
35x5
50x3
57.5x7
57.5x7
57.5x7
57.5x7
57.5x8 @9.5 [PR for close-grip, ties PR for normal grip]

2. T-bar Row (kg):

57.5x8
57.5x8
57.5x8
57.5x8
57.5x8

2. Arnold Press (lb):

30x12
30x12
30x12
30x12
30x10

3. Push-ups:

21
21
21
18 (f)

3. Chin-ups (@58kg):

8
8
7
7

3. DB Laterals (lb):

15x13
15x13
15x13
15x13

***

More major gains on bench press. I did this weight for 7 reps @10 last month.

I went pretty HAM today, and was trembling like a leaf by the end of it. Failure came out of nowhere on pushups, as the first 3 sets had a decent bit in the tank, and the first 15 reps of the last set were fast.

Those bridesmaids are going to be all over him.

The bridesmaids, if there are any, will be well over 50.


Thursday, June 15, 2017 Training
Squat Variant, C4W3 TM121 5x7 @72.5%

1. HBBS (kg):

30lb x5x4 goblet squat
40x5
60x3x2
75x2
87.5x7
87.5x7
87.5x7
87.5x4 (*)
87.5x7

2. Romanian Deadlift (kg):

82.5x9
82.5x9
82.5x9
82.5x9

2. Cable Straight-Back Crunch (lb, leverage):

130x9
130x9
130x9
130x9

3. Goblet Squat (lb):

50x15
50x15
50x15

3. DB Hammer Curl (#):

20x17
20x17
20x17

* A Khmer broette started loading plates on the smith machine during my set, dangerously close to the path of my bar, which completely distracted me and caused me to abort.

***

While this wasn't quite the win that I was pulling for (with two lackluster lower days prior to this workout), at least I (sorta) hit my numbers with (kinda) passable form.

It looks like I need to take a moderately wide stance with my feet angled pretty far out to achieve depth without having to relax in the hole. I noted that the reps where I descended more slowly had better depth and a more vertical bar path.

The goblet squats were whatever. In the last linked set, I changed stance widths twice during the set and found that the widest stance felt the best on my knees. I'm still not sure if these would be useful enough to expend a slot in my program. Maybe I should do them with a slower tempo to get more tension on my quads.

I'm wondering if programming changes should be made if only to reduce staleness. I've been considering switching my paused squat and tng squat, doing paused as primary, probably for the same sets and reps as my block pulls due to the increased TUT. Then I could practice my tng squats on deadlift day, or even do front squats on that day (and HBBS less frequently). It's going to be kind of soul-crushing if I need to keep the training max constant for my squat for next cycle. I may be able to more easily make progress on my paused squat, which would be good for morale.

It's something to think about. While it may be jumping the gun, I'd rather get ahead of a stall than wait for it to happen, cause me to feel like **** and create lots of negative feedback loops. And variation for its own sake can have value.

Saturday, June 17, 2017 Training
Overhead Variant, C4W3 TM48 5x7 @72.5%

1. Press (kg):

10x10
20x5
25x3
30x2
35x7
35x7
35x7
35x7 @9.5
35x7 @10 (failed 8th)

2. Chin-ups (@59kg) (*)

+20 lb x6 @9.5
+20 lb x5
+20 lb x5
+20 lb x5
+20 lb x5 @10

2. Paused CGBP (kg):

20x8
35x4
50x2
57.5x5
57.5x5
57.5x5 @10
57.5x4
57.5x4 @10 (failed 5th)

3. Barbell Incline Press (kg): (**)

30x10
35x10
35x10
35x10

3. Cable Face-pull (lb, leverage):

65x20
65x20
65x20
65x20

3. DB External Rotations (lb): (***)

10x9
10x9
10x6
4 kg x9

***

I was a bit hungover from my birthday party last night, and I got in later than usual to a quite crowded gym. A really solid session, all things considered.

(*) These chin-up sets were done throughout the session with lots of rest in between each. Both of the chin-up bars were being used so I was unable to superset these with bench like I normally would.

(**) Dumbbell incline has been bothering my left shoulder. They set up a new power rack that is great for incline benching, compared to the actual incline bench that has unadjustable uprights and racks way too high for me to reach. So, I decided to give these a shot. I went very light on the weight and focused on controlling the descent. It felt a bit better but we'll see when the weights get heavy.

(***) The powerlifter bro showed me this rotator cuff prehab exercise and I've been doing it for a while now. My left shoulder is far, far weaker than my right for this, as in I could literally do double the reps of a given weight with my right. It's a bit concerning, especially since I don't appear to be making progress on this movement, and have actually regressed substantially. Probably those muscles are being more and more fatigued by the other things I do prior to this.

Happy birthday!
Did you get those shorts for your birthday? Don't think I've ever seen you wear shorts.

Nice work

Thanks!

I bought two pairs of gym shorts myself a few days ago. Yeah, I almost never wear shorts, but it's hot as **** in my gym so I've decided to start. I'll probably still wear pants for deadlift day just so I don't scrape my legs up.

Yea I hear that. My gym is fairly crappy but at least it has aircon. Even then I can't imagine training in pants tho, I still sweat my ass off.

Because Renton looks frigging amazing in it!

Renton, you look so handsome! Excellent suit choice. I almost didn't recognize you without the baggy sweatpants.

Happy birthday!