Despade: Tales of a Lifetime Intermediate

Training Training Logs
722

3/20/18

Weight: 200.0 (yeesh…)

TBDL/SSB
Trap Bar
5 x 140
5 x 230
3 x 320
3 x 410
3+ x 430 (8 total)

Superset:
BBB SSB
5 x 10 x 185
WG Pull Ups
5 x 8 x BW

Superset:
Straight Bar Row (in smith)
5 x 8-15 x 95/11/135
Hammer Curls
4 x 8-10 x 40

Superset:
Straight Arm Pulldown (w/ rope)
4 x 10 x 80
Row (w/ rope)
4 x 15 x 80-120

Curls
2 x 12 x 25

Man…drinking just kills me for a couple days… still felt it deep into my tank (not that the SSB/Pullup superset wasn’t tough). The work got done, but it didn’t feel real good while it was happening, ha. Hamstring/inner thigh on my left leg was trying to give me fits, could really feel it when I sunk into the squats, not pain exactly, but definitely something not quite right.

Weight, coming back down, as I logically knew it would, but I can’t help but be disappointed in myself about the weekend. Vascularity is coming back, so the softness and bloat is starting to recede. On to another day, we shall see what bench has in store for us.

Edit: 45 minutes stationary bike

2 Likes
723

3/21/18

Weight: 200.0 (post water, breakfast)
Edit: Weighed at 12:30 - 197.4

Chest

DB Flat Bench
5 x 60
5 x 70
5 x 80
5+ x 90 (10 total)

Low Incline DB Bench
3 x 10 x 60

Superset:
Dips
3 x 10 x BW
Single Arm Tri Extension
3 x 12 x 30/40

Superset:
Fold Ins
3 x 10-12 x 25/35/35
(Drop to) 1 x 10 x 25
Low Point Cable Flys (up and unders)
3 x 12 x 40

Superset:
Hanging Leg Raise
4 x 10-12
Tri Extension (w/ rope)
4 x 8-12

Superset:
Curls
3 x 8 x 35
BPA
3 x 20 x Green (doubled over)

Did BPAs throughout warm up. Felt really good today, will be following 5/3/1 principles with the DB progression as well (next week 75/85/95 x 3+). Had a great pump, always feel like I’m able to push my chest better with DBs, low incline especially hits them hard.

Weight, expected to be under 200 today, little disappointed, but vascularity is still coming through (in shoulders, arms, little in the legs) so not terribly worried, definitely feel like I’ve got a bit of “spare”. It’ll melt away soon enough now that I’m back to my normal eating schedule.

Will probably do 30-45 minutes on the bike again today, trying to make it a habit of: Go play with the dogs, get some sunshine time, throw Madden on, leisurely 45 minute ride, trying to keep average pace at or above 10mph. I think it helped a ton with my hamstring, as it went from a struggle to squat down/bend over, to not feeling anything.

Edit #2: 40 minutes leisurely bike

4 Likes
724

3/22/18

Weight: 199.2 (5 hours later - 197.4)

Legs

SSB
10 x 135
5 x 185
5 x 205
5+ x 225 (15 total)

BBB TBDL Sets
5 x 10 x 250

Hack Squat
2 x 20 x 200

Superset:
Standing Calves
3 x 12-15 x 90
Ab Wheel
3 x 10

Lilly Shrugs
3 x 12 x 35

A pretty good day, felt heavy initially, changed fairly quickly, maybe had 2-3 more slow/grinders in me at 225, but bar speed slowed (and I was winded, ha!) so I racked it. Trap bar felt pretty heavy today. Hack squat needs to stay, better depth/range of motion for me, and an absolutely brutal pump. Was going to wait until mid-afternoon to lift…but had some cancellations and decided why not just get it done and free up my afternoon to sit in the sun with the dogs.

Weight is coming back, the second weigh in was after breakfast and 60oz of water, so I’m pretty happy with that.

2 Likes
725

Nice workouts. Hope the hamstring stays behaved!

726

Hey thanks! Pretty grateful that I haven’t had any huge injuries and can lift consistently and (relatively) hard, ha! It has so far…sometimes if I try and isolate it too much I can feel it trying to ‘give’ a bit, but as long as I catch it and shut it down it doesn’t seem to give me too much of an issue.

727

Thats good! Its really hard to have an injury and self monitor yourself, and know your body, so that it does not get worse.

728

3/23/18

Weight: 198.2, 197.6

Shoulders
Seated DB OHP
5 x 60
5 x 70
5+ x 80 (7 total, +1)

Superset:
Rear Delt Row/Fly
4 x 10 x 40
Straight Bar Tri Extension
4 x 20 x 80

Giant Set:
Cable High Pull
3 x 12-15 x 90
Lateral Raise
3 x 12 x 25/20
Band Press (attached to rack in front, maintain posture and pressing plane)
3 x 10 x Blue

Seated Curl and Press
3 x 10 x 25

…and done.

Short one today, felt ok, hit my goal of at least +1 over last week’s top set. Volume was nice and light today.

Weight: Good, coming right back to where it’s been sitting.

Vacation over the next week, full week of condo livin’. Probably try to get 2-3 sessions in, may or may not remember the highlights, hell, may not even work out. Not too worried either way. Only thing I am going to deliberately try to remain good about is nutrition.

Edit: 1.25 mile hill run, made it all the way up that bastard, too! *insert healthy AF Seth Rogen

5 Likes
729

Re-Cap

Highlights of last 10 days: hit the gym about 4-6 times, a couple runs, and a whole lotta food and good beer.

Top sets:
3 x 20 x 50lb DBs Seated OHP
3 x 25 x 50lb DBs Incline Bench
1 x 295 front squat
9 x 80 Seated DB OHP
Rack Pulls

4/2/18
Edit: Had to check the damage…204.0
Chest
DB Bench
5 x 75
5 x 85
3+ x 95 (12 total)

Incline DB Bench
5 x 10 x 60s

Dips
4 x 10-12 x BW

Superset
Incline Fly
4 x 10 x 25
Fold Ins
4 x 10 x 25

Triceps
100 reps

Had a great trip with family, no skiing as its the end of the season and the hill was torn all to hell from snowmobile climbs, but had a whole lot of good food, hit a couple good breweries, and didn’t worry too much (until yesterday, then I beat myself up for poor choices haha) soft, bloated, but I needed the “reset” felt strong today with the DBs, feel full, the weight will come back off soon, not even going to weigh myself today, don’t need that kind of negativity in my life haha

5 Likes
730

4/3/18

Weight: 200.8

Legs

SSB
5 x 185
3 x 225
3+ x 250 (15 total)

BBB Trap Bar
5 x 10 x 250

Superset:
RDL w/ DBs
3 x 12 x 50s
Standing Calves
3 x 15 x 90

Hack Squat
3 x 20 x 150

Short, sweet, and to the point. Everything felt really solid and awesome…if I was a weaker man I would’ve pushed up close to 400 haha (good thing I’d never do something so silly)

Weight, rebounded to that 200 mark a day or two quicker than I expected, pleasantly surprised.

Edit: Added video
Set looked easier than it felt, last two reps felt real grindy and slow, didn’t appear to be too bad.
Also, apparently the lens was dirty, my bad.

4 Likes
732

4/4/18

Off

Weight: 202

Walk
15 minutes x +25lbs x 15 incline

1 Like
733

4/5/18

Weight: 200.8

Shoulders

Seated DB OHP
8 x 50
5 x 60
5 x 70
8 x 80 (one less)

Superset:
Seated DB OHP
3 x 20 x 30s
Rear Delt Row/Fly
3 x 15 x 30s

Giant Set:
Lateral Raises
4 x 12 x 25s
WG Pull Up
4 x 5
Tricep Extension
4 x 8-15 x 120-80

Superset:
Front Raise
3 x 12 x 25s
Face Pull
3 x 15 x 120

Superset:
Plate Raise
3 x 10 x 35
Hammer Curl
3 x 10 x 35

Meh… the 80s moved well…but not great. Was distracted by how freakin’ dirty my gym was, so everything was actually a giant set of, “lift, vacuum, lift, mop” for 1 1/2 hours (ah, the joys of being “in charge.”) The distraction wasn’t so bad, keeps the overall intensity down a bit, I guess?

Not moving up to 85s for the press until I can get a clean 10 reps at 80, for whatever reason I’m set on that number.

Weight is feeling better, ate more than normal yesterday still, but I think I’m dumping the bloat, feeling a bit better about the love handles (real or imagined I always “feel” the effects of a bad weekend or couple of days of eating in my face and love handles.)

Edit: 40 minutes of leisurely bike, average of greater than 10mph, resistance 6

7 Likes
734

10 is such a nice number

2 Likes
735

4/6/18

Weight: 200.8

TB Deadlift
5 x 230
5 x 320
3 x 410
1+ x 450 (8 total)

Superset:
BB SSB Sets
5 x 10 x 185
WG Pull Ups
5 x 8

Superset:
Meadows Row
1 x 10 x 45
2 x 10 x 70
Low Cable Row (w/ rope)
3 x 15 x 120

Superset:
WG Low Cable Row
3 x 15 x 150
Straight Arm Pushdown
3 x 10 x 90

Ouch…450 felt heavy, really heavy, was honestly not sure about pulling after the first 1 or 2… SSB/Pull Up combo sucked, everything else was easy in comparison.

Note: Total pulling volume suffering due to pairing of SSB with TBDL, need to adjust the 5 x 10 for TB up to 300+, I think that will make me feel better as far as total pulling volume per week.

5 Likes
736

4/7/18

Weight: 202

Chest
5 x 70
5 x 80
5 x 90
11 x 100

Superset:
Low Incline DB
5 x 10 x 60
Triceps
5 x 10-12 x 80-120

Superset:
Dips
4 x 10 x BW
Chins
4 x 5 x BW

Some other triceps stuff

737

4/9/2018

Weight: 201.2

Legs
SSB Squat
5 x 135
5 x 185
5 x 225
3 x 245
Plus Set x 275 (12 total)

BBB TB DL
5 x 10 x 300

Close Stance Hack Squat
3 x 20 x 175

Straight Leg Calves
3 x 20 x 175

Whoo Boy, felt this one, luckily I had a giant, home made, cookies and creme milk shake last night to set me up for today haha 275 moved pretty well for the first 10 or so, was loosely aiming for 15 with my minimum at 12, hit it, I guess. Upping the trap bar to that 300lb mark was gold…holy smokes that’s the sweet spot for now, gonna have a back like a barn door, ha!

Weight didn’t take as big of a hit as I thought from the weekend, was pretty much hungry and snacked all day Sunday. Still have ground to make up from my full, “fuck it” week on vacation, but it’ll come, composition still isn’t bad (in my opinion: shady abs, some vascularity). Not hung up on it, just keepin’ on keepin’ on.

Edit: 40 minutes leisurely bike x greater than 10mph x resistance level 6

8 Likes
738

4/10/18

Weight: 202.4 (well…ok)

Shoulders
Seated DB OHP

5 x 60
5 x 70
9 x 80 (tied highest number of reps)

Superset:
Rear Delt Row/Swing/Fly (Paul Carter Style)
4 x 15-20 x 15
Seated DB OHP
4 x 10 x 60

Superset:
Ab Wheel Rollouts
3 x 10 x BW
Lateral Raise
3 x 15 x 20

Giant Set:
Hanging Leg Raise
4 x 10
Tri Extension
4 x 12 x 100
3D Band Presses
4 x 10 x Blue Band
WG Pull Ups
4 x 5 x BW

Superset:
Decline Sit Ups
3 x 20
DB Holds
3 x 20 seconds x 100lb DBs

Upper back is still fried from all the trap bar pulls, almost pulled the plug on working up to the top set at 80, said to hell with it, got 9, 9th was slow, steady, but slow. Worked in a bit more volume than I have with the BBB styled sets. Core felt pretty strong (lower back is a bit fatigued as well and could feel it) with the work I asked it to do. Lots of volume today, but didn’t feel particularly taxing.

Weight: Bloat is gone, things are starting to show back through, but the weight is still up a bit higher than I’d like (my mind is set on sub 200, just a bit stuck on it at the moment, even though I know better). Liked what I saw in the mirror this morning though, for sure, abs are a bit tighter, obliques showing through a bit, little better vascularity, all good stuff despite being up slightly.

Note: Tablespoon of peanut butter and honey pre-workout.

Edit: Threw a 20lb kettlebell in a back pack and took the dogs on a 55 minute walk.

4 Likes
739

4/11/18

Weight: 200.6

Active Rest

Incline Treadmill Walk
Incline 5.0 x +45lbs x 20 minutes x 2.5-2.7mph

Cool Down
5 minutes on treadmill with no weight, then rolled out my upper back, hips, and legs.

Edit: 25 minute walk with the dogs and the 20lb KB

2 Likes
740

For those that poke around in here, any thoughts on dry needling? Have the opportunity to get a free session done with one of our therapists, was just curious about anyone’s experiences with it.

741

@Frank_C you’re the dry needling guru in here

742

Do it. It’s free!

It’s trigger point therapy. You tell them where it hurts or you’re sore and they should poke around and find the trigger (it’s the same for everyone; just a matter of symptoms). They’ll poke it with a needle and you’ll probably start sweating due to the fight or fight response. They might even hook electrodes up to the needles and do stem.

All in all it’s a good treatment and I still try to get it regularly.

3 Likes