Atlas13 Is back. Let’s Get To Work

Training Logs
2175

Honestly, this happens to me like once every 2 months. I go to lift and just can’t stay awake lol. Only when going heavy on full body lifts, but doesn’t tend to come in with reps, just weight. Still pretty happy with today’s session.

As for weight loss, I’m not too upset with the progress, more irritated over how much of a pain in the ass it is to make the process work on a Ship lol

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2176

28aug24
Bench: 175x10, 175x10, 175x10, 175x10, 175x10

Db inc bench: 65x10, 65x10, 65x8

Db fly: 30x14, 30x12

Rope pushdown: 35x15, 35x15, 35x15, 42.5x13

Db overhead ext: 70x13, 70x13, 70x14

Skullcrusher: 60x12, 60x12, 60x12

Conditioning: 35 min elliptical

Notes:

  • Goal for August was 5x10x175 on bench. Tbh, that’s a bit of a jump, i may have been optimistic on my bench progression. Walking to the gym, I decided to just go for it. If I’m gonna fail, let’s fail open ya know?
  • Well, glad I went for it, because I got it. Absolute fight, but it moved. I DO think some of that is just the fact that the benches suck on the ship, and I was benefiting from a better bench and actually being on solid ground.
  • I know some people say deadlifts don’t do much for the back, but I’m convinced those people have small deadlifts. especially using the trap bar. My traps and upper back are just smoked, to include my rhomboids. Maybe not a ton of lat, but god dang few things get me the DOMS of high rep heavy deadlifts.
12 Likes
2177

29aug24
Db row: 110x11, 110x11, 110x11, 110x13

Lat pulldown: 145x12, 145x12, 145x14

Chest supported row: 70x12, 70x12, 90x11

Straight arm lat pulldown: 20x20, 25x14

Cable curl: 45x12, 45x12, 45x11

Inc Db curl: 20x12, 20x12, 20x11+4 alternating

Hammer curl: 30x12, 30x12, 30x12

Notes:

  • slept 9 hours last night, had the day off work. Feel amazing, honestly best I’ve felt in a very long time. Nice motorcycle ride this morning, feeling the sun of my skin, visiting some sights, met up with some friends. Needed this day.
  • That energy carried into the gym. Just felt great. Rows felt strong, insane contraction. Pulldowns were actually tough just from my late cramping like crazy, which I think is a sign the rows went well.
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2178

I’m excited for this, but do you mean the Velocity Diet or the actual Vertical Diet? If the latter, how are you intending to run it given the ship’s food situation?

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2179

Whoops. I 100% meant velocity diet. Legitimately impossibility to run the vertical diet, though I would much prefer to do that lol. I loathe protein shakes. Maybe a personal thing, but doesn’t matter what flavor, brand, etc, I just hate them. But I hate the shipboard nutrition choices more, so velocity diet it is for a few months. Easy enough for me to stow away a lot of protein powder, and I’ll just attack the salad bar and some fruit and meat for my one daily healthy meal.

Although, now that I think of it, I may actually run the vertical diet when I get done with deployment. Could be an interesting pairing. 4ish months of velocity which will be super low carb, then contrast with vertical diet that has a pretty heavy carb base.

3 Likes
2180

That kind of contrast is a fantastic duality approach. And time in the Velocity diet will make it that you REALLY appreciate the foods on the vertical diet.

For hating protein shakes: I pretty much never actually have a shake when it comes to Metabolic Drive, minus the one I drink in the middle of the night. All of my “shakes” are 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive in a glass bowl that I mix with just a splash of hot water. I use as little as possible and make it into more of a paste/oatmeal consistency. Far more enjoyable to eat with a spoon. A little salt, and some cinnamon if you’re feeling spicy. On hot days, I’ve mixed it with shaved ice to create a sort of snow cone.

With that hot water mix: a little unflavored gelatin will really enhance the texture. Makes it somewhat chewy.

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2181

I am 100% trying all those options. I imagine it will work a bit better with metabolic drive than others, since I find it’s usually a bit thicker (maybe a casein thing? Idk.) fortunately, Amazon delivers to ships lol, so I should be good to go there.

It’s not the taste for me really, I just find after drinking a shake I get protein burps like crazy, and it sits in my gut funny for around 30 minutes. Maybe having it more pudding like would help minimize that

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2182

100%. I find the experience more satiating too. It slows me down, and makes what can be a 5 second “meal” into at least a few minute situation, haha. Allows things to be a little bit more social as well. Clean up is a little more involved, but worth it.

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2183

Wait… How?

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2184

Ships to the nearest military base, then we have mail flown on by our helos fairly frequently. Sometimes life is weirder than fiction lol

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2185

I was picturing a drone or C-130 mail drop, so your explaination was actually more reasonable!

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2186

re: Protein shake diet underway
Did I tell you the story of my tuna-eating buddy on deployment in 2011?
Probably. I’m at the point where I tell stories multiple times.
Anyway running a shake diet for 30 days underway sounds absolutely fantastic.

Another ramble: when I was in, saving money was the ultimate goal. And I did - I did a great job of saving, better than anyone else I knew out there; but I didn’t buy ANYTHING. Didn’t ever buy any delivery products (amazon etc), a new pair of shoes was a stretch, and I wouldn’t have spent the $ on 30 days worth of protein shakes.
Downside of that is I barely bought any memorabilia and I deeply regret that. If I had owned our Maiden Deployment T-shirt, I’d wear it proudly once a year or so. But it was $20 so I said “nah” LOL.

Anyway. Glad to hear so many things are going so well! 6 months isn’t long!

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2187

lol no, I haven’t heard the tuna story

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2188

Cool. Ill have to type it from an actual keyboard.

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2189

lol, can’t wait.

I feel you on the saving money part. With a move, a home gym, and a wedding to pay for, 2025 is going to be an expensive year. Should be pocketing a decent chunk every month during deployment, especially with canceling my lease. Depending on where we go, and we may end up with some tax free pay (total guess, don’t actually know this) bank account should be pretty fat when I get back. Nice silver lining

5 Likes
2190

3sept24
Squat: 305x3, 305x3, 305x3, 305x3, 305x3, 305x3, 305x3, 305x3, 305x3, 305x10.

RDL: 225x8, 255x8, 275x8, 295x5

Seated leg curl: 110x15, 110x15, 110x15

Leg extension: 130x12, 145x12, 160x12

Conditioning: 15 min steady state row

Notes:

  • I’m honestly getting a little bored with this program, and have seriously considered jumping ship, but this day stops me. Squats just responding so well, but reps are feeling so easy, I don’t want to mess with progress. Deads have never been happier. Really I think I’m just still mad at the pathetic bench, which is a lifelong curse.
  • Coming close to rep PR territory on squats, all the more impressive because I’m not going for one. I did 10 today because I decided to do 10, not because I was reaching to see if I could.
  • RDLs lighting up my lower back, feel it a lot more directly than with deadlifts. Not sure if I’ve ever given RDLs a good honest cycle before, so interested to see the benefits.
  • Tried the rower for some lower intensity cardio today. Really, trying out different cardio equipment to figure out what I want in my garage gym.
9 Likes
2191

Incredible.

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2192

I’m finally caught back up in your log!

I don’t remember if I posted before, but congrats on the engagement, final few months before your transfer and just all around ass-kicking that you’re giving life!

I ran this after I ate my way up to 230. The weight didn’t just peel off like I had anticipated, but you’ll be surprised when you compare your current/velocity diet self to the last time you were at the same bodyweight. I think you’ll love the results!

1 Like
2193

@jdm135 Thanks man. I’m feeling pretty good on my squat. Part of me wants to take the wheels off and see what I can hit, but my plans going so well that I don’t want to mess with it lol.

@boilerman ive actually run the velocity diet before, little over a year ago. Real love hate relationship with that. I love how it is amazingly convenient, and the last time I ran it I actually did so based on life just being too crazy to really meal prep. I don’t feel hungry on it, and I definitely dropped some weight, but agree it isn’t the drastic loss I was expecting. Suspect the super high protein went a long way to maintaining muscle. Really the only thing about it is I really, really dislike protein shakes lol. Not sure why, but they never sit right with me, so it’s 4x a day of chugging as fast as I can go just get it over with lol

3 Likes
2194

05sep24
Bench: 210x5, 210x5, 210x5, 210x5, 210x5

Kroc row: 115x15

Db Inc bench: 60x12, 60x12, 60x15

Assisted dip: 95x12, 95x12, 95x12, 95x12

Lat pulldown: 145x12, 145x12, 145x11

Some lateral raises

Conditioning: 20 min run 5.2mph

Notes:

  • I think I need to figure out a better bench warmup. My 2nd and 3rd sets always feel much better than my 1st, and the 1st always feels like my joints are just going to fall apart on every rep. Maybe some band work to just flush some blood into the muscles, seems like I’m not as primed for bench from just some ramping sets before hand
  • Added 10lbs to Kroc row, may be the heaviest I’ve gone. Felt pretty good, definitely room to grow
  • Alright, db bench flew today. Very, very significantly easier than on the ship, which is making me think that the rocking of the ship affects me more on db movements than I realized. 60x15 moved easier than 60x10 normally does. Nice little surprise for me there.
  • Never mentioned this, but my reason for assisted dips is twofold. One, I think they do a good job smoking my triceps. Two, I really want to run BTM when I get back from deployment, but I have always had issues with dips just killing my shoulders. Hoping that spending a few months doing them light will allow me to slowly stretch out my shoulder and make it less cranky when I switch to regular dips for BTM.
  • Side note: I should probably start doing at least some chins again to prep for that part as well.
  • Going to start running again. Got away from it with all the underways just because I hate having my treadmill turn into an unexpected hill workout, but I honestly do notice a marked difference when I do it. Don’t think any form of cardio just signals “move” to the body quite the same as running. (Maybe swimming actually, but that’s a whole different world).
  • Taking running slow. Learning from the base building I did a little over a year ago. Pace is so slow I have to force myself to “jog” and not just fast walk, only doing 20 minutes 3x weekly at first. Goal here is simply to get used to running again, and to condition the shins so I can avoid the shin splints that always come when I run too much to fast. Goal is to purposely go painfully slow on increasing length and speed. I can blow out my lungs with hard conditioning on something non impact
  • I need new running shoes, bought these last ones about 18 months ago. My lifting shoes are pushing 4 years and not going strong. Why can’t the runners be the same lol
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