I was surprised at how different the change felt. It was a nice extra boost near the end of the workout to discover a variation that improved on the original!
I’ve enjoyed the high volume training I’ve been doing since June. I’m going to transition back out of it after tomorrow’s workout because I want to focus on fat loss over the next five to six weeks and I think some of the benefits of that kind of training would be wasted.
When I look back on my log I see that I’ve been doing bodybuilding type training since mid-February or so. I think I’m feeling the itch to get back toward strength a bit.
Strength work as Type 3
Hypertrophy work as Type 2B
Take Beyond 5/3/1 1.1 and 1.2
Adjust reps by adding 3
Adjust percentages by subtracting 8%
No rep PRs
Add Rest Pause based compound and isolation accessory work
One compelling video I watched the other day discussed the transformation of Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan. The host Cavaliere made the point that much of Roshan’s transformation was a function of just removing fat to uncover muscle he’d already grown. As I switch back toward strength next year (getting an early start next week!), I’ll need to appreciate more the impact of nutrition on physique in order to make this work.
To that end, I’m also thinking these (likely) shorter workouts will enable me to add post-training cardio as a regular thing.
This year I’ve shedded fat with volume but I don’t think it’s the best. Well I was still lifting heavy but I think, and many authors agree, that heavy work, + reduced volume + increased frequency works best for fat loss
Took the day off from jiu-jitsu training. Going to give the knee a little more time. Did some cardio.
Incline treadmill walk
2.5 miles / 44:03 minutes / 287 calories / 6.52 RPE
Wednesday
BW: 151.4
waist: 33"
Was supposed to do my last high volume low frequency training workout. But decided to start the transition to my new training schedule a little early.
Rower
2.0 km / 11:21 minutes / 105 calories / 9.3 RPE
Incline treadmill walk
3.25 miles / 52:09 minutes / 504 calories / 9.7 RPE
I’ll do my last bodybuilding workout for this season on Friday. Starting Monday I’ll switch to strength-focus, specifically a modified version of Beyond 5/3/1 - with less weight, more reps to be run as 8/6/4 - and use Rest Pause techniques (a favorite of Type 2B) for accessory work (weighted chins and dips, DB rows, cable curl).
I’m also going to change my weight training to Monday and Friday instead of Monday and Wednesday. This will give me three consecutive days dedicated to lower caloric intake instead of an on-off pattern that I think makes fat loss trickier (for me, at least). Same old, same old on Tuesdays and Thursdays with cardio and BJJ. Wednesdays will be for recovery if I’m feeling beaten up. Otherwise, a nice long cardio session along the lines of what I did today.
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 53:09 minutes / 340 calories / 6.4 RPE
Friday
BW: 150.2
waist: 33"
High Volume Low Frequency Training: Medium CNS Day
Leg press
240 x 4 x 10
Smith machine hip thrust
125 x 4 x 10
Smith machine high incline press / Seated row compound superset
45 x 4 x 10 / 140 x 4 x 10
Weighted dips / Abs cable crunch / Rope pulldown compound triset
BW+15 x 4 x 10 / 150 x 4 x 12 / 120 x 4 x 10
That’s it for my high volume/bodybuilding type training for the year. It’s been a good run since February. Right now I think it’s working at cross-purposes with my goal of getting leaner, so I’m going to make the switch to strength training a month early. That, and more cardio.
Incline treadmill walk
34 minutes / 2.01 miles / 300 calories / 8.8 RPE
First strides back into strength training. Decided to do a few weeks of this Chad Waterbury program as an appetizer as I accelerate fat loss efforts into year’s end. Nice to be working heav(ier) triples again, probably my favorite rep number.
Every time I start a new workout program, I change the music. And I can’t think of a better companion for my return to strength work than this favorite from LoG.
Thinking about this and the role of Widowmakers in the 531 Rest Pause Challenge …
“Results indicated the training programs focused on lower body muscle hypertrophy and maximal strength for upper body can stimulate greater strength and power gains in the upper body compared with HI resistance training programs for both the upper body and lower body.”
From the article: “Or maybe training the lower body with heavy weights and low reps is systemically taxing and it drains resources from the upper body, stunting its growth.”
I log “weight x reps x sets”. So 205 x 3 x 10 = ten sets of triples at 205
#NewRules: Drink protein shake before am cardio. Why?
Drinking 25 grams of casein or whey before a moderate-intensity morning workout may help increase the amount of calories the body burns throughout the day and promote weight loss better than fasting or drinking a sugary sports drink.
Finished off November by prioritizing cardio. Starting December with more of the same, though I’ll be back to my 10x3 for Fat Loss program on Monday. If I can lose the weight I want to by year’s end, I’ll likely modify the lower body work in line with the “Heavy Upper Bodybuild Lower” (HUBL) concept and continue the program.
Ok. Off to the doctor on Wednesday to get the knee looked at. Going to avoid all lower body lifting until I hear what he has to say. Still feels sore, and gets hot when worked - even on the treadmill. I’ve added in some rowing to spend a little less time using the treadmill for cardio.
I’m also back to the high volume training, at least for this month. If I’m not training legs, I might as well load up on the upper body work.
BW: 151.6 lbs
waist: 33"
High Volume Training (Upper Body only)
Tempo intervals
Rower (60s light/15s heavy)
2 km / 10 minutes / 107 calories
Guillotine press / Chest supported row compound superset
120 x 6 x 5 / 150 x 6 x 5
DB Arnold OHP / Weighted chins (alternate grips) compound superset
25s x 6 x 5 / 15 x 6 x 5
Hanging Leg/Knee raises
12 x 3
Post-train cardio
Incline treadmill walk
2.0 miles / 34 minutes / 310 calories
A good session. Focused on dominating the weight - explosive concentric and controlled eccentric - trying to appreciate the more moderate loads for the good they’ll do me. Finished the lifting portion in 45 minutes - which was a nice change of pace. Loved being able to add in the post-training cardio because of the time-savings.
Memo to File: Another option instead of widowmakers would be the same high volume approach I’ve been using. Squats and RDLs, deadlifts and leg presses with the 4 of 8/10/11/12 and/or 5 of 6/8/9/10 progressions. Ten sets of heavy triples for upper body (weighted dips and chins, OHP and seated rows).
Maybe something like this:
Upper body 10 x 3 (2 wks 120 sec rests; 2 wks 90 sec rests)
Lower body 4 of 8/10/11/12
add 5 pounds upper body, 10 pounds lower body
Upper body 8 x 4 (2 wks 120 sec rests; 2 wks 90 sec rests)
Lower body 5 of 6/8/9/10
Tempo intervals
Rower (60s light/15s heavy)
2 km / 10 minutes / 107 calories
Low2high cable flyes / DB rows compound superset
40 x 6 x 5 / 65 x 6 x 5
Overhead triceps cable extension / Biceps cable curl / Ab cable crunch compound triset
60 x 6 x 5 / 50 x 6 x 5 / 150 x 12 x 3
Short on time, so no post-training cardio today. Went to doctor yesterday who thinks the knee is a sprained MCL. Gave me a PT referral I’ll have to consider and suggested taking some more time off. I’ll continue doing no lower body work this month, definitely no jiu-jitsu, and start slow and fresh in January.
Biggest surprise of my visit? I’m an inch shorter than I thought I was at 5’ 5". Makes my leanness goals all the more urgent, I suppose …
End of Year Promotions at Gracie Barra Northwest today. A lot of new black belts joining the family. Especially nice to see a bunch of white belts - some of whom I’ve worked with closely over the past several months - earn their blue belts.
Nice speech from one of our senior professors on the importance of black belts to the jiu-jitsu community. I get the sense that he’d like to see more of us training with the competition team, competing, generally being more present. There’s a tendency for black belts in the first year or so to cruise a bit, and I think he was arguing against that.
Motivational for me, for sure. I’m going to try and be smartly aggressive about coming back from this sprained MCL. No jiu-jitsu until 2020, but I’m going to change things up and put the lower body work back on my gym routine. I’m also that much closer to making a comeback to the jiu-jitsu competition scene, health-withstanding.
Just cardio today. Major meetings at work on Monday, late morning and into the afternoon, so I might do my strength training on Sunday instead. Going back to the 10x3 for Fat Loss Waterbury program for three weeks as I intensify this weight cut en route to 145lbs/66kg by year’s end.
BW: 150.0
waist: 33"
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles 49:57 minutes 465 calories 9.3 intensity
Makes my leanness goals all the more urgent, I suppose …