6/6/20
AM: tennis singles, 1 hour, push mower, 1 hour, 500 jump ropes, farmers walks with 100lbs KB’s x100 feet x5
PM: Abdominal training
A1) Reverse crunch with roll on SB: x20, x8, x12
B1) Push-up with feet on SB: x20, x20
C1) Side-plank hold: 60 sec each side
D1) Ab wheel rollout from knees: x20, x20
6/7/20
Bodyweight: 193lbs
Super low energy the past few days adjusting to low carb transitioning. Yesterday’s activities may have been a bit much. Makes me wonder if it’s worth it. Also-trying to keep my daily macros at around 2000 calories has been extremely challenging. Hunger hormones be raging.
Quick workout (not what I intended to only complete). No abs or conditioning today.
A1) RESS in Smith machine, offset dumbbell: 50lbs x10, x10, x10 alternating legs
B1) Incline dumbbell curls: 35lbs each x8, x8, x8, x7
C1) Reverse fly (chest supported) 15lbs each x10, x10, x10, x10
D1) Seated soleus raise: 50lbs x10, x8, x8
6/8/20
AM: Tennis serves, 80 yard track sprints outdoors x10
PM: Yard work, bags of mulch and topsoil. Back doesn’t appreciate it.
Diet summary last week. A bit too many calories.
6/9/20
Wow, I feel like shit. At this point, my current diet and activity level have seemed to slow me down in every sense. The 35" love-handle area has not moved in a week and a half, despite a “cheat day” of eating what I want from time to time. I feel best in the morning, then am useless and irritable pretty much from noon on.
Looking back, the past 2.5 months have been intermittent fasting with about 10-20% fat, in addition to not lifting more than 100lbs in kettlebells. I re-read this gem of an article about metabolism, which I skimmed before but pretty much had trouble comprehending. It’s starting to make a lot more sense now…
PM: Abdominal training
I had about two good full body training sessions last week at my re-opened gym, and one very shitty one. I also don’t feel I recovered well from either.
So- to continue reducing body fat, I’m leaning towards two weeks or more of EM/EM with heavier weights, and maybe cut out the conditioning, seeing where I’m at. This week is looking like eating less, exercising less fo-sho…
Today:
A1) Reverse crunch with roll on SB: x20, x8, x10, x12
B1) Push-up with feet on SB: x20, x20, x10
C1) Side-plank hold: 60 sec each side x2
D1) Ab wheel rollout from knees: x20, x20, x10
6/10/20
A1) Back squat (high bar) warm up sets, 175lbs x6, x6, x6, x5, x5
B1) Close grip chin-ups (bodyweight) x10, x8, x6, x5, x5
C1) Decline sit-up (45 deg, contracting hamstrings) x10, x10, x8
D1) Seated cable face pull with rope, 42.5lbs x20, x20, x20
E1) Seated machine calf raise (knees straight) 175lbs x12, x10, x8, x8
F1) Seated knee extension machine, 110lbs x15, x15, x15, x15
Pretty good workout, added 10 lbs on the back squat, working on core tightness. Low back bothering me a bit.
You’re in it for the last couple of weeks Trim, keep it up.
Your recent posts indicates you’ve found something to keep the spirit high.
6/13/20
Hurt my back pretty bad, where I can’t do much today following tennis singles and doubles last night. Couldn’t sleep much or get comfortable last night as a result. Have been feeling a twinge or two daily since after squatting this week. So I’m taking it easy, no lifting or anything explosive for the next few days. Some positioning changes and lying flat or up on elbows to load the lumbar spine.
Today: 60 minute walk outdoors (was a struggle on the back) now and for the foreseeable future. It is what it is.
6/14/20
Not much to report. Another 60 minute walk and some light chores today, with lots of lumbar spine press-up’s throughout the day. Ate junk and laid on the couch much of yesterday, so calories were super high. I am trying for another week of eat less, exercise less since I’m hurt.
This week’s diet summary:
6/16/20
A1)RESS in smith machine, offset dumbbell, foot on low bar: 55lbs x10, x10, x10, x10, x10 (alternating legs)
B1) Wide-grip barbell hang-pull: 135lbs x5, x5, x5
C1) Seated machine soleus raise: 50lbs x10, x10, x8, x8, x8
D1) Incline dumbbell curls: 40lbs x6, x6, x6, x5, x4
E1) Dumbbell supported one arm row with supination: 65lbs x6, x6, x6, x6 (alternating arms)
F1) Reverse dumbbell fly, chest supported 17.5lbs x10, x10, x10
Low back friendly workout, which is feeling better daily, but not quite ready for squats or spinal flexion under load. Mornings feel the worst until I do some lying lumbar extension, which I have been continuing throughout the day. Still trying to keep calories on the low side and activities modest until Sunday.
6/18/20
AM walk, 60 min, some kiddie pool time, then
A1) Reverse crunch with roll on SB: x25, x20, x5
B1) Push-up with feet on SB: x20, x20, x10
C1) Side-plank hold: 60 sec each side x2
D1) Ab wheel rollout from knees: x20, x20, x10
Low back held up, got a little sunburn, and a little ab burn.
6/19/20
Comp update:
Bodyweight: (1/1/20) 215lbs—(1/30/20) 208lbs—(3/1/20) 203lbs—
(5/1/20) 198lbs—(5/15/20) 195lbs—(5/30/20) 194lbs—(6/19/20) 187lbs
Height: 6 foot and a half
Circumference (all relaxed):
Neck: (1/1/20)15.25 inches—(1/30/20)15 inches—(3/1/20) 14.75"—(5/1/20) 14.75"—(5/15/20) 15"—(5/30/20) 15"—(6/19/20) 14.5"
Shoulders/upper chest: (1/30/20)50 inches—(1/30/20)49 inches—(3/1/20) 48"—(5/1/20) 48.5"—(5/15/20) 49.5"—(5/30/20) 48.5"—(6/19/20) 46.5"
Belly at umbilicus: (1/1/20)39.5 inches—(1/30/20) 38 inches—(3/1/20) 37"—(5/1/20) 37.5"—(5/15/20) 36"—(5/30/20) 35"—(6/19/20) 35"
Arms at mid-lateral triceps head: (1/1/20)14.5 inches—(1/30/20)14.5 inches—(3/1/20) 14.5"—(5/1/20) 14.75"—(5/15/20) 14"—(5/30/20) 14"—(6/19/20) 14"
Forearms at widest: (1/1/20)12.5 inches—(1/30/20)12.25 inches—(3/1/20) 12"—(5/1/20) 12"—(5/15/20) 12"—(5/30/20) 12.5"—(6/19/20) 12.5"
Quadriceps at inch above patella: (1/1/20)17.25 inches—(1/30/20) 16.5 inches—(3/1/20) 16.75"—(5/1/20) 16.25"—(5/15/20) 16.5"—(5/30/20) 16.5"—(6/19/20) 16.5"
Calves at widest: (1/1/20)15.5 inches—(1/30/20) 15 inches—(3/1/20) 15.5"—(5/1/20) 15"—(5/15/20) 15"—(5/30/20) 14.75"—(6/19/20) 14.75"
Lost bodyweight, perhaps water/muscle size, especially in the shoulder region, following less intense, less frequent training the past few weeks. With my back getting better, I will now add some calories (but not too many!) in addition to some harder training and back to cardio with some tennis. I will want to hover around 190-192lbs without much gain in belly size from there on out, or I will conclude I am eating too much.
Tonight, tennis singles and doubles, about 2 hours.
Woop woop well done Trim, I think you’ll put on about 4 lbs when you start to level out and eat a bit more. Eat wisely the body remembers where it has been for quite a while and wants to get back fast.
6/23/20
AM quick, back friendly workout before breakfast
repeated knees to chest with overpressure x40 (for low back pain)
A1) Static squat iso-hold 60 seconds
A2) Air squats x40
B1) Reverse crunch with roll on SB: x25, x20, x5
B2) Push-up with feet on SB: x20, x20, x10
6/26/20
AM gym workout
Back still sucks
A1) Leg Press (3 plates each side) x8, x8, x8, x7, x7
B1) Pull-up (shoulder width, BWT) x5, x5, x5, x5
C1) Dips (knees bent glutes fired for triceps emphasis) Bwt x5, x5, x5, x5
D1) Standing Arnold press (40lbs ea) x8, x8, x8, x6, x5
E1) Seated low cable pull (narrow grip) 80lbs x7, x6, x6, x5
F1) Standing reverse grip cable triceps pushdown 60lbs x8, x8, x7, x6
6/28/20
A1) Reverse crunch with roll on SB: x25, x25
B1) Push-up with feet on SB: x20, x20, x10
C1) Side-plank hold: 60 sec each side x2, x2
D1) Ab wheel rollout from knees: x20, x20
Then push lawn mower, around 60 minutes with weeding.
Very lax diet this week, beer yesterday, Moscow Mules today, as part of a plan. Well, the drinking isn’t really part of the plan, but I put the dietary guard down, knowing full well I go back to strict after this weekend.
Avoiding squats and not doing as much lifting as I want to, both because of my low back issue and Covid. I wore a mask in my crowded gym last week and that was pretty tough, but I allowed myself ample rest periods to catch some air.
A friend asked me recently, “why do you squat if it always hurts you?”. My reply was some thing like, “I’m really starting to ponder that”. Years of programming and reading squats are actually good for you, are bad-assed, have carry-over to sports and life, yadda, yadda, are probably the real reason. Can I stick to a routine of leg presses and split squats to get a good effect? Some may say yes…
I care about strength, stability, power, and the anabolic effect, but I’m going for an aesthetic change. So do I need them in a routine now?
6/29/20
A1)RESS in smith machine, offset dumbbell, foot on low bar: 55lbs x10, x10, x10, x10, x10 (alternating legs)
B1) Wide-grip barbell hang-pull: 135lbs x5, x5, x5, x5
C1) Seated machine soleus raise: 50lbs x10, x10, x8, x8, x8
D1) Incline dumbbell curls: 40lbs x6, x6, x6, x5, x4
E1) Dumbbell supported one arm row with supination: 70lbs x6, x6, x6, x6 (alternating arms)
F1) Reverse dumbbell fly, chest supported 17.5lbs x10, x10, x10
I was way too loose with the calories this week. Eat more, accomplished, exercise more, not so much. Probably a 10% increase of daily calories is all I actually need. Not the 200% increase that happened.
7/1/20
A1) Front squat warm up sets, 95lbs x6, x6, x6, x5
B1) Close grip chin-ups (bodyweight) x10, x6, x6, x5, x4
C1) Decline sit-up (45 deg, contracting hamstrings) x10, x10, x10, x10, x8
D1) Seated cable face pull with rope, 42.5lbs x20, x20, x20
E1) Seated machine calf raise (knees straight) 175lbs x12, x10, x8, x8
F1) Seated knee extension machine, 130lbs x15, x10, x10, x10
7/5/20
A1) Leg Press (gradual warm-up sets, then, 4 plates each side) x8, x6, x6, x6, x6
B1) Pull-up (shoulder width, BWT) x5, x5, x5, x5
C1) Dips (knees bent glutes fired for triceps emphasis) Bwt x5, x5, x5, x5, x5
D1) Standing Arnold press (45 lbs ea) x8, x8, x6, x6, x5
E1) Seated low cable pull (narrow grip) 80lbs x7, x6, x6, x5
F1) Standing reverse grip cable triceps pushdown 65lbs x8, x8, x8 x6
7/7/20
A1)RESS in smith machine, offset dumbbell, foot on low bar: 60lbs x10, x10, x10, (alternating legs)
B1) Wide-grip barbell hang-pull: 135lbs x5, x5, x5, x5
C1) Seated machine soleus raise: 50lbs x15, x12, x11, x10
D1) Incline dumbbell curls: 40lbs x10, x6, x5, x5, 35lbs x6, 15lbs x20
E1) Dumbbell supported one arm row with supination: 70lbs x8, x8, x8 (alternating arms)
F1) Reverse dumbbell fly, chest supported 17.5lbs x20, x20
7/10/20
A1) Front squat warm up sets (bar, calf stretching), 95lbs x5, 110lbs x5, 135lbs x5, x5, x4- back twinge said hello
B1) Close grip chin-ups (bodyweight) (Fat bar) x5, x5, x5, (regular bar) x10, x6, x6, x5, x4- lats trashed
C1) Decline sit-up (45 deg, contracting hamstrings) x10, x10, x10, x10
D1) Seated cable face pull with rope, 42.5lbs x20, x20, x20
E1) Seated machine calf raise (knees straight) 190lbs x12, x10, x8, x8
F1) Seated knee extension machine, 150 lbs x15, x10, x10, x10
Back was unhappy all day after this, but I was stretching it out and working on it. I played 2 hours of tennis and felt it later in the evening, (I know- stupid but only time I could schedule it).
I need to either film and analyse my squat technique, or give barbell squats up all together. I feel like I’m bracing well, but probably over-arching to keep upright I suspect.
This morning (the next day) I can’t bend or walk well at all. No tingling down the leg, but very disabling.
