Assistance
Pull ups - 11, 7, 7, 5, 5
Kneeling sissy squats - 25, 20 - fuck did these burn and stretch my upper quads
Push ups - 35, 10, 6 - first set just repped out, last two were very slow and controlled
BB curls - 45 lbs - 12, 12
Dead bugs - 5 second hold - 2 x 10 reps/side
TRX triceps extensions - 25, 15
Total time: 38:00
Good feeling session today, still not feeling strong or stable overhead for some reason. Could be my shoulder still isn’t 100%? Either way, I enjoyed this session and am feeling a shit ton better. I think my anxiety issues were too much caffeine, too much volume, not enough carbs, and generally not taking care of the rotten piece of meat between my ears.
Bench - up to 235 x 5, shirt wouldn’t stick to bench and I almost slid off
Assistance
TRX Rows - 20, 15, 10, 10, 10
KB swings - 40 lbs - 50
Dead bugs - 5 second hold - 3 x 10 reps/side
Plate raise - 25 lbs - 25, 20+5
Good feeling session today, I left a little more in the tank because I have a big weekend coming up and am feeling slightly beat up. I found out yesterday I’m gonna have to go back on blood pressure meds, which I’m not thrilled about. I did everything I could on my end to avoid them but my genetics are just fucking me a little harder than I can lube through. Trying calcium channel blockers after not having great experiences with ARB’s and ACE inhibitors, so maybe it’ll be better for me. I also have been trying anxiety meds, but am finding they temper happiness even more than they temper my anxiety, so I’m probably gonna come back off them and work harder at controlling it on my own.
Assistance
DB curls - 25 lbs - 20, 7, 6, 6, 6
Push ups - 40, 12, 8 - first set repped out, other two explosive with very controlled negative
Hanging leg lifts - 20, 15, 10
Band pull aparts - 2 x 25
Total time: 42:00
I got my groove back this weekend, got the anxiety meds out of my system and that seems to have let me get more enjoyment out of life. Blood pressure meds are helping, I feel less pressure in my head and eyes and my heart doesn’t seem to be beating so damn hard. Today’s session felt great, deadlift was stable and I pushed assistance hard without dipping into feeling shitty. Cardio tomorrow or later today, probably going to be a 2-3 mile run.
Wife asked me to do yoga and get sushi after. You don’t say no to that. Probably the hardest yoga class I ever did and I still feel way more pliable and loose today.
8/17/23 - Press Day
Agile 8
2 x 5 plyo push ups
Press - Up to 140 x 4
Assistance
Pull ups - 12, 8, 7
DB concentration curls - 25 lbs - 10, 8, 6 reps per side
Kneeling sissy squats - 25, 20, 20
TRX triceps extensions - 3 x 20
Total time: 43:00
Felt good, press finally felt stable enough to where I could just get under the bar and push. I think yoga helped unlock my shoulder girdle to where I could get into the positions I needed to. Assistance was hard but necessary.
Assistance
DB curl - 25 lbs - 3 x 10
DB press - 45 lbs - 3 x 10
Dead bugs - 5 second hold - 3 x 10 reps per side, alternating
Band pull aparts - 40, 30
Total time: 49:00
I pushed the main work a little harder today and went easier on the volume of assistance while still making sure the last set was sorta difficult. Felt good and felt strong today.
TRX Rows - 3 x 15, 2 x 10
Dumbbell “kettlebell” swings - 45 lbs - 1 x 50
Banded cross-body chops - 2 x 25 reps/side
Plate raise - 25 lbs - 3 x 20
Cardio - run - 3.3 miles in 30:14
Last week was busy so I pushed my 2nd day out. I’ve still been having some high blood pressure readings and heart palpitations so I decided to cut caffeine yesterday. I felt much better and my coffee today made me feel like shit so I’m thinking caffeine may have something to do with it. Will try to avoid it tomorrow as well to see if it gets better. Today’s workout felt great and the run was the best feeling run I think I’ve ever had. PR for distance and never really felt like I was pushing it very hard.
Barbell curl - 55 lbs - 5 x 10
Push ups - 3 x 15, 2 x 10
Banded oblique chops - 2 x 25 reps/side
Total time: 55:00
Felt good today, was happy with stability and effort on deadlift. Assistance was good as well, push ups were really hard after pushing bench only two days ago - boobies are ablaze. Gonna try to squeeze in some press here in the next 2 days too.
Been away a long time but I want to come back and try to keep up on this log for my own accountability and to help me track what I’m doing and how it works better.
Lots of big changes. Started Adderall in January of 2024 and pretty much went from a low level, high functioning alcoholic (2-3 drinks/day plus 1-2 days of 6-18 drinks) to sober (20 drinks total this year, 5 outside of vacation). I did just stop Adderall because I think I have strategies that work to control my ADHD without the anxiety and sleep trouble Adderall causes.
Weight went from 222 lbs 1/15/24 to currently 175 lbs. InBody testing says I went from 22% body fat and 91-93 pounds of muscle to 13% body fat and 90-92 pounds of muscle. Still training, have been exclusively using 5/3/1 in two-day variations, some were designed that way but many are 3/4 day variants that I’m just doing twice per week. I also took up running and have tried to do at least one distance run each week plus sports and band. My most recent program was 5/3/1 for busy guys. In addition to all this, I created my own morning stretching/breathing routine that’s really helped mobility and set me up for consistent good days.
Just finished up Training Max testing this week and am setting them low on purpose so I can own the weights and get some extra volume in - Squat: 350; Bench: 245; Deadlift: 405; Press: 135.
Ideally I would like to sit this low or lower in body fat through next summer and let my body acclimate to it before I try to work my way up to 95+ pounds of muscle while keeping fat below 15%. I have more strength than I currently can demonstrate because my leverages have changed so much with the weight loss, so I would also like to get back to 1 rep maxes in the 475/295/525/175 range or better while staying near 180 pounds. When I look to add weight in mid/late 2026 my goal is to try and set new 1RMs at a lower weight than before.
Thanks! Been an interesting time and I definitely learned a lot about me in the process. It was nice to sorta put lifting on autopilot and do other things but I do miss pushing hard.
Squat 5+
45 x 10
125 x 5
160 x 5
195 x 3
230 x 5
265 x 5
300 x 13
Hanging leg lifts: superset 10 reps between each squat set
Superset
DB standing press: 40 lbs 5 x 10
BB curls: 45 lbs 5 x 10
Food from yesterday ain’t sitting real great and I had to work hard all morning not to puke, but am very happy with the top set and how the assistance work felt. Gorged a bit yesterday but was still 179 in clothes before I lifted
Bench - all reps superset with 10 incline seal rows with 40 pound dumbbells
45 x 10
85 x 5
110 x 5
135 x 3
160 x 5
185 x 5
210 x 12
Assistance Superset:
25 lb bumper plate raise - 5 x 12
Assisted Nordic hamstring curls - 5 x 10
Squeezed this one in on my lunch between meetings, still able to get these done in less than 50 minutes counting my warmup so it’ll at least keep my cardio acceptable. Bench moved really nice until I hit a wall, I can tell I haven’t been pushing my + sets appropriately. Assistance was really tough, those NHCs are a bitch and I’m walking like I’ve had my nutsack flogged with a stingray tail. But, when the knees get cranky, you gotta let your hamstrings know they’re not pulling their weight
Deadlift
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 3
265 x 5
305 x 5
345 x 15
Hanging Leg Lifts: 10 reps between all deadlift sets
Assistance Superset
Dips 5 x 15
Upright Rows 55 lbs 5 x 15
Session felt extremely good. Sumo deadlift feels like an old friend compared to conventional, but I can tell focusing on conventional for a long time helped my low back. I think I’m ready to bump the hanging leg lifts up to 15 reps per set. And I’m going to replace the upright rows with DB rear lateral raises - the way the rows force me to rotate my shoulders feels like it’s bad for my labrum where I tore it. Hoping the rear laterals help balance that out and stabilize my shoulders.
Press
45 x 10
60 x 5
75 x 3
90 x 5
100 x 5
115 x 12
All press sets superset with 6 chin ups
Assistance Superset
TRX Triceps Extensions - 5 x 12
Lunges - 40 lb dumbbells - 5 x 20
Flew through this one in 50 minutes counting warmup. Widened press grip to thumb crease on edge of knurling instead of edge of hand at edge of knurling. Felt more stable and was able to avoid dumping the bar forward. Assistance kicked my ass, nice to get solid work for the triceps.
