Great job, MCL! Your squats and pullups are really moving up. 405 is just on the horizon.
Well, that gives me an estimated 1RM of 390 with the 2 365s, or 375 with the 320s. I’d prefer to believe the higher number. 
I’ll be so psyched when I’m finally squatting 4 plates a side.
mcl…that is GREAT! Congratulations! You, among others, have really made a leap, and then some, in strength. It is really inspiring for the rest of us!
I’m sure you’ll see at least as much benefit from 5-3-1, LS! I just hope to be closing in on your numbers soon.
[quote]mcl wrote:
I’m sure you’ll see at least as much benefit from 5-3-1, LS! I just hope to be closing in on your numbers soon.[/quote]
Bro, at 365# for 2, you have already passed my numbers My 1RM is 375#. I have ever only singled 365#.
[quote]LittleStrick wrote:
mcl wrote:
I’m sure you’ll see at least as much benefit from 5-3-1, LS! I just hope to be closing in on your numbers soon.
Bro, at 365# for 2, you have already passed my numbers My 1RM is 375#. I have ever only singled 365#.[/quote]
Yeah, but you still got me beat on deads! I may have to have meat check my dead form. I’ve got a feeling me being stuck is a mechanical problem, not strength.
[quote]mcl wrote:
LittleStrick wrote:
mcl wrote:
I’m sure you’ll see at least as much benefit from 5-3-1, LS! I just hope to be closing in on your numbers soon.
Bro, at 365# for 2, you have already passed my numbers My 1RM is 375#. I have ever only singled 365#.
Yeah, but you still got me beat on deads! I may have to have meat check my dead form. I’ve got a feeling me being stuck is a mechanical problem, not strength.[/quote]
At the rate you are progressing, even that might be short lived. You really are doing great…
And if it is a form issue, Meat can definitely help.
BTW - I pm’d you earlier. Did you get it?
Nope. no PM. thanks for the compliments. Though I still have a LOT of work to do to catch your bench and MP numbers. I have no idea why my lower body and back are so much stronger than my upper body in push movements.
Just sent another. Hopefully this one goes through.
My upper body is a strange animal. I have a very good base, but don’t see a lot of upward movement.
Well, I had my hydrostatic body comp testing again this morning.
The good news: I put on 7 lbs of pure muscle…just a bit under 2 lbs a month. From what I understand, that’s not too shabby.
The bad news: My craptastic eating (both screwing up frequency and kcal intake, along with succumbing to too many baked goods, hamburgers, and BBQ) packed on 14 lbs of fat to go along with that new muscle.
So, since my GoWear Fit (http://www.gowearfit.com/ ) arrives tomorrow, and the tank guy’ll be back at the beginning of February, I’m going to dedicate the next 3.5 months to dropping some of this fat, and trying to focus more on increasing my upper body presses. I think I’ve got the lower body stuff dialed in, and should hit my 405 squat, 500 DL end-of-year goals if I just keep at it.
But I noticed the other day that my upper body lifts really haven’t progressed all that much. In fairness, I haven’t really taken a max with either the MP or the bench, and I’m now repping what used to be my 1RM on both lifts, but only just. I’ve already started experimenting with accessories that’ll help with those two presses (pullups, heavy tricep work, shoulder work, a bit of chest work), so we’ll see where they go.
I’m hoping that a couple of weeks with the GoWear Fit will help me tweak my diet to the point where I can keep the muscle I just packed on while dropping this extra fat. And, in the meantime, hopefully I can continue to make some mechanical and strength gains (I need to get Meat to look at my bench, DL, and MP…I’m sure I’ve got 20-30 lbs at least hidden in each of those just due to form).’
Back this afternoon with the log of my first day of deloads after skipping the deload week last cycle.
Well, I’m doomed. Checking in at the gym today before my workout, I saw they have a new TRX class (6 weeks, 2x/wk) starting Monday.
I signed up. I am certifiably insane. Thankfully it’s more a core-strengthening approach than a psycho military-style TRX class. I hope.
Anyway, first day of Deload Week! Woot!
Warmup: Usual, plus 10@bar, 10@50
MP: 5@50, 5@65, 5@75
Accessories (all supersetted):
5x10@12.5 front lat DB raise
5x10@30 1-arm DB standing OH press
5x10@10 front DB raise
5x10@10 side DB raise
5x10@45 standing upright BB row
3x5 pullups
5x10@30 facepulls
Basically, a “let’s make sure I don’t keep hurting my shoulders” day.
Weight: 252. LBM gain: 7 lbs in 3.5 months. Fat gain: 14 lbs in 3.5 months. (hydrostatic testing)
Okay…please entertain my ignorance. What is TRX?
lolreobics: http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/
[quote]mcl wrote:
lolreobics: http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/[/quote]
Okay. That looks…uh…painful!? I bet it is effective, though.
I’ve tried some of the basic movements (like the pike), and they kicked my ass really quick. It felt like an ab rollout wheel on steroids.
Sounds like you got some good stuff going on.
Oh, and here is an ab rollout wheel on steroids:
I have one of these and it kicks my ass just holding a plank.
Didn’t make it to the gym Friday, so I’m going to double up my bench and dead deloads tomorrow.
This weekend, I’ve been wearing my GoWear Fit, and I really like it.
Yesterday:
Actual calories burned: 3330
Actual calories consumed: 2536 (36.5% protein, 40.4% fat, 32.2% carbs, all completely clean)
41 minutes moderate activity (went to walk around a park in Santa Cruz that the Monarch butterflies return to every year. This weekend is the weekend they returned).
4578 steps
sleep efficiency: 89%
AHI: 4.7
Sleep: 9.0 hours
weight: 252.5
Today:
Actual calories burned: 2425 so far today (est. around 3000)
Actual calories consumed: 2497 (29.6% protein, 48.2% fat, 22.3% carbs, all clean)
4089 steps (incomplete)
43 minutes moderate activity (incomplete. Took a good brisk walk around the neighborhood)
Sleep efficiency: 92%
AHI: 4.4
Sleep: 9:12 hours
weight: 252.0
Tomorrow evening’s also my first TRX class.
Today’s workout (weights; I still have TRX tonight. I’ll update and let folks know how that went after I drag my ass home).
Cycle 5, Week 4, Days 2 and 3:
Warmup: the usual, plus bench 10@bar, 10@65
Bench: 5@85, 5@105, 5@125
BBB: 5x10@85
DL: 5@150, 5@190, 5@230.
All main lifts were for speed. The BBB bench work I did as set, pause, set, pause, etc. The pause was about 5 seconds. My lower back was complaining a bit from the bench, because I didn’t warm it up and the arch irritated it. I should do some dynamic stretching of my lower back for warmup, too, I suppose.
Accessory:
Skullcrushers ez-bar 5x10@45
decline db pullovers 5x10@30
widest possible grip pulldowns 5x10@75
seated cable rows 5x10@60
pullups: 6x5
All supersetted, except:
ab-wheel rollouts 2x5
…which I did after everything else.
I think that’s enough volume and intensity for a doubled-up deload 3 hours before a TRX class.
Too damn tired to log.
TRX kicked my ass, and I needed it. 1 hour of bodyweight curls, reverse curls, rollouts, hill climbers, planks, rows, situps, squats, burpees, side squats, and on, and on, and on for an hour, nonstop.
Hopefully this’ll not only help my stabilizers but my endurance as well. I was sucking wind and sweating buckets the entire time.
Calories burned so far today: 4219. I estimate it’ll probably hit 4700-5000 before midnight.
6881 steps so far.
3 hours 54 minutes of at least moderate (MET 3) activity. unknown yet how much intense (>6 MET). Will find out tomorrow morning.
Oh! It shows me. 25 minutes of intense activity. Jeebus. I’m curious to know if that was the weights or the TRX. I’ll find out tomorrow.
Weight: 250.
Kcals so far: 2755, and I need to get that up by at least 1000 before bedtime. I see some protein cookies and whole milk in my immediate future. (the protein cookie recipe I got from one of the recent front page articles, and it ROCKS!
I use:
4 cups whole raw rolled oats
16 heapping tbsp natty PB
1 cup whole milk
6 scoops protein powder (I did 2 scoops chocolate met drive and 4 scoops Grow! natural flavor)
Mix it all together real good, then use a soup spoon to scoop out globs onto wax paper. Refrigerate for a few hours, and enjoy. The nutrients are a good mix of protein and carbs, plus fiber. That amount right there makes about 18.
)
Cycle 5, week 4, day 4: last day of deload.
Warmups: usual, plus 10@bar, 5@95
squat: 5@135, 5@170, 5@200, all for speed.
BBB: 5x10@135. My conditioning still sucks. I did the first set as 5+3+2, pausing at the top. The 2nd was 6+2+2, the third 7+3, the fourth 8+2, and the last as straight 10. I’m really hoping the TRX class will help with that.
Short of actually doing protracted cardio, is there anything one can do to increase one’s oxygen capacity? That seems to be what routinely keeps me from going beyond 6-7 reps. For the 8 and 10, I had to breathe through the entire set, rather than getting a good belly and holding it.
Accessories: 15 pullups, 5x10 glute-ham raises.
That’s quite enough after essentially 3 workouts yesterday.
kcals burned so far today: 2492.
steps so far: 3556
1:57 moderate (3-6 MET) activity so far
1379 kcals consumed so far (54.5% fat, 20.3% protein, 25.1% carbs. I’ll hit the protein tonight.)
Sleep efficacy: 93%.
sleep duration: 8:54
AHI: 5.2 (AI 0.1, HI 5.1. One apnea all night)
weight: 249.5.
I’m really feeling the TRX in places I never feel DOMS after my usual routine, which is pretty much exactly what I wanted. My obliques, upper spinal erectors, and the very middle of my traps, along with my upper and lower abs. Also my quads hurt like hell after the hill climbers and burpees last night. They were pumped solid. Also feeling it in my lower lats, which I find impossible to hit with DB, BB, or cable rows for some reason, or with pulldowns or pullups, no matter what grip I use.
Also, I finally got around to using a foam roller (there’s a good black one in the gym. I am now in love, and contemplated swiping it. I will instead order one. Gods, that felt painful/good!