Doing some Golden Ratio-based physique calculations ahead of my return to a commercial gym next month.
BW: 147.8 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
shoulders: 47" → goal → 48 1/2"
upper arm, flexed no pump: 14" → goal → 15 1/2"
chest: 39" → goal → 40"
thigh: 21 1/2" → goal → 23"
calf: 14 1/2" → goal → 15 1/2"
Obviously the 33+ inch waist has got to go. At 32", I need to add 5" to my shoulders. At 30", 48 1/2" shoulders will be fine. Clearly, the goal has to be to reduce the waist as much as possible.
Arm size is still an issue. I need to add a good 1-1 1/2" there. Mostly to biceps (and biceps width, at that).
Chest, thigh, and calf are all off by an inch. Crediting the dips for the half-way decent chest hypertrophy. And it won’t take much to grow my legs. I haven’t trained them much for weeks and not heavy for 18 months.
THURSDAY
BW: 147.4 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
DB Muscle Snatch Circuits (6R6)
25 lbs Right arm 6 reps
Rest 15 seconds
25 lbs Left arm 6 reps
Rest 15 seconds
Repeat 24 times
Watching Men’s 67kg Olympic weightlifting on replay tonight and really impressed by the physiques of the Chinese competitors. Big upper bodies (shoulders, traps) and arms - just the areas I want to improve in.
New program starting Monday, August 9th in the new gym. Looking to run this for 4-5 weeks. Based on my HUBL routine from Jan-Mar 2020, which is actually more accurately “BUHL” (Bodybuild Upper; Heavy Lower).
Monday: HP Mass
OHP + High incline press + Low incline bench + Flat bench (triples)
DB side laterals
Tuesday: Squats + Chins Strength Circuit
Elbows-in Preacher curl
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Deadlifts + Dips Strength Circuit
DB Overhead triceps extension
Friday: Back
Seated H-row / Straight arm pulldown / DB rows / DB pullovers
Rear delt raises
BUHL Strong: Week 1, Day 1
MONDAY
BW: 147.0 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
OHP
bar x 10
50 lbs x 10
55 lbs x 10
60 lbs x 8
65 lbs x 5
70 lbs x 5
75 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 3
85 lbs x 3
90 lbs x 3
95 lbs x 3
100 lbs x 3
105 lbs x 3
110 lbs x 3
115 lbs x 3 (!)
45 degree incline BB bench
115 lbs x 3
120 lbs x 3
125 lbs x 3
130 lbs x 3
135 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3
Flat BB bench
140 lbs x 3
150 lbs x 3
160 lbs x 3
170 lbs x 3
180 lbs x 3 (!)
Felt great to be back in the gym. Decided to try the workout with my mask on to see what everyone was complaining about. No big deal here. YMMV
Very happy to see that top end strength is about where is was in January 2020, a few months before the pandemic hit (about five pounds better on both the OHP and flat bench than I was a year and a half ago. Since all I’ve been doing for the past 18 months has been hypertrophy-based, limited to bands, DBs up to 45 lbs, dips, and chins, I’m okay with where I’m at right now.
TUESDAY
BW: 144.2 lbs
waist: 33 1/4"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 369 calories / 52:16 minutes
Jiu-jitsu tape study today was Gary Tonon’s match against Rousimar Palhares. Mostly focusing on Tonon’s back takes and Palhares escapes since leglocks in general and heel hooks in specific are not a part of my game.
Read somewhere that scientists think we could achieve herd immunity here in the U.S. sometime in the September/October time frame. I was hoping to get back to BJJ training this fall and have been put off by the onset of the Delta variant. Wearing my mask to the gym for strength training and LSD cardio; we’ll see what happens when I start adding more intense cardio work - probably in the second half of September.
Squats/Chins strength circuits scheduled for tomorrow. Will try these “strength-skill” style with 85% of 1RM starting with three triples and six doubles, then working up through seven triples and one double until hitting eight triples, then I’ll add weight and start over. Initial weights are 185 lbs on both the squat and the chins, interestingly enough (chins will be BW+35-40 lbs on the belt).
WEDNESDAY
BW: 145.0 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
BUHL Strong: Week 1, Day 2
Warmup - Ramped up to 185 lbs for squat and +45 lbs for chins
Back squat 185 lbs for 3
Weighted chins +45 lbs for 3
Repeat twice
Back squat 185 lbs for 2
Weighted chins +45 lbs for 2
Repeat five times
Two minutes rest between exercises. Total workout time including warmup about 100 minutes.
These days there are few things as wonderful as being alone in a squat rack moving weight. Headphones on. Music on. Glasses off, so I’m practically blind as fucking bat. Life’s distractions at an absolute minimum.
Squats were challenging. A little slow out of the hole, but lockouts were pretty solid on all reps. I haven’t squatted with any weight for a year and a half, and it was great to see that my strength is about where I left it last March.
The chins though, were absolutely beautiful. I was going to go with +40 pounds for consistency (shooting for 85% of my estimated 1 RM), but it was a hassle putting three plates on my belt so I just went with a 45 lb plate. Here, the weighted chins I’d been doing in my garage gym for the past year-plus paid off like a motherfucker. I felt like fucking sun-dipped Superman. Smooth, strong, clavicle to the bar every time. So great to be back.
Will try to get in some cardio tomorrow. I’ve got some running around to do. But having regained my Fortress of Solitude, there’s not much that’s going to keep me away.
FRIDAY
BW: 146.2 lbs
waist: 33 1/4"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 369 calories / 52:12 minutes
Work remains this S-DS’ kryptonite …still running the shop while my partner transitions back toward full-time, post-maternity. Next week promises to be a serious pain in the ass. Will need to do some planning (and some weekend working) to ensure I don’t get off track.
Deadlifts and dips for breakfast tomorrow.
SATURDAY
BW: 147.0 lbs
waist: 33 1/4"
BUHL Strong: Week 1, Day 3
Had to run this session separating the exercises instead of doing the superset since the gym was a little crowded on a Saturday morning. Not my usual day or time to train - and hopefully won’t have to do that again. But at least I got my work in.
Deadlift
bar x 10
145 lbs x 8
175 lbs x 5
195 lbs x 3
Three sets of 210 lbs x 3
Six sets of 210 lbs x 2
Dips
BW x 10
+25 lbs x 8
+45 lbs x 5
+70 lbs x 3
Three sets +90 lbs x 3
Six sets +90 lbs x 2
Deadlifts felt good - maybe even “light”. I based the 210 on a suggested squat/deadlift ratio that says, for my size, my squat should be about 88%-90% of my deadlift. What that suggests to me is that my squat is my weak lift, insofar as I feel I could have deadlifted at least 20-30 lbs heavier than I did today - which would put the squat target weight closer to 210 lbs.
Dips were much more in-line (I used a 2:1 dips-to-chins ratio target). Very tough at first, but after narrowing my grip a bit, they felt appropriately challenging by the final set.
Used one minute rests between sets since I wasn’t alternating exercises. Total workout time 70 minutes.
SUNDAY
BW: 147.7 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 370 calories / 51:52 minutes
MONDAY
BW: 148.8 lbs
waist: 33 1/4"
BUHL Strong: Week 2, Day1
OHP
bar x 10
65 lbs x 8
75 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 3
85 lbs x 3
90 lbs x 3
95 lbs x 3
100 lbs x 3
105 lbs x 3
110 lbs x 3
115 lbs x 3
120 lbs x 3 (RPE 9 1/2)
45 degree incline BB bench press
bar x 10
95 lbs x 5
120 lbs x 3
125 lbs x 3
130 lbs x 3
135 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3
145 lbs x 3 (RPE8 1/2 - 9)
Flat BB bench press
bar x 10
95 lbs x 5
120 lbs x 3
145 lbs x 3
155 lbs x 3
165 lbs x 3
175 lbs x 3
185 lbs x 3 (RPE 91/2 - 10)
Total workout time: 75 minutes. 90 seconds rest between triples. +5 lb PRs on all three lifts.
TUESDAY
BW: 148.2 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 370 calories / 52:01 minutes
WEDNESDAY
BW: 147.2 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Missed training due to work and an early evening social engagement.
=
THURSDAY
BW: 146.4 lbs
waist: 33 1/4"
BUHL Strong: Week 2, Day 2
Warmup
Back squat bar x 10
Chins BW x 10
Back squat 95 lbs x 8
Chins +15 lbs x 8
Back squat 135 lbs x 5
Chins +25 lbs x 5
Back squat 165 lbs x 3
Chins +35 lbs x 3
Work sets
Back squat 185 lbs x 3
Chins +45 lbs x 3
Repeat three times
Back squat 185 lbs x 2
Chins +45 lbs x 2
Repeat three times
90 seconds rest between exercises. Total workout time including warmup 65 minutes.
Cut way back on the warmup compared to last week and saved myself about half an hour.
These days it seems like it will be months before I’m back on the mats training jiu-jitsu. After 15 years, it has been more than a bit of a mind f%ck to have been away for going on 18 months now. But the fact of the matter is I can think of a more pro-COVID activity than jiu-jitsu right now and I’m not at all interested in seeing what the coronavirus might want do with a guy like me.
That said, I still measure a lot of what I do in terms of jiu-jitsu: the film study I do during LSD cardio, the choices I make for strength and conditioning, etc. Chad Wesley Smith, who helps some of the top older Gracie Barra athletes (Otavio Sousa and Romulo Barral) with their S&C, offered a strength standards guide for jiu-jitsu athletes that I’ve been using as a sort of benchmark on my slow boat back to BJJ.
Squat 2x BW
Bench 1.5x BW
Deadlift 2.5x BW
CWS suggests that hitting these standards puts a jiu-jitsu competitor (which I am not) at or near the top of the field in terms of basic strength. Based on the work I’m doing now, my bench is right on target but both my squat and deadlift are lagging badly. Most of this has to do with not being able to really load for the squat or deadlift for the 18 months I’ve had to rely on my garage gym of bands and dumbbells. Right now I feel I could “easily” go heavier with the deadlift than I have been. But the squat is pretty stubborn, and feels like it’s going to take more time.
If my squat was where my bench press is, I’d be working with 245 lbs instead of 185 lbs. If my deadlift was where my bench is, I’d be pulling 305 lbs instead of 210 lbs.
So the current goal is to get those numbers up: add 60 lbs to my working squat weight and about 90 pounds to my working deadlift weight. I’d like to nail these down by the end of the year.
FRIDAY
BW: 146.8 lbs
waist: 33 1/4"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 370 calories / 52:01 minutes
SATURDAY
BW: 147.2 lbs
waist: 33 1/4"
BUHL Strong 1.0, Week 2, Day 3
Deadlift
bar x 10
105 lbs x 8
150 lbs x 5
185 lbs x 3
Four sets of 210 lbs x 3
Four sets of 210 lbs x 2
Dips
BW x 10
+25 lbs x 8
+50 lbs x 5
+70 lbs x 3
Four sets +90 lbs x 3
Four sets +90 lbs x 2
Another Saturday training day meant doing these as separate exercises instead of as a “circuit” or “superset.” Again used 1 minute rests between sets to increase training density. Ramped up differently (i.e., lighter) for the deadlifts than last time. Top set at 210 lbs still feels like it could be heavier. But I’ll stick with it for now.
Total workout time: 60 minutes.
MONDAY
BW: 151.4 lbs
waist: 34"
BUHL Strong: Week 3, Day1
OHP
bar x 10
65 lbs x 8
75 lbs x 5
80 lbs x 3
85 lbs x 3
90 lbs x 3
95 lbs x 3
100 lbs x 3
105 lbs x 3
110 lbs x 3
115 lbs x 3
120 lbs x 3 (RPE 10)
Very tough final two reps. Final rep was as close to failure as I’ve come on the BB OHP.
45 degree incline BB bench press
bar x 10
95 lbs x 8
120 lbs x 5
125 lbs x 3
130 lbs x 3
135 lbs x 3
140 lbs x 3
145 lbs x 3
150 lbs x 3 (RPE 9)
New PR at 150 lbs x 3
Flat BB bench press
bar x 10
95 lbs x 8
120 lbs x 5
150 lbs x 3
165 lbs x 3
175 lbs x 3
185 lbs x 3 (RPE 91/2)
Total workout time: 75 minutes. 90 seconds rest between triples.
= hours later =
Evening Delts
Side laterals
Low partials 3 sets of 25 lbs x 20
Full range 3 sets of 10 X20
Final set of the 10s was broken twice.
TUESDAY
BW: 149.6 lbs
waist: 33 3/4"
Missed cardio session. Will make it up on Saturday.
= == ===
WEDNESDAY
BW: 147.8 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Warmup
Back squat bar x 10
Chins BW x 10
Back squat 95 lbs x 8
Chins +15 lbs x 8
Back squat 135 lbs x 5
Chins +25 lbs x 5
Back squat 165 lbs x 3
Chins +35 lbs x 3
Work sets
Back squat 185 lbs x 3
Chins +45 lbs x 3
Repeat four times
Back squat 185 lbs x 2
Chins +45 lbs x 2
Repeat two times
90 seconds rest between exercises. Total workout time including warmup 65 minutes.
THURSDAY
BW: 148.6 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 374 calories / 52:02 minutes
New gym has some cardio equipment my old gym didn’t have, including an Airdyne bike, a Ski erg, and a Versaclimber-type ladder set-up I don’t quite get. All the same, I’m looking forward to trying some of this stuff out this fall and changing up my cardio modality a li’l bit.
FRIDAY
BW: 148 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
BUHL Strong: Week 3, Day 3
Warmup
Deadlift bar x 10
Dips BW x 10
Deadlift 105 lbs x 8
Dips +25 lbs x 8
Deadlift 150 lbs x 5
Dips +50 lbs x 5
Deadlift 185 lbs x 3
Dips +70 lbs x 3
Work sets
Deadlift 210 lbs x 3
Dips +90 lbs x 3
Repeat four times
Deadlift 210 lbs x 2
Dips +90 lbs x 2
Repeat two times
90 seconds rest between exercises. Total workout time including warmup 70 minutes.
Tweaked my left shoulder during the dip warmups. Feels like rotator cuff irritation as opposed to something muscular. With bracing, I was able to get all my reps in. Will give it a rest over the weekend and see how it feels on Monday. Was nice to finally get this session in as a superset for a change.
SATURDAY
BW: 148.6 lbs
waist: 33 1/2"
Cardio
Incline treadmill walk
3.0 miles / 383 calories / 51:02 minutes
Shoulder was feeling pretty rough for the first 24 hours. Much better today - surprisingly so - after a dose of Ibuprofen, which doesn’t always work as advertised for me. I’ve been going too heavy with the dips, substituting strength standards math for actual experience doing the work.
I’m not sure how my pressing will be affected by the shoulder issues. I’d like to stick with my current program. I’m doing a lot of pressing on Mondays/Day One, but right now, it’s more movements like lateral raises and rear delt work are the most painful. My final day of the week will definitely have to lose the dips for a little while. I’m thinking of swapping in some isolation work (low2high cable flyes and overhead triceps extensions).
