FRIDAY
BW: 148.8 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Arms of Autumn, Week 3, Day 3
Triceps pressdowns
Green band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Tate press
10s 3 of 20
25s 15 / 13 / 11
Overhead triceps extension
10s 3 of 20
25s 10 / 9 / 9
Triceps stretch
60 seconds
DB rows
25s 2 of 20
35s 2 of 12
45s 1 max set of 30
RDLs
45s 3 of 18
also too, 35 reps ab crunches between exercises for a total of 175 reps. Total training time? 70 minutes on the dot.
SATURDAY
BW: 148.5 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 358 calories / 53:02 calories
Awesome rooftop dinner this afternoon with Mrs. Burien Top Team at our favorite French restaurant downtown. Spent more than a few pennies, but it was worth it.
Did a wingspan measurement tonight. 71.5". Not bad for a 65" tall halfling … It’s got me thinking about some new submission preferences (i.e., arm triangles / katagatame) to focus on in 2021 that will leverage my newly discovered length. Also has me reconsidering torreando passing a la Leandro Lo as a go to option, having faded on it a bit in deference to tripod/Maia/Santana-style floating passes …,
SUNDAY
BW: 148.6 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Day off today. Watched the Seahawks eek out a victory. Fortunately, I’m nearing the level of fandom in which the losses of my rivals entertain me almost as much as the wins of my water fowl.
= ==. ===
MONDAY
BW: 148.8 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 4, Day 1
Bicep curls
Red band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Standing alt DB curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 15
Pinwheel curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 15
Supinated grip hang
BW 3 sets of 30 seconds
Dogg Crapp bicep stretch
60 seconds
DB incline press
25s 3 sets of 20
35s 3 sets of 12
I’ve started doing these with a very light weight on the right side instead of just doing the left side. During the warmup reps, I use 5 lbs. During the work reps, I use 10 lbs. So far, so good. No rush.
Lunges
10s 3 sets of 21
The burn I feel in my quads in the second half of these sets is probably the most “where-have-you-been-all-my-life?” signal I’ve gotten from resistance training ever. I’m looking forward to the day I can do these sets with 45s.
also too, 15 reps hanging leg raises (HLRs) between exercises for a total of 75 reps
Cool down
Incline treadmill walk
2.0 miles / 234 calories / 35:05 minutes
I’d planned to end my arm specialization program - Arms of Autumn - on Friday and return to a more normal split today. But given my shoulder injury, I’m going to continue with Arms of Autumn (seasonally adjusted to The Winter Swoler), stick with the rotator cuff friendly adaptations I’ve made over the past four weeks, and keep going on the bi’s and tri’s for another six weeks or so and see where the shoulder is at then (late January/early February).
TUESDAY
BW: 149.0 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 356 calories / 53:03 minutes
= ==. ===
WEDNESDAY
BW: 151.0 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 4, Day 2
Warmup
Incline treadmill walk
0.75 miles / 82 calories / 14:02 minutes
Triceps pressdowns
Green band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Tate press
10s 3 of 20
25s 14 / 12 / 12
Overhead triceps extension
10s 3 of 20
25s 10 / 10 / 8
Triceps stretch
60 seconds
Bend over rows
Red band 3 of 20
10 top / 10 bottom / 10 full range
1 of 20
Hip thrust
45 lbs 3 of 18
Cool down
Incline treadmill walk
1.25 miles / 162 calories / 21:04 minutes
THURSDAY
BW: 150.5 lbs
waist: 34"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 357 calories / 52:04 minutes
= ==
FRIDAY
BW: 149.8 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Decided to move today’s weight-training to Saturday to better accommodate Xmas Family Zoom calls and dinner.
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 352 calories / 52:17 minutes
= ==
SATURDAY
BW: 149.8 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 4, Day 3
Bicep curls
Red band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Standing alt DB curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 15
Advance to sets of 18
Pinwheel curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 15
Advance to sets of 18.
Hammer grip hang
BW 3 sets of 30 seconds
Dogg Crapp bicep stretch
60 seconds
DB high pull
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 18
Heels up DB back squat
35s 3 sets of 21
also too, hanging leg raises 18 reps between exercises for a total of 90 reps
= ==
SUNDAY
BW: 151.0 lbs
waist: 34"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 352 calories / 52:20 minutes
Thinking about trying TC Luoma’s “I Can’t Believe it’s a Diet” Diet for the next five days ahead of my Transformation 2021 “Before” photoshoot on Thursday/Friday.
MONDAY
BW: 151.8 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 5, Day 1
Triceps pressdowns
Green band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Tate press
10s 3 of 20
25s 12 / 13 / 13
Overhead triceps extension
10s 3 of 20
25s 10 / 9 / 8
Triceps stretch
60 seconds
DB rows
25s 2 of 20
35s 2 of 12
45s 1 of 30
DB RDLs
45s 3 of 21
Hamstring stretch
60 seconds
also too, band pull-a-parts 10 reps btw exercises for 50 total reps
Cool down
Incline treadmill walk
2.5 miles / 313 calories / 43:01 minutes
FUEL
1493 calories = P155 F32 C83
Sort of considering today the start of my Transformation (photos to come). And not just because I’ve climbed back above 151 lbs. Cleaning up the diet after more than a few Xmas cupcakes, chocolates, and ounces of Champagne.
Olympia Reflections
Really enjoyed listening to the Olympia commentary/coverage on some of my favorite bodybuilding podcasts over the past several days. Maybe it’s because the hosts were older, a show or two (at most) away from retirement, but I really appreciated the positive attitudes, insights into training methodologies, funny stories, and enthusiasm for the sport. As a new fan, I think that this is the kind of thing that will help build tomorrow’s audience for bodybuilding.
It also helped inspire and focus me ahead of the 2021 Transformation. With jiu-jitsu still several months away (aiming for an August return), I feel like I can focus all my physical efforts on weight training and bodybuilding/recomp for a 16-20 week run.
TUESDAY
BW: 150.6 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 371 calories / 52:03 minutes
FUEL
1548 calories = P140 F61 C62
Calories were a little on the low side yesterday, and I ended up making up for it a bit today. Two-day average intake is still about 1500, which is fine, especially with net calories 300+ lower.
WEDNESDAY
BW: 150.7 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 370 calories / 52:03 minutes
= == several hours later == =
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 5, Day 2
Bicep curls
Red band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Standing alt DB curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 18
Pinwheel curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 18
Supinated grip hang
BW 3 sets of 30 seconds
Bicep stretch
60 seconds
One-arm incline press
25s 3 sets of 20
35s 3 sets of 12
Onward to sets of 15 for Monday.
Walking lunges
10s 3 sets of 21
also too shoulder mobility over-and-backs w/ green band 5 reps between exercises for a total of 25 reps
Did these very, very slowly. Will up the reps gradually and see if this helps accelerate my shoulder recovery.
Cooldown
Incline treadmill walk
2.0 miles / 273 calories / 33:12 minutes
Feeling newly-annoyed at the slow pace of my weight loss after the holidays, so adding in more cardio since that’s the only thing that seems to do the trick. I’d hoped to avoid doing heavy, 2x/day cardio until I got to 145 lbs. Now it seems like I’ll need the big guns just to GET to 145 …
THURSDAY
BW: 150.0 lbs
waist: 33 3/4":
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 383 calories / 51:08 minutes
Transformation photos going up tomorrow.
FRIDAY
BW: 149.2 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
2.5 miles / 312 calories / 43:01 minutes
= == a few hours later == =
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 5, Day 3
Triceps pressdowns
Green band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Tate press
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 15 / 13 / 11
Overhead triceps extension
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 9 / 10 / 9
Triceps stretch
60 seconds
Switched to red band for stretches. Much more tension.
Bent over rows
Red band 3 sets of 20
10 top / 10 bottom / 10 full range
1 set of 20
Hip thrust
45 lbs 3 sets of 21
also too, band pull aparts / 10 reps between exercises for a total of 50 reps
Cool down
Incline treadmill walk
1.5 miles / 185 calories / 26:02 minutes
Here’s my transformation photo for 2021. Goal is to lose fat, which means trimming waistline by about an inch and a half to 32" or so, resulting in a bodyweight probably around 140-142 lbs. Secondary goal is arm hypertrophy. So far, after about four months of Arms of Autumn, I’ve managed to add half an inch to my upper arm (14 1/2" flexed) while dropping five pounds in BW. In a perfect world, I’ll spend the next four-odd months doing that one more time.
SATURDAY
BW: 149.6 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 384 calories / 51:03 minutes
SUNDAY
BW: 151.6 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Day off. Seahawks win.
= ==
MONDAY
BW: 151.6 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 6, Day 1
Bicep curls
Red band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Standing alt DB curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 18
Doing the warmup sets as straight DB curls without the twist (hammer curl 2 straight curl) to add more biceps-specific activation for the past two sessions. Can start to feel the benefit to the working sets with the twist. I feel my brachialis has gotten great attention relative to my biceps for most of Arms of Autumn. Time to work back the other way a bit.
Pinwheel curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 18
Hammer grip hang
BW 3 sets of 30 seconds
advance to 45 second sets
Bicep stretch
60 seconds
DB high pull
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 18
advance to sets of 21
Heels up DB back squat
35s 3 sets of 21
advance to 45s 3 sets of 15
also too, band shoulder over-and-backs five reps (very slow) between exercises for a total of 25 reps
85 minutes start to finish. I’m aiming for CT’s Primer 52 diet. High protein and carbs with low fat on mTOR/hypertrophy days. Fast-to-dinner on AMPK/non-training days. I’m anxious about taking in the amount of calories I need to on the mTOR days since my overall goal is to lose body fat. Fell short today. I think that the sooner I can get back into the 140s weight-wise, the more confidence I’ll have about mixing surplus days with fast-to-dinner days.
I’ll have to tell you, I’m sorry but you most certainly won’t win the T-ransformation challenge… Because you already look great! And you’re 53? You’re top 1%
We ca, already see the christmas tree, nice upper back, shoulders and chest! Looks like the arms training paid off, especially for triceps! Especially for what it looks like you have long arms.
Ouuuh this must have burned
Thanks for the notes! If I can lean out for the Transformation, I may do a “Rate My Physique” to see what to focus on next (i.e., post-June). I may ask for a second consultation! Haha! Right now, I can’t see anything but my 33 1/2" waistline!
TUESDAY
BW: 150.4 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
2.5 miles / 306 calories / 43:01 minutes
= ==
WEDNESDAY
BW: 150.6 lbs
waist: 34"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
2.5 miles / 301 calories / 44:02 minutes
= a few hours later =
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 6, Day 2
Triceps pressdowns
Green band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Tate press
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 14 / 13 / 12
Overhead triceps extension
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 10 / 9 / 9
Triceps stretch
60 seconds
DB rows
25 lbs 2 sets of 20
35 lbs 2 sets of 12
20-Rep drop sets (no breaks)
45 lbs / 35 lbs / 25 lbs
DB RDLs
45s 3 sets of 21
also too, band pull-aparts / 10 reps between exercises for a total of 50 reps
Diet a bit off track to start the Transformation. Yesterday was supposed to be an AMPK day - not even close. It’s usually easier to do those on Thursday, when I can smell the sweet sea breeze of the weekend right around the corner and my anxieties are lower - so we’ll see what happens tomorrow.
Today’s fueling: 1600 calories = P138 F69 C72.
THURSDAY
BW: 150.2 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 360 calories / 52:02 minutes
Today’s fuel: 1400 calories = P125 R51 C24
Looking at some adjustments for the next few weeks (Arms of Autumn 2.2). Triceps development is going at a great pace. Biceps good but not outstanding.
Since my triceps are responding well to volume, I’m going to try the same thing for biceps, pumping up the volume relative to intensity by swapping out the fixed arm hangs and doing John Meadows’ Gangster Lean Concentration Curls as a finisher instead.
And since I think my brachialis is outpacing my biceps a bit, so I’m going to drop the direct brachialis work (pinwheel and hammer curls) in favor of DB drag curls and incline curls. And, last but not least, I’ll do the standing DB curls 100% supinated instead of 50/50 hammer grip to supinated.
FRIDAY
BW: 150.0 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
2.5 miles / 306 calories / 43:04 minutes
= hours later =
Arms of Autumn 2.1, Week 6, Day 3
Bicep curls
Red band 3 sets of 20
10 reps top / 10 reps bottom / 10 reps full range
1 set of 20
Standing alt DB curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 18
Pinwheel curls
10s 3 sets of 20
25s 3 sets of 18
Supinated grip hang
BW 3 sets of 30 seconds
Bicep stretch
60 seconds
DB incline press
25s 3 sets of 20
35s 3 sets of 15
Note: with my injured right shoulder, I’ve been using reduced weight on that side: 5 lbs for the warmup sets and 10 lbs for the work sets. Just to keep the blood flowing through the muscle while it mends.
Walking lunges
25s 3 sets of 9
– also too shoulder mobility over-and-backs w/green band 5 reps between exercises for a total of 25 reps
Moving on to Arms of Autumn 2.2 for two weeks starting on Monday. I’ll be taking out the brachialis work on my anterior days so I can focus exclusively on biceps for a bit. I’ve picked up a few options from John Meadows that I’ll try out.
SATURDAY
BW: 149.0 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Very surprised to see that weight drop after yesterday’s 2000+ calorie fueling. Net calories closer to 1700, but still.
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 375 calories / 51:07 minutes
Seahawks Wildcard game this afternoon vs LA Rams. Steak frites for dinner with Cold War thriller “Thirteen Days” tonight on Prime. Starting off with Sazerac, hoping to finish the day with champagne.
