Colucci Still Lifts

[Chris_Colucci]

Tuesday workout:
A) Safety bar squat EMOM 15mins (5x1, add weight 5x1, add weight 5x1)

B) Landmine reverse lunge 3x10-12

C1) Band pullapart 3x20 w/ 3-count peak contraction
C2) 2-DB stiff-arm row 3x6-8

Went to an outdoor movie Friday night and got bit apparently by some mutant mosquito right on the knuckle joint. My ring finger and back of my hand swelled up a ton, had to take my wedding ring off. Never had that kind of reaction before, so I popped Benadryl and used cortisone cream daily. Finally went back to normal by Monday afternoon, but to be double-safe I pushed Monday’s workout to yesterday.

Played around with the bar position on the landmine lunge. Holding it mid-chest/goblet-style just felt “off”. Holding on the same side felt the front leg working harder than contralateral, but contralateral was more stable overall, not surprisingly.

The row variation is basically this using two dumbbells instead of just one:

Straight Arm One-Arm Dumbbell Row

Basically a standing pullover variation or free weight stiff-arm pulldown. Hits the lats like crazy. Feels better pulling on a slight angle, like 4-5 and 7-8 instead of straight back towards the feet at 6 o’clock, and a pretty slow tempo up and down.

[Chris_Colucci]

Still around. Still putting in some work.

Wednesday morning weight: 196.1

Tuesday food:
9:00 - Spike, Mag-10

12:00 - Oatmeal, peanut butter, raisins, 1 scoop Metabolic Drive

2:30 - Indigo-3G
3:00 - 1 scoop Plazma, 5g creatine
3:30 - 1 scoop Plazma

4:30 - Beef jerky; watermelon

7:00 - Pork stir fry, cauliflower rice/white rice mix

9:00 - 2 scoops Metabolic Drive

[Chris_Colucci]

Tuesday workout:
A) Top squat EMOM 15mins (5x1, add weight 5x1, add weight 5x1)

B1) D-roy raise 4x10
B2) Slight decline DB press 1.5 reps 4x8-12

First workout since receiving the Top Squat bar attachment. The thing feels ridiculously sturdy, but will take some time to dial in the bar position. I’m used to doing safety squats with the bar a bit higher up, almost like a high bar squat, but this digs in at a weird angle there so it needs to ride a bit lower across the traps. I can kinda “roll” it up a bit on the eccentric by using the handles, just gonna take some figuring out.

Other thing I was worried about was the grip and wrist, so I had to sort that out as I went. Basically can’t comfortably grip the bar they way it’s meant to be, but came up with a 100% suitable alternative (grabbing as far down as is physically possible).

Some pics (@FlatsFarmer):

The plate’s just for some sense of scale. I just barely fit my shoulders inside where the tops of the handles meet on each side. No clue how bigger, wider guys can squeeze into position, but apparently they do. Though it’s probably using the suggested “push handles up while squatting” advice it comes with, not the typical “pull handles down while squatting” for standard SSB squats.

Just to get a sense of the handle’s angle.

Grabbing the bar as intended. Tweaks the wrist in a weird way (radial flexion, to be fancy) that’s maybe tolerable, but likely long-term gonna cause an issue with enough volume.

How I ended up grabbing the handle, sliding down with sort of an “OK” finger grip around the handle’s flange for more of a palms-down orientation. Still felt plenty stable since it the bar requires minimal grip effort in the first place.

Haven’t really tried it with hands-free squats, but I don’t think they’re doable based on how the handle arms ride ride against the shoulders and shift the whole setup.

Regardless, it’s a new gym toy and those are always fun. So, yay.

[FlatsFarmer]

Thanks Chris. The wrist angle does look a little funny. That thing does look heavy-duty.

[tlgains]

Hello Chris you still gonna update your log?

[Chris_Colucci]

When I can, for sure. Just busy with little time for socializing.

In a nutshell, unabashed birthday gluttony yesterday:
Buttered bagel and bigass coffee for breakfast; Leftover meatloaf sandwich for lunch; Mrs. dropped off a sausage Mcmuffin and hash brown for late lunch; Chinese for dinner - hot and sour soup, boneless ribs, egg roll, hot and spicy chicken; Inhaled a Snickers that was meant for trick or treaters. Cake postponed until tomorrow.

Showed appreciation for the meatsuit with a quick celebratory challenge - Bodyweight exercise for double-age in reps. This year: burpee-chins for 82 total reps. Oof. I earned the Chinese gol’dangit.

[tlgains]

You sure love your bigass coffees don’t ya Chris

[Chris_Colucci]

Because traditions are important. Another favorite pic of all-time. Most people are more familiar with the iconic shot of Sergio from this pool game - the profile pic with his arm stretching the sleeve something ridiculous.

I like this one better because of Oliva’s swagger, Joe Weider sneaking a peek at his arm (or maybe his glutes, NTTAWWT), and what I see as Gironda looking truly pissed at paying out some cash.

[Chris_Colucci]

Friday morning weight: 198.3

Thursday food:
9:00 - Spike, Mag-10, creatine

1:00 - Scrambled eggs; toast w/ coconut oil

6:00 - Hibachi takeout: Chicken breast, steak, shrimp; zucchini and onions; beef gyoza; fried rice; 2 sake bombs

11:59 - Prosecco; sugar cookies

I stuck to my plan from last year to stay under 200, so that’s neat. Not much else sorted out so far. Back on track come Monday. Yeah, yeah, that’s what they all say.

[Chris_Colucci]

Thursday morning weight: 198.5

Wednesday food:

9:00 - Spike, Mag-10

12:00 - 3 eggs, 1 slice bacon, Normandy veg; apricot

2:30 - Indigo-3G
3:00 - 1 scoop Plazma, 5g creatine
3:30 - 1 scoop Plazma

6:00 - Ribs; potato wedges, bbq sace; salad w/ apple cider vinegar

8:30 - Mag-10

[Chris_Colucci]

Wednesday workout:

A) Top squat EMOM 18min. (5x1, add weight 5x1, add weight 5x1, add weight each minute after until technical failure)

B1) Toes to bar 5x8
B2) 1-arm swing 5x25

Pretty much narrowed down for sure that sticking to a 12-hour eating window works best for me. A very, very loose interpretation of “intermittent fasting” (if a nutritional approach requires a label, which it doesn’t) but based on a bunch of science stuff.

Relative to when I wake up and go to sleep, it’s basically just not eating breakfast ASAP and then not eating within two hours of bed, which are super-easy things to do.

Starting with that morning shake is also a foundation I can’t slack on. Aside from the mandatory caffeine kick, it lets me bank calories to spend on dinner with the fam, which is a priority.

Kinda funny how, way back in the day (I’m talking mid ‘90s Body For Life-era), simply alternating solid food meals with shakes throughout the day was a popular approach. And that’s pretty much what I’ve settled into most days of the week - shake, food, workout shake, food, shake. On non-training days, probably wouldn’t hurt to swap in a shake around what would be workout time, either.

Workout-wise, I’m going with The S48 Program. Patent pending, copyright, TM, all rights reserved. S48, of course, being supercool slang for “break a Sweat every 48 hours” Yeah, no, I haven’t come up with a much more detailed approach than that, but I figure it’s broad enough to be flexible and builds off consistency more than swanky programming. Progressions may include S36, S24, and, for peak week, S12.

[bonoboschimp]

since you put pics on display i guess you don’t mind some comments on them.

you look lean enough for optimal health in my not so scientific view.

for aesthethics i’d say glutes and trapz and posture/symmetry (or camera angle) are most lagging, but thats just my taste.

forearms/hands look strong, especially right side (tennis?), your best part imo.

[carlbm]

@Chris_Colucci

The S48 Program .

You know - in all honesty I think there is something in that. 90% of people wouldn’t do this. And that’s not healthy. I try and do “something” every day that gets me out of breath. No not that. But I think there is something about saying at least 7 times a fortnight I will get the heart rate up a bit. Even if its just a 30 min walk.

[Chris_Colucci]

@bonoboschimp

for aesthethics i’d say glutes and trapz and posture/symmetry (or camera angle) are most lagging

Fair enough. Glutes I’ll chalk up to the shorts, but since I’m not about to post pics in boxer briefs, I’ll take it for what it’s worth.

Traps and posture could be wonky despite my best efforts. I did break my right collarbone when I was a wee lad, and later got a severely pinched trap on the same side that had me messed up for a few months, so there’s probably some underlying catch-up going on.

It’s normal function, full ROM, and no pain, but I do think certain musculoskeletal injuries can result in long-term developmental damage. It’s not like I did physical therapy in second grade, either. It was just “wear a sling and skip gym class for a while.”

hands look strong

Aaaaand now I’m sad. Thanks.

Big Strong Hands

especially right side (tennis?)

Yeah, uh, tennis. It’s tennis. 30 years of tennis.

[Chris_Colucci]

@carlbm

You know - in all honesty I think there is something in that.

Ha, yeah it’s funny. I thought I was just joking, then as I was writing it down and giving it a think, I realized it wasn’t really that big a joke.

Kinda like Berardi’s “5 hours of activity per week” concept. Sometimes big, broad generalizations are a solid-enough start as long as the consistency’s there. Especially if someone’s coming from a detrained state or a sporadic training routine.

[carlbm]

So I was thinking about it today. I think Joe Average should start here. I mean Starting Strength is basically the same thing. In the gym every 48h. But from holistic health approach saying “Just do something every 48h” is a great start.

If nothing else it teaches 2 great lesson:
Consistency is key
It might be boring but it works.

And then progression is simple as you say. S48, S36, S24. I’ll leave this to you to figure out the detail. But if undertake a study into the results, I expect a credit on the paper!

Edit - the 100 rep challenge. I done this in 2010. You start with 100 reps of a movement (a big push, pull or leg movement). Get all 100 done in a day. Then in a 5 h gap. Then in a 1h gap.
I started with a lunge. The press up then pull up.

I managed to do 100 squats, 100 press ups and 100 pull ups in 45mins. 6 days a week.

I was in great shape.

[bonoboschimp]

i google-researched how to increase bone thickness a couple of years ago. i recall an article i thus came across that showed some kind of cross sectional picture of the forearms of an accomplished tennis player, the cross sections of the bones were clearly visible.

the dudes dominant side had 20% more cross sectional bone area.

either tennis has that effect on the bone or it attracts people with one side thicker than the other. who knows?

[Chris_Colucci]

@carlbm

I expect a credit on the paper!

And a commission from the ebook, of course.

@bonoboschimp

the dudes dominant side had 20% more cross sectional bone area.

I think moderate to high-impact training has been shown to have a significant effect on bone density, so it makes sense that’d be the case from the repetitive contact of hitting with the racket.

[Chris_Colucci]

Wednesday morning weight: 197.7

Tuesday food:
9:00 - Mag-10, Spike

12:00 - Eggs, diced potato, spinach/kale

2:30 - Indigo-3G
3:00 - 1 scoop Plazma, 5g creatine
3:30 - 1 scoop Plazma

6:00 - Stir-fry (pork tenderloin, Napa cabbage, Normandy veg, kohlrabi); white rice/cauliflower rice mix

9:00 - Mag-10

[Chris_Colucci]

Tuesday workout:

A) Reverse crunch 3x20
B) J-rope pulldown 4x10-12
C) Neutral-grip t-bar row 4x6-8
D) 1-arm pulldown 3x8-12
E) EZ-bar curl 4x6-8
F) Reverse incline curl 4x10-15

Jump rope 500 total skips

2-4 exercises per body part for 3-4x8-12 is straight-up bodybuilding work and there’s not a thing in the world wrong with that.

Think I’m gonna give go at the ol’ push/pull/legs for a while. Also known as “back and bis; chest, shoulders, tris; legs”, because bodyparts are a thing.