Accipiter's Log: NOW WITH VIDEOS

Training Training Logs
641

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:

[quote]jskrabac wrote:

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
[center]May 9, 2011[/center]
BB Flat: 2655 2705 2755 2803
Pullups/Dips S.S: BW9/BW7 BW6/BW6 BW5/BW6 BW4/BW4
Voyer Shrugs: 507 606

notes: I had never benched above 300 until recently, so I kept doing it pretty far into this cut, doing 1-3 rep sets. I need to keep my rep base up though and work in the 5 rep range. Followed up the flat benching with a pullup/dip super set. The dips hurt my clavicles sort of, not sure why. Trying Voyer Shrugs, and on other upper day I’m going to do bat wings to bring my rhomboids up, and hopefully cut back on the shoulder roll I have. [/quote]

I actually had the same problem with my dips. After reading CT’s spill on bench press, I actually tried incorporating the shrugged shoulder approach with my dip as well as elbows slightly more out than usual. No pain after that.

Or you could always sub in decline close-grip bench…[/quote]

hmmm…So you keep your shoulders shrugged through the whole movement? [/quote]

Yep.

642 
I went to the beach the other day and I was shocked at how bad shape the people were in there.  It got me thinking about how bad this country is fitness wise, and what an odd status that goes along with it.  If someone smokes, you can tell them to knock it off.  If someone drinks, you can tell them they're hurting themselves and others.  But if you're killing yourself with food, are obese, and in awful shape, you can?t say anything to that person about it without being considered offensive.   It's baffling.  Being out of shape, suffering adult-onset diabetes, and being overweight run in families, and it's NOT mostly because of genetics.   Like second-hand smoke poisoning those around you, children learn their eating and fitness habits from parents and pattern themselves after them.   Yet somehow if you talk to someone about getting in better shape you're the asshole, not the person that's teaching their children how to kill themselves with food and degrade their quality of life.   Our generation is potentially the first in centuries that will have a shorter life-span than the previous.  Amazing. 

The other part that pisses me off is seemingly every time someone makes a comment about working out, or comments that I'm in good shape it's backhanded; "Oh I wish I had the kind of time to work out".  I hear variations of that constantly.   My blood absolutely boils every time some smug asshole drops that one.   There are people at my gym who are surgeons, lawyers, a rabbi even.  Most of them work 60+ hours per week, have families, work with or run charities?and they all manage to workout at least three or four days per week.   Last year I was working 40-48 hours per week, taking five classes per semester,  making sure I slept at least 8 hours per night, hung out with friends 3 or 4 days per week, and I still had the time to make it to the gym 6 or 7 days per week.  There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to not be doing something to improve their health. Look, there is virtually nothing better you can do.   If someone watches garbage television like CSI or American Idol, they have plenty of time to work out.  Seriously, you don't even need 6 days per week for an hour and a half each time.   Take a half hour 3 days per week and you could probably be in better shape than you have ever been in your life.  Combine that with putting the soda down, cut out anything with corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup in it, stop eating out as much, and eliminate garbage breakfast cereals, and that'd solve 50% of the problem right there.

There’s also the fact that I sure as hell don’t want to be paying for someone?s diabetes medication when you can’t work by 50 and have to go on government aid. I’m worried that as this country devolves into slovenliness that it’s going to be harder and harder for my children and friends that actually give a damn to find decent food to eat. I’m worried that living a healthy lifestyle is going to be frowned on, or even impossible in the future as our national obesity rate continue its’ inevitable march towards 50%, and the trillions of dollars that are going to have to go to healthcare for caring for these slobs.
So please, stop making excuses, acting entitled, and bitching about your weight/blood pressure/self-inflicted diabetes and either go die in a corner silently somewhere, or DO SOMETHING to help yourself.

643

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
I went to the beach the other day and I was shocked at how bad shape the people were in there. It got me thinking about how bad this country is fitness wise, and what an odd status that goes along with it. If someone smokes, you can tell them to knock it off. If someone drinks, you can tell them they?re hurting themselves and others. But if you?re killing yourself with food, are obese, and in awful shape, you can?t say anything to that person about it without being considered offensive. It?s baffling. Being out of shape, suffering adult-onset diabetes, and being overweight run in families, and it?s NOT mostly because of genetics. Like second-hand smoke poisoning those around you, children learn their eating and fitness habits from parents and pattern themselves after them. Yet somehow if you talk to someone about getting in better shape you?re the asshole, not the person that?s teaching their children how to kill themselves with food and degrade their quality of life. Our generation is potentially the first in centuries that will have a shorter life-span than the previous. Amazing.

The other part that pisses me off is seemingly every time someone makes a comment about working out, or comments that I?m in good shape it?s backhanded; ?Oh I wish I had the kind of time to work out?.  I hear variations of that constantly.   My blood absolutely boils every time some smug asshole drops that one.   There are people at my gym who are surgeons, lawyers, a rabbi even.  Most of them work 60+ hours per week, have families, work with or run charities?and they all manage to workout at least three or four days per week.   Last year I was working 40-48 hours per week, taking five classes per semester,  making sure I slept at least 8 hours per night, hung out with friends 3 or 4 days per week, and I still had the time to make it to the gym 6 or 7 days per week.  There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to not be doing something to improve their health. Look, there is virtually nothing better you can do.   If someone watches garbage television like CSI or American Idol, they have plenty of time to work out.  Seriously, you don?t even need 6 days per week for an hour and a half each time.   Take a half hour 3 days per week and you could probably be in better shape than you have ever been in your life.  Combine that with putting the soda down, cut out anything with corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup in it, stop eating out as much, and eliminate garbage breakfast cereals, and that?d solve 50% of the problem right there.

There?s also the fact that I sure as hell don?t want to be paying for someone?s diabetes medication when you can?t work by 50 and have to go on government aid. I?m worried that as this country devolves into slovenliness that it?s going to be harder and harder for my children and friends that actually give a damn to find decent food to eat. I?m worried that living a healthy lifestyle is going to be frowned on, or even impossible in the future as our national obesity rate continue its? inevitable march towards 50%, and the trillions of dollars that are going to have to go to healthcare for caring for these slobs.
So please, stop making excuses, acting entitled, and bitching about your weight/blood pressure/self-inflicted diabetes and either go die in a corner silently somewhere, or DO SOMETHING to help yourself.
[/quote]

Damn dude! Are we brothers separated at birth?? This is well-put.

Living a healthy lifestyle already is frowned upon, bro. I definitely got many more smug looks and snide remarks when I decided to switch my eating habits and lean out. My family gives me shit incessantly, “You think you’re better than us now?!” uh…did i say that? I just decided to change my lifestyle a bit…lol.

644

[quote]jskrabac wrote:

[quote]AccipiterQ wrote:
I went to the beach the other day and I was shocked at how bad shape the people were in there. It got me thinking about how bad this country is fitness wise, and what an odd status that goes along with it. If someone smokes, you can tell them to knock it off. If someone drinks, you can tell them they?re hurting themselves and others. But if you?re killing yourself with food, are obese, and in awful shape, you can?t say anything to that person about it without being considered offensive. It?s baffling. Being out of shape, suffering adult-onset diabetes, and being overweight run in families, and it?s NOT mostly because of genetics. Like second-hand smoke poisoning those around you, children learn their eating and fitness habits from parents and pattern themselves after them. Yet somehow if you talk to someone about getting in better shape you?re the asshole, not the person that?s teaching their children how to kill themselves with food and degrade their quality of life. Our generation is potentially the first in centuries that will have a shorter life-span than the previous. Amazing.

The other part that pisses me off is seemingly every time someone makes a comment about working out, or comments that I?m in good shape it?s backhanded; ?Oh I wish I had the kind of time to work out?.  I hear variations of that constantly.   My blood absolutely boils every time some smug asshole drops that one.   There are people at my gym who are surgeons, lawyers, a rabbi even.  Most of them work 60+ hours per week, have families, work with or run charities?and they all manage to workout at least three or four days per week.   Last year I was working 40-48 hours per week, taking five classes per semester,  making sure I slept at least 8 hours per night, hung out with friends 3 or 4 days per week, and I still had the time to make it to the gym 6 or 7 days per week.  There is absolutely no excuse for anyone to not be doing something to improve their health. Look, there is virtually nothing better you can do.   If someone watches garbage television like CSI or American Idol, they have plenty of time to work out.  Seriously, you don?t even need 6 days per week for an hour and a half each time.   Take a half hour 3 days per week and you could probably be in better shape than you have ever been in your life.  Combine that with putting the soda down, cut out anything with corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup in it, stop eating out as much, and eliminate garbage breakfast cereals, and that?d solve 50% of the problem right there.

There?s also the fact that I sure as hell don?t want to be paying for someone?s diabetes medication when you can?t work by 50 and have to go on government aid. I?m worried that as this country devolves into slovenliness that it?s going to be harder and harder for my children and friends that actually give a damn to find decent food to eat. I?m worried that living a healthy lifestyle is going to be frowned on, or even impossible in the future as our national obesity rate continue its? inevitable march towards 50%, and the trillions of dollars that are going to have to go to healthcare for caring for these slobs.
So please, stop making excuses, acting entitled, and bitching about your weight/blood pressure/self-inflicted diabetes and either go die in a corner silently somewhere, or DO SOMETHING to help yourself.
[/quote]

Damn dude! Are we brothers separated at birth?? This is well-put.

Living a healthy lifestyle already is frowned upon, bro. I definitely got many more smug looks and snide remarks when I decided to switch my eating habits and lean out. My family gives me shit incessantly, “You think you’re better than us now?!” uh…did i say that? I just decided to change my lifestyle a bit…lol. [/quote]

Exactly. If you’re in good shape you’re a ‘health nut’. “OH you are SUCH a health nut…you won’t even funnel this 1/2 gallon of high fructose corn syrup. What a buzz kill. It’s cool killing myself with food and searching for fulfillment in food that I don’t get from the rest of my vapid self-centered life”.

645

[center]June 4, 2011: Conditioning[/center]

100m Sprints: 6

So usually I do conditioning tomorrow but I was anxious to test out my leg and see if it’s back to normal. It still felt tight running today but was much better. On the 6th sprint it was really starting to knot up so I stopped it there. Not a bad session though, I think I’m getting used to doing them, I’m not as dead after each one as I was the first time.

646

[center]June 5, 2011[/center]

BB Flat Bench: 275*4 280*3 285*3 290*2
Neutral Grip Pullups: 10,6,4
Hanging Cleans: 135*4 165*2
Push Press: 185*4 205*1 
Rope Slams: 25, 25

Good session, I missed my two previous flat benching days, so I’m happy I haven’t really lost any off it, next week I expect to add a rep to each set. I did them with very little rest between sets. Same with the neutral grip pullups. Those first 7 sets took about 15 minutes total. I wanted to add some powerlifts to my regimen so I auditioned hang cleans and did another set of push presses as well. I think I’ll leave Push Presses on my Thursday upper-body sessions, I just feel like it fits better. This day will probably stay as Flat Bench, BB Rows, DB Flat, and Pullups. I finished off this session with rope slams for a metabolic component. Great session.

647

[center]June 7, 2011[/center]

Leg Press: 450*10 540*10 630*3 540*8
Standing Calf Press, Slow: 120*10
Feet Elevated Rope Pullups: 11, 10
Rope Pullups: 4,5,4
Rope Slams: 30, 25
Sauna: 30 minutes, 130-190 degrees

So I’m suffering from a lesser form of bubonic plague, not good times. The back top part of my mouth felt like it had a flame thrower taken to it, it actually woke me up several times last night. Left work early and decided to try and get a workout in and then smoke it out in the sauna. Unfortunately all squat racks were taken so I went with leg pressing. Finished up with some rope work, getting much better at rope pullups, grip is getting stronger. The sauna felt great, it was cooler when I got in there, only about 130, but it got progressively warmer.

648

[center]June 9, 2011[/center]
[center] Thoughts on this cut[/center]

We're all fairly similar physiologically, but the small differences between us mean that different approaches will work better with different people when it comes to things like bulking/cutting (e.g. gaining mass / losing weight for the uninitiated).  The thing is, you won't know what works and what doesn't until you try different approaches.  I feel bad for people that follow some nutrition plan or workout regimen blindly without tinkering with it and seeing what their own body responds to. In my case I learned a few things:

I could have cut calories much faster than I did.  I peaked at 231 lbs. @ 19.5% bf at the end of this past bulking cycle.   I was taking in 5000 calories per day, and actually plateaued weight-wise for the last 2 weeks.  I laid out the first several steps of the cut, each step took one week.  The calorie numbers went like this: 4700,4400,4200,3800,3500,3250 for the first 6 steps.  So that's 6 weeks right there.  I could've probably started at 4200 and been fine, and then dropped to 3500 without any issue.  I was worried about protecting the muscle I had built though, so it's better to err on the side of caution. I'll probably never go up to 5000 calories per day again, but in the future I'll be more aggressive with early steps of a cut.

The reason for #1 on this list is probably this: Steady-state cardio really burns a sh*t-ton (that’s a metric measurement) of calories. I’m not doing any this cut, on account of a lot of those calories coming from catabolizing muscle tissue. But pre-bulk I was 187 @ 10.5% body fat, and was consuming around 2900 calories per day to stay at that level. I was also doing 20-30 minutes of steady state 3x per week. Even with the sprinting/tabatas/ropework/complexes I’m doing for cardio/conditioning on this cut, I’m down to 2300 calories right now in order to maintain losing about 1 lbs. per week, and will probably level off around 205.

I really need to drop fat faster as well during cuts in the future. My grams of fat went: 248, 240,228,201,192, 166 for the first 6 steps, (I was drinking a ton of milk, and eating lots of PB on the bulk). Even as I was focusing on dropping carboyhydrates I left the fats way too high. Since next time I’ll be scaling back calories quicker I’ll be able to drop both quicker. I noticed that when I was stalling around 216 for a few weeks cutting carbs wasn’t really having any effect at that point. I was already so low on them that cutting more out just left me feeling ‘foggy’ and unsharp. I consulted with some people and they thought my fats were very high (at that point I was down to 120g/day), so I restored my carbs to their previous levels (back to about 110g on workout days) and cut the fat down to about 90g/day, and the fat started peeling off again.

Next time I bulk I’m keeping the fats down. I’ll probably bump up protein slightly. What I’m going to do is tactically add carboyhydrates, slightly more in the mornings, and then many more pre-workout, and a bunch more post workout. Pre workout will be a quick converting carbohydrate. Post-Workout most of it will probably be in the form of brown rice, with occasional post-workout pasta.

also, crossposted here: http://hurrrrrrrrr.blogspot.com/

649

[center]June 9, 2011[/center]
BB Incline Bench Press: 22010 2258 230*4
Pullups: 9,6,5
PUPP: 1:15

OK, so a couple things here. One, I’m still sick. It feels like my throat had a blow torch taken to it and I need to sleep desperately. I tend to growl as I force the last couple reps, which made my throat feel worse than it ever has in my life. Secondly, on the first two sets of inclining my spotter kept touching the bar. I hate when people do that. I said I’m going for 8 at 220…you don’t need to start touching the bar on the first rep. I had no real energy so I skipped unilateral stuff and push pressing. Will get back to that next week. Added :15 to the plank press. Good times, good times.

650

new records page:

http://hurrrrrrrrr.blogspot.com/p/test.html

651

Solid bench. Have you hit 300 for a single? I’m assuming you have.

652

Great lifts man, your making fantastic progress.

653

[quote]jskrabac wrote:
Solid bench. Have you hit 300 for a single? I’m assuming you have.
[/quote]

Oh yeah, at the end of my bulk I hit 340 for 1. My schedule last few weeks has just been tough; graduation from my master’s program the 23rd of May, 30th was Memorial Day and I took my lady to the beach. So last week was my first week back into it. Plus I was sick. In a couple weeks I should be back up.

654

[quote]Oregand wrote:
Great lifts man, your making fantastic progress.[/quote]

Thanks, I appreciate it! I’m happy with how the cut is going too.

How about you, what’re your current goals?

655

[center]June 12, 2011 Conditioning[/center]

28KG KB Swing Tabata: 13,11,12,12,12,11,12,12
High+Low Box (34") Plyo Jumps: 30, 25
Palloff Presses: 50*3

Getting over sinus infection still. Good tabata, box jumps, palloffs. Next week when I have my energy back I’ll probably add more palloffs back in. I need to do more ab-wheel/ball rolls/trx fallouts as well. I’ve gotten away from them but they’re great exercises.

656

[center]June 14, 2011[/center]
BB Flat Bench Press: 2753 2802 2852 2902
50 Pullups, Timed: 4,4,4,4,3,3,3,3,3,3,2,3,3,3,3,2 (13:10)
DB Flat Bench: 1052 gassed 1005
Cable Rows: 1308 1505
Plyo Bench Pushups: 6,5
Rope Slams: 20,25

A bit perplexed by the crappy benching numbers. I’m over the sinus infection I had, maybe I’m still fatigued from it. I also didn’t warm up for as long, I went 45, 135, 225, 255, 260 for some reason. Usually I’d do 45,135,185,225,260 or something like that. I dunno, just not a good benching session. However the rest of the day went well. The bruins were on last night so I didn’t get to do my upper body workout, today would usually be legs, but I’ve missed quite a few upper sessions recently so I switched it around this week. The pullups were fun, I wanted to time how long I could do 50 pullups in. My strategy was to only do 4 per set at first to avoid a lactic acid hit. The thing is by the 5th set I could only do 3 anyway, which is probably where I would have been if I had done 25 or so over the first 3 sets anyway. Live & learn! I was gassed afterward and could barely do the db flat benching. Haven’t done upper body plyos in a while, so I did some then finished off with some rope work. Great workout!

657

[center]June 15, 2011
208 lbs.[/center]

Sprints, 100m: 5

Good session! Back to sprinting at full speed. Felt great. Very winded. Still warm a few hours later. Weighed self before session, 208 lbs! About 6 more to go I’d say and then I’ll evaluate if I’m satisfied or not. Goal remains to get to 8% bf.

658

also, as always, workout can be found here too: http://hurrrrrrrrr.blogspot.com/

659

[center]June 16, 2011[/center]

BB DL: 36010 37010 38010 -OMFGWARGGARBLWEMUSTPROTECTTHISHOUSE
DB Jump Deads: 556 60*6
Rope Pullups: 5,4
Elevated Feet Rope Pullups:8
Plank Position One Arm KB Rope Drags: 6kg, 18kg

;;akwejht;qjwhtlkjqnb23ljqnb23;ljq234;jhq23456 yeah that about sums it up. WOW. I ended with 360 last session, so I started with it this time. It was fairly easy. 370 was a bit hard on the last rep. 380 though…wow. I mean…I don’t think I’ve ever had a ball-check like that in the gym before. I passed. I was gassed by the 6th rep and thinking getting to 8 reps would be a blessing. I got to 8, started to pull the ninth and just started cursing and growling, people must’ve though I was nuts. I dropped it down for the 10th rep and just ripped that thing off the ground shouting to myself and using form that probably caused all A.C.E. personal trainers in a 1 mile radius to have a seizure and start bleeding from the dick. I’m starting to think that I only have 3 types of max on deadlifting: 1,3, and 10 rep, because if I get to 3 I’m an irascible stubborn bastard and I’ve got a piss-poor temper and I will lift that weight 7 more times if it means leaving my diaphragm and left lung hanging out of my mouth. I was on the floor in the rack panting and sweating for about 5 minutes between each set, and about 10 after that last one. The jump deads were next, those are basically just what they sound like, hold a db in each hand, start with them on the floor, deadlift them up and jump at the same time. Rope work was good… The drags are basically what you see in the video below but with a kb at the end instead of a prowler. I’m still dead after this session and I will be for a couple days.

660

[center]June 20,2011[/center]

28KG KB Swing Tabata: 13,12,12,12,12,12,12,12
High + Low Box (34") Plyo Jumps: 30, 25
Palloff Presses: 50*3 60*2

So yesterday I went to the beach with Wendy, so no conditioning workout. I decided to do a double today, this before work, upper body after. I also figure I may start doing this a few times per week, for the opposite side of the body I’ll work in the PM. So today was mainly lower body type stuff, tomorrow I’ll do mainly upper body plyo/conditioning work since I’ll be squatting in the PM. I don’t anticipate having a job where I go in at 11 a.m. for much longer, so I need to take advantage of this opportunity while I have it. The workout itself was fine, did quite well on the tabata. All in all a good workout.