Back squats 3 reps @ 195 (88.5 kg)
Dips 6 reps @ BW +35 (85 kg)
Lost squat explosiveness after set four. Weight moved well, but acceleration drops off somewhat. Dips felt strong throughout, good chest emphasis.
Will deload next week during business trip to Berlin. Hoping the hotel gym has something to keep me busy when I’m not keeping busy.
Update: Just checked out the “gym” at the hotel I’ll be staying at. Not grand. Chest press machine. Lat pulldown machine. DBs. And plenty of cardio machines. May be a Rest-Pause-a-Rama … or circuits …
After deload I’ll start with six sets of 3 on the squats @ 205 and the deadlifts @ 235. 6x6 to start with +30 on the chins and +40 on the dips. The push progression I’m not so sure about. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and working up to the heaviest possible triple with decent acceleration. With the pulls, I’m adjusting as I go.
Cardio
Incline Treadmill Walk
2.5 miles / 41:00 minutes / 361 calories
SUNDAY
No scale
No tape measure
Cardio
Incline Treadmill Walk
4.0 miles / 65:30 minutes / 451 calories
MONDAY
No scale
waist: 32 1/2"
Cardio
Incline Treadmill Walk
2.8 miles / 45:24 minutes / 309 calories
Hotel D.C. Training
Machine chest press (RP) 10+6+4 = 20 reps* @ 55kg
Machine shoulder press (RP) 10+6+3 = 19 reps @ 35 kg
Triceps pressdown (RP) 11+7+6 = 24 reps @30 kg
Wide-grip lat pulldown (RP) 15+12+7 = 34* reps @45 kg
Kroc rows (Max reps) Left 15 reps / Right 15 reps @35 kg
Doing what I can in the hotel gym here in Berlin (hence the kilos). Decided to do DC/Dogg Crapp training and crank up the intensity a bit. A good workout - one of my best in a hotel gym.
Took about an hour - probably because I ramped up pretty gradually for both the chest and shoulder presses before the RP sets.
Will do Workout B tomorrow - biceps, forearms, calves, hams, and quads. Probably DB incline curls, pinwheel curls, calf raises, DB RDL, and leg press.
The conference has kept me pretty busy all week. The past few days have just been cardio. I’ll get in some more weightlifting tomorrow. Thanks to crazy weather in Iceland, I’ll be in Berlin for an extra day.
TUESDAY Cardio
Incline Treadmill Walk
2.6 miles / 45:06 minutes / 319 calories
WEDNESDAY Cardio
Incline Treadmill Walk
2 miles / 35:21 minutes / 233 calories
THURSDAY Cardio
Incline Treadmill Walk
2 miles / 36:01 minutes / 273 calories
All this cardio has really been a great opportunity for jiu-jitsu film study. I’ve been trying to really hone in on my guard passing, using both Demian Maia (my jiu-jitsu patron saint) and Murilo Santana as examples of what I want to do. Of course, the secret sauce will be hitting the open mats once I get back home and trying out this protocol on all comers.
The plan for tomorrow is pretty much to replicate Monday. About 45 minutes of cardio. Breakfast. Then another DC/RP “Torso” session about an hour or two afterwards to see if I can best my Monday numbers.
Granted I only achieved a blue belt but I used to love fighting from my guard. Nimble legs made many an opponent find demise with a quick triangle choke! Sometimes want to go back to jitz
Cardio Incline Treadmill Walk
2.5 miles / 45:01 minutes / 311 calories
A few hours later …
Hotel D.C. Training
Machine chest press (RP) 15+6+3 = 24* reps @55kg
Machine shoulder press (RP) 11+6+4 = 21* reps @35kg
Triceps pressdown (RP) 14+8+5 = 27* reps @30kg
Wide-grip lat pulldown (RP) 20+12+8 = 40* reps @45kg
Kroc rows (max reps) Left 15 reps / Right 15 reps @32 kg
Last workout here in Berlin. Topped all my numbers from Monday save for the Kroc rows. Will go back to my HUBL routine on Monday, but this workout was a reminder that my goal for 2021 is to spend much more time with this rest-pause style training. Once I get some strength parity between upper and lower body - hopefully by year’s end - I’m all about the Dogg next year. I really love the way I feel after these shorter, more intense RP sessions.
You’ll get all the encouragement in the world from me if you decide to return to the mat. I found jiujitsu relatively late (didn’t start training until I was 38). But I feel like it’s been waiting for me to find it all my life.
My legs/hips are the exact opposite of nimble. I am a total half guard player on the bottom and the next time I catch someone in a triangle choke will be the first time! What’s nice for me is that most folks - especially down at my end of the scale (light feather, feather, and lightweight; basically under 70kg) - prefer playing guard, so I get plenty of practice working on my pass game.
These are the numbers behind HUBL so far. All lifts are triples. Two minutes rest (squats and deadlifts are done in circuits with dips and chins respectively). The upper body strength work is cumulative, so the lower numbers from the flat bench done later in the session drag the average down a bit.
Upper body strength (OHP, Flat Bench): 3-4 sets 85%-92% of peak TMs.
Squat: 6-8 sets @ 71% of peak TM
Deadlift: 6-8 sets @ 73% of peak TM
No good sense of upper body pulling goals. Plan was to work up to +45 in both chins and dips and then crank up reps.from there. Strength Level dot com suggests that +50 and +70 respectively would be better places to top off the strength work and begin increasing reps. Current best chins routine 8 sets of 6 @ +25. Current best dip routine 8 sets of 6 @ +35. RPE 7-9.
I enjoyed the DC/RP training last week - all the more so since I was able to do it on the road. It will be nice to return to HUBL. I think I’m sacrificing upper body hypertrophy for upper body strength a bit. But that’s what priorities are about. Maybe I’ll switch those two around for the second half of the year, especially if I reach my upper body strength goals sooner than I expect.
The HU (heavy upper) part is based on CT’s HP Mass for Chest and for Back. I don’t have access to a sled for the pulling, so I added an additional superset. A nice thing about the superset is that it also adds a directional pull I know CT likes in general but didn’t include in HP Mass for Back, I don’t think),
The BL (bodybuild lower) part is just those circuits I do with chins and dips. The fact that I"m already at +70% of peak TM tells me I might need to go slower with the progression than I’d planned.
Upper Body / Press Day
[1 min rest btw warmup sets with band pull-apart series / 2 min rest btw triples]
OHP
bar x 10 x 3
65 x 6
85 x 6
95 x 3
100 x 3
105 x 3
110 x 3
115 x 3
120 x 3
Par here, which is fine with me coming off the deload a few pounds lighter. Definitely some de-celeration after the first rep of the top set.
High incline seated press
120 x 3
125 x 3
130 x 3
135 x 3
140 x 3
Par again here with the seated press. So far, so fine.
Low incline bench
140 x 3
145 x 3
150 x 3
Struggled to match previous round’s top set here. Seems like a strange place to not progress.
Flat bench
150 x 3
155 x 3
160 x 3
165 x 3
170 x 3
175 x 3
180 x 3
185 x 3
Nice new top set in the flat bench. Feels like this is one way the dips are benefitting the flat bench more than the other presses (see Low incline bench above).
Took advantage of a lighter than expected work day to skip BJJ and get a little extra, post-travel rest. Given what I hope to accomplish over the next few months - and the errors of last fall - I’m not going to worry too much about taking the precautional pause day.
PM Cardio Incline Treadmill Walk
3.0 miles / 49:08 minutes / 421 calories
Deadlift + Chins strength circuit tomorrow @ 235 and @ +30 respectively, six sets of triples and double triples. Deadlifts will be at 77% of peak deadlift TM from this time last year.
Slowly increasing the percentage of protein on a daily basis, leveraging seafood (shrimp, sockeye) and shakes to keep red meat on the modest side. I’ve been reading a lot about the carnivore diet and while I’d never make a 100% switch, I’m definitely impressed by the merits of a higher protein diet, generally speaking.
Just noticed that the IBJJF featherweight limit has bumped up to 149 lbs. (154.6 lbs in the gi). The number has drifted higher in recent years, probably in response to weight cutting. I like to use the gi number as an upper limit for my walk-around weight, so thanks to the IBJJF for the extra allowance!
Deadlift/Chins Strength Circuit
[1 minute rest between sets]
Six rounds of
Deadlifts 3 reps @ 235 lbs (106.5 kg)
Chins 6 reps @ BW +30 lbs (70 kg + 13.5 kg = 83.5 kg)
Deadlifts felt strong if not explosive. Now at 77% of peak TM. Used the wide grip chin bar by the rack for the chins which upped the difficulty a bit. I did 50% partials on sets 3, 4, and 5. For set 6 I switched to the narrow grip chin bar and was able to get six full - tough - reps.
Jiu-jitsu day tomorrow. Tempted to split Friday’s workout again this week and do the pull routine tomorrow during the day before BJJ, and the squats/dips strength circuit by itself on Friday.
Cardio Incline treadmill walk
2.5 miles / 41:06 minutes / 357 calories
Felt a little headachy so I decided to skip BJJ again. Likely fighting off cold - there was a lot of illness going around Berlin last week and Ms. Burien Top Team spent the first part of the week with a just-recovered-from sore throat, so …
FRIDAY
BW: 155.6 lbs (70.5 kg)
waist: 33 1/4"
Squat / Dips + Pull
Strength Circuit [1 minute rest btw sets]
Six rounds of
Back squats 3 reps @ 205 lbs (93 kg)
Dips 6 reps @ BW +40 lbs (70.5 kg + 18 kg = 88.5 kg)
Squats were strong, if not explosive. Now at 74.5% of peak TM. Dips felt very solid. I think 45 lbs will be just fine when the time comes.
Pull Supersets [30 seconds btw sets]
Four sets / Eight reps (lbs only below)
Seated four-count row @ 150 / DB supinated row @ 50
Straight arm pulldown @ 70 / Wide supinated lat pulldown @ 90
DB high pull @ 30 / DB side laterals @ 15
Mixed things up a bit, changing the grip on the DB rows and lat pulldowns to really hit the lats well so can add more shoulder/upper back work. That would be the DB high pulls and side laterals, which I prefer to the upright rows and muscle snatches I was doing in the last cycle.
Total training time about 90 minutes. I’m always tempted to break up this routine into two parts, but I do like the feeling of getting all my weight training work done on three days each week.
This tracks my experience in terms of intensity in this routine, so far… I feel like there’s room to grow with the dips; a lot of confidence today. With the deadlifts, I’m sticking with double overhand (may consider straps, but not mixed grip). But there’s room to add here too, I feel. The squats feel like the truth, and I’ve “failed” on the chins.
As far as targets go (i.e., 50%), I’m hoping to be able to run my strength circuits with weighted chins at +40 lbs, back squat @ 230 lbs, weighted dips at +64 lbs, and deadlifts @ 270 lbs by year’s end at the latest.
Watching a John Meadows video (like you do …) and getting the idea that I’ll just add rest time when the reps on the strength work start to slow down and grind. 60 seconds now - will go to 90 seconds and up to two minutes if necessary.
Needed to get some cardio in and thought I’d throw in a little extra arm work. I do love how I feel after rest pause training. Looking forward to transitioning to DC training once I get my strength up to a good level.
And I’m no longer prioritizing leanness. Just targeting a 32" waistline over time, whatever the scale says. If I get too far out ahead of myself (beyond 33 1/4") then I’ll reel it in. I’m doing a Velocity Diet day today (all shakes until dinner), for that reason.
Preacher curl
bar x 25 x 2
20 lbs RP 25 + 11 + 7 (43)
DC rules are 20-30 RP reps for Preacher curl. So I can definitely increase the weight here.
Overhead triceps extension
bar x 25 x 2
30 lbs RP 18 + 7 + 4 (29)
DC rules are 15-30 RP reps for EZ bar skullcrushers. Maybe another shot at this weight to take out 30 before moving on. My triceps are clearly my weakest link, hindering my OHP in particular (though not as much my flat bench - thanks dips!)
Post-train cardio
Incline treadmill walk
2.0 miles 33:37 minutes 310 calories
Thanks. I spent too much time last year dieting. I’m planning on slimming down and focusing on strength during the summer months (June, July, August, mid-September). But I’m willing to be a bit heavier over the rest of the year if it helps me gain muscle where I want it.
The only thing missing is direct arm and ab work. May add a triceps rest pause exercise on Mondays and a biceps rest pause exercise on Wednesdays, with an ab exercise added to both.
Definitely mind that knee. I can’t imagine not having some sort of sport to go along with my weight training. But sometimes it seems the sport is more dangerous than the weight!
Every now and then I feel a little odd about how much I’m enjoying bodybuilding. There is a bit of the “skinny chic” in jiu-jitsu, especially at my end of the weight classes.
Then I remember the exact moment my interest in jiu-jitsu was rekindled nearly a decade after I was first introduced to it: Frank Mir’s appearance on the cover of Muscle & Fitness back in 2003.
The idea of combining a strong, muscular body (unlike Royce Gracie) with the technical fighting skill of jiu-jitsu was a perfect match for me. Grateful to be finally putting all the pieces together (at 52!)
