Demigod before 35 (Aldebaran)

[aldebaran]

@dagill2

Do you even cheat meal, bro?

All the time. This is my second/third week of rebalancing food. Lowering calories. Today, two homemade cheeseburgers and fries. Yesterday, sushis, the two days before: twice ice cream ahahahah

Friday, max out on deads, then I’m being stricter again. Probably gonna have to do o-lift test ina month, and the weight used will be directly proportional to my weight

Normal meal schedule will be:

• Meal 1: 3 eggs, 2 slice of lean ham, veggies

• Meal 2: homemade protein pancakes + fruits or homemade protein bar (if I made them) + fruits

• Meal 3: 100 gr rice + 200/250 gr lean meat + vegetables + soy sauce and sweet and sour sugary sauce

• Meal 4: 200 gr lean meat + probably more carby vegetables like butternut

• Meal 5: 200 gr fat meat + vegetables

Calories: no fucking clue, but still less than I used to do

[dagill2]

I’m mostly joking. You do a lot of work, so it doesn’t suprise me that you can tolerate a lot of food.

[aldebaran]

Less work these few weeks but yeah it is still quite tiresome…

[aldebaran]

18/11 - the annoying stuff

A. Modified hips airplane and the like

B. Rotator cuff work (among others, no-moneys, subscapular push-ups, overhead shrugs…)

C. Abs stuff (dead bugs, side planks…)

D. “Full-body sprint”
10 push-ups
10 air squats
30 secs bike sprint (initially 200m run)
time 7’00

E. 20 mins moderate cycling

Did what I have to do, even though it was quite hard to get motivated! Could feel my glutes work correctly during the hip stuff. Gonna do it often.

Honestly really satisfied with the dead bugs. last time I did them (oooh that was a long time ago) I had lots of trouble no extending my lumbar spine. Did felt them good! Could also feel the rotator cuff stuff be helpful.

The little wod was harder than it thought on the legs, and a good heart pump. Cycling afterwards was boring as hell it’s relaly a battle to embrace the suck.

Feeling a bit down today. Sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture ahah. Hard to get motivated to train at home without material, when night is early and it’s getting cold. Begining to diet down is annoying as hell because sometimes I feel the only good times I really enjoy in life are training, spending time with my friends/talking to them, and eating. And now eating is more like a chore because I can’t eat what I want, but instead I have to meal prep and force myself to cooook a lot and eat specific things.

Good thing I made a good friend in class, we’re talking all the time and it’s refreshing. Classes through Zoom are horrible! I have such a hard time to focus, especially on mindless robot stuff like anatomy where you have to learn by heart hundreds of things.

Then girls, haven’t dated since march, and it feels like I’m missing a big slice of the pie of life you know? I’m 30, living my “best years” and I can’t even enjoy it to the fullest ahah by doing what’s the human being is programmed to do. Hormones are crazy when you hang around crazy hot chicks all the time.

My classmate is a playboy, and he has sex all the time. Well I don’t want that. Just want to “se poser”, find someone stable and build something you know. He tells me, if I wanted I could have anyone, but I’m too “cute, and nice, and shy etc” and girls want more action and agressivity. Never seen someone with such high morals/values but maybe it’s because I’m not used to this new generation of Tinder etc
Another friend tells me to just focus on class and work and that I’ll see later.
Maybe! Who knows? But sometimes I’m conflicted. I’m saying to myself “ugh this is too much work and energy”, plus I get attached way too easily, like to the girl I’m kinda talking to. Sometimes well i’m just crazy ahahah

Anyway, this is most likely just a down day. Tomorrow, clean and jerk. Friday max out on deadlift! I’m eating a nice cheat and a beer lol, consuming energy for friday!

[Voxel]

@aldebaran

Did what I have to do, even though it was quite hard to get motivated! Could feel my glutes work correctly during the hip stuff. Gonna do it often.

With rehab work I find it is best to attach it to a habit I already have. Brush teeth. Eat lunch. Whatever. I really like pairing it with meals because aNaBoLiSm.

@aldebaran

And now eating is more like a chore because I can’t eat what I want, but instead I have to meal prep and force myself to cooook a lot and eat specific things.

Dieting down is something you yourself chose to do though, yes? So you can abandon the quest if now is a bad timing for you.

@aldebaran

especially on mindless robot stuff like anatomy where you have to learn by heart hundreds of things.

Check out SuperMemo or Anki. For rote memory stuff, spaced-repetition is how you beat the exam.

@aldebaran

and girls want more action and agressivity.

I don’t approve of these gender sweeping generalisations. Some people certainly do, not all of them do. Of course, with Tinder, there is a certain selection bias. Check out Badoo and Bumble as well.

@aldebaran

plus I get attached way too easily

This is worth working on. Give a thought to whether or not this relates to your previous depressions. You should also familiarise yourself with Attachment theory.

Attachment theory

@aldebaran

I’m eating a nice cheat and a beer lol, consuming energy for friday!

Awesome!

[aldebaran]

@Voxel

With rehab work I find it is best to attach it to a habit I already have. Brush teeth. Eat lunch. Whatever. I really like pairing it with meals because aNaBoLiSm.

How do you do your rehab stuff while eating ahahah?

@Voxel

Dieting down is something you yourself chose to do though, yes? So you can abandon the quest if now is a bad timing for you.

Most likely with the lockdown everything is changing, and I’ll probably have to do olifts exams in like a month or so. Not severe dieting, but I believe I could lsoe 2 kgs, and having a better nutrition might boost performance as well!

@Voxel

I don’t approve of these gender sweeping generalisations. Some people certainly do, not all of them do. Of course, with Tinder, there is a certain selection bias. Check out Badoo and Bumble as well.

Of course, and this is just the sayings of one person. But one person who is immensely more successful than me with the ladies ahahah
Honestly I’m on zero dating apps. Not a big message guy, especially when working a lot. I don’t know, first there’s the issue of cheating with pics, then it lacks charms, the sound of the voice, the little things that make like a person or not. I’m not interested in casual sex, honestly I don’t even know if I could perform loool

@Voxel

Awesome!

Feeling a bit guilty because I really overdid it today but heeeh it’s okay if I do 200 friday it’ll be worth it!

Also the beer is pairing nicely with AC Valhala that I bought, gonna unwind a bit and raid some roastbeefs

[Voxel]

@aldebaran

How do you do your rehab stuff while eating ahahah?

Do it before your meal. But, yeah I could probably do it between having bites. I emptied my dishwasher while having lunch yesterday.

@aldebaran

Most likely with the lockdown everything is changing, and I’ll probably have to do olifts exams in like a month or so. Not severe dieting, but I believe I could lsoe 2 kgs, and having a better nutrition might boost performance as well!

Good luck. Doing it moderately or having a more aggressive approach? I’ve come to realise that for me, a lot of magic happens at 1600-1800 calories per day. And everything before then is just… I just hop straight to that point now, and ride it out for 2-4-6 weeks. And that suits me better than titrating down.

@aldebaran

Of course, and this is just the sayings of one person. But one person who is immensely more successful than me with the ladies ahahah

Seems like the definition of success here is highly debatable as his end game and yours are entirely different.

@aldebaran

I’m not interested in casual sex, honestly I don’t even know if I could perform loool

I’m usually very bad at casual hook-ups so you are not alone.

@aldebaran

Honestly I’m on zero dating apps. Not a big message guy, especially when working a lot. I don’t know, first there’s the issue of cheating with pics, then it lacks charms, the sound of the voice, the little things that make like a person or not

All fair arguments, however, it is a viable venue (at least here) to meet people (even sensible ones). But you’ll never get anywhere unless you actually start with it. I think of it like reps. If I’m not (currently am not as I’m not keen on getting involved with anyone) in those apps then my skill at finding people that I like possibly atrophies, but it sure as shit isn’t improving.

And sure, you might get lucky and run into someone that is good for you and you are good for them but like, you’d train and put effort into getting a 200 kg deadlift so why not approach this with the same mindset. Take the process seriously, but don’t take the outcomes personally.

[aldebaran]

@Voxel

Good luck. Doing it moderately or having a more aggressive approach? I’ve come to realise that for me, a lot of magic happens at 1600-1800 calories per day. And everything before then is just… I just hop straight to that point now, and ride it out for 2-4-6 weeks. And that suits me better than titrating down.

Yeah no I’m not counting, and I don’t have to go this low, by a good margin. My meal tonight was 2000 calories loool and I’m still a bit hungry. It’s simple, I just don’t “cheat” everyday and I’ll lose plenty enough of weight. Usually my cheats aren’t this gargantuous though and around 1K - 1K5 tops

@Voxel

Seems like the definition of success here is highly debatable as his end game and yours are entirely different.

Touché, nicely observed

@Voxel

And sure, you might get lucky and run into someone that is good for you and you are good for them but like, you’d train and put effort into getting a 200 kg deadlift so why not approach this with the same mindset.

Yeah you’re right. Practice makes perfect. This time I actually added a girl on IG and engaged and did all the leg work (which I had never done before), so there’s progress. But it’s a process. And yeah, you’re right.

@Voxel

Take the process seriously, but don’t take the outcomes personally.

I’m the first one to say it but it’s often hard not to!

[Voxel]

@aldebaran

I’m the first one to say it but it’s often hard not to!

Are you familiar with Trevor Ragan?

[aldebaran]

Not at all. I had this conclusion watching several More plates more dates vids (lol) when he explained that there are so many reasons a girl wouldn’t go out with you that has nothing to do with attractiveness or anything, like: being obsessed with some guy, too busy, had an argument with her BFF, her friend just got married, family problems, pet died etc etc etc he calls it “sexual availability”.

Which I believe is true. First time I talked to my ex was maybe 2-3 years ago, she was with someone, had no contact. Then out of the blue a year or more later she contacts me.

[T3hPwnisher]

@aldebaran

but instead I have to meal prep and force myself to cooook a lot and eat specific things.

I found some joy in getting creative within the limitations. When I was gaining weight, it was too easy: ribeye and veggies. Need to gain more? Eat a bigger ribeye. Once I started losing weight and focusing on my health, it became “ok: I have a can of chicken breasts, mustard, pickles, sauerkraut, and low carb tortillas: what the hell can I make with this?” I came up with a LOT of crazy dishes, some good, some not, but it took my mind off of things.

[aldebaran]

I have found some good dishes indeed ahah… But it’s more the fact that cooking 35 meals per week takes quite a long time… Next buy will be a slow cooker!

19/11 - 5-10-20

A. Bench press + DB incline bench + Machine flyes 5 x 5 + 10 + 20 starting with 90 + 30 + 35

B. Close grip-bench press + Skullcrusher + Rope pulldown 2 x 5 + 10 + 20 with 75 + 30 + 15

C. 1 hour of clean practice

Blessings! We had one hour of free training, so we decided to try what we couldn’t yesterday. Had already tried this scheme in “the fastest way to get jecked” (though it was 6-12-24).

Benched only at 90 and it was tough. Feeling a bit weaker and tired today. We all felt drained. Probably the maxes and all. But the pump and feelings were crazy! My triceps were dead like they very, very rarely are. So this was good.

Then group switched and we trained for cleans. Still improving, we were still using light weights, max 50 kgs. Trying to get rid of my bad old habits!

Focused on the deadlift tomorrow morning, I wanna destroy it

[Voxel]

@aldebaran

Next buy will be a slow cooker!

Solid investment

[aldebaran]

20/11

A. Deadlift 1 x 200

200 kgs

Not bad! Had no time to improve my technique (I need a reset), I wasn’t gonna try to pull better today, it was time to lift heavy ahah. 200 I’m fine with, it’s monday that disappointed me. I felt good doing it (also creamed before and a guy slapped me many times in the back), back is feeling good, even though upper back wasn’t tight. Coach said I probably had 205 but it’s fine. I have the best total and Wilks of the class. But not by much! So I’m gonna have to work ultra hard if I want to progress and stay on top!

Gonna do prolly 2 weeks of BB/whatever stuff when gyms reopen to get the flow going back, then pure strength work. I want something with a bit of frequency.

Maybe Jacked 31 ? Sheiko? Anyway I’ll go full PL for a while

[Voxel]

Sheiko would be much more unlike what you’ve done previously and is much more inline with full PL than Jacked Athlete. Plus you earn the right to tag Pinky.

[aldebaran]

Yesss. Jacked as well heh. 4 exercises, strength style, 3x a week, and that’s it, no fluff! Sheiko is that as well right? 3 full bodies per week?

[Voxel]

But you have done CTs stuff in the past, so

I never looked at Sheiko in depth. But that has been my impression. A squatting motion, a pressing motion, a hinge motion. Most of the time all in the same session but not necessarily…?

https://t-nation.com/search?q=sheiko%20gold%20topic%3A236056%20order%3Alatest

[aldebaran]

Yeah exactly! I like it for that

@Voxel

But you have done CTs stuff in the past, so

Indeed, so it might be good to do something else? Like with mountaindog. But I actually only did once the kind of jacked 31 template in the past (when I was doing crossfit) and I think I was in quite great shape. But yes it might be nice to do something else! Jacked could be the perfect kind of program for the summer

[simo74]

Well done on that 200 mate. I reckon you had more than 5kg in the tank.

[aldebaran]

Thank you. Probably yeah, that’s what my teacher said (680 total as a natural master) but before third try I said I didn’t feel like it so he told me not to try it, as the mental plays a big part (I was a bit anxious because of my counter-performance monday)

Gyms here apparently might reopen on the 15th of january (or sooner) so we’ll see then. No matter what I think I’ll actually scale down my effort on the compound movements. I think I’m one of the idiots that trained too hard on them. Bench is fine since my technique is still very good even when failed. But the rest not so much. Maybe it’s because I’ve trained for a long time and we are bathed in the “TRAIN HARDER” mentality but I was always actually RPE 9-10. But in my case it was muscle failure, not technical, and there was too many not as pretty reps I think…

I like Swede Burns interview: “if you do a set of 5 and 2 reps are good and 3 are ugly, then you train your body to suck 60% of the time”

This might have been somewhat beneficial for muscle growth, but not so much for strength, technique (and probably longevity!) so if I switch to be being performance-oriented, I’ll have to keep some gas under the pedal.