11/26/25 - 3.65 mile run at 9:32 pace
11/27/25 - yoga class with GarageRockerette
11/28/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 W2D1
Usual warmup
Squat
45 x 10
145 x 5
180 x 5
215 x 3
250 x 3
285 x 3
320 x 12
All squat sets superset with 15 hanging leg lifts
Assistance Superset
DB standing press - 45lb dumbbells - 5 x 10
DB curls - 20lb dumbbells - 5 x 10
Run felt good but the cold air kills my sinuses and ears. Felt like my running form was more sprinty than distance - leaned forward and longer strides rather than upright and not reaching with my feet. So I’m gonna work on that.
Yoga was awesome, never really got too into it before but it hit home for me mentally and physically. Almost like what I was “supposed” to feel in church back in the day. The stretching and balance work was killer as well, but the breathing absolutely obliterated my anxiety and I still feel calm from it this morning.
Squat session was a red letter day for me. Weight moved fast and I felt strong and stable. Knees did their job. Added 5 reps to my hanging leg lift sets and that only added to my core stability for the squats. Made a point to rest at least 2 minutes between my assistance sets and was able to use heavier weights than usual. Really tried to externally rotate my hands on the curls to get blood into my biceps tendon. The hope is that stabilizing my biceps tendon alleviates my elbow pain when throwing or pressing. I probably need Tommy John surgery for my left elbow thanks to a horrendous baseball coach, but I’m cheap and don’t wanna take time off of my hobbies.
5 Likes
12/2/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 W2D2
Warmup
Bench
45 x 10
95 x 5
120 x 5
145 x 3
170 x 3
195 x 3
220 x 9
DB chest-supported row - 45 lb DBs x 10 between all bench sets
Assistance Superset
Plate Raise - 25 lbs - 5 x 15
Nordic Hamstring Curls - 5 x 10
Flew through this in 45 minutes counting warmup. Didn’t have great energy today thanks to bad sleep but pushed hard and the weight moved well. Did a better job keeping my elbows tucked until the bar was moving up off my chest and felt like my grip location in my hands was better. DB rows really got my mid back working better than anything else I’ve tried. Assistance work was fuckin brutal, that 2 minute rest let me get more volume in at the same weight. InBody test at work today so hoping to see good results - I’ve been eating a lot but lifting a lot too and am just hoping that means we’re adding muscle without too much fat.
4 Likes
InBody results from yesterday:
91.7 lbs muscle (+ 1 pound)
12.8% BF (+0.4%)
Much better than I expected, especially since I came off Adderall about a month ago and have lived in a perpetual state of munchies since. Holy shit do I crave sweet things that are terrible for me. But I’m working on swapping out my cookies for kiwi, banana, dates, Greek yogurt, and protein bars.
5 Likes
12/3/25 - Cardio/Mobility
AM Mobility Routine
5 second box breathing lying on back x 10
Gorilla Squat x 20
5 second hold band pull apart x 10
Push Ups x 25
5 second hold dead bugs x 20
Pigeon Pose x 60 sec
Seated forward fold with ankle dorsiflexion x 60 sec
5 second box breathing lying on stomach x 10
Bastard Son Of Bear Complex
7 unbroken reps x 5 sets with 95 lbs
Zercher Deadlift
Zercher Squat
Power clean (re-grip at bottom of squat)
Press
Fuck off was that complex terrible but awesome. My mid back is so weak and I’m happy I found a way to hit it and get cardio at the same time.
6 Likes
12/5/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 W2D3
Usual warmup
Deadlift
225 x 5
225 x 5
245 x 3
285 x 3
325 x 3
365 x 11
15 reps of hanging leg lifts superset with each deadlift set
Assistance Superset:
Bodyweight Dips - 5 x 15
DB rear lateral raise - 12 lbs - 5 x 10
Up and moving nice and early this morning. My whole back and especially my SI joints are super pissed from my cardio circuit so I’m really happy with how the deadlift + set went. I pushed it well but left an extra rep in the tank trying to keep from making my low back hurt any worse. Assistance work was tough as usual, I focused hard on external rotation for the DB rear laterals hoping to balance out my rotator cuff and labrum.
5 Likes
12/6/25 - Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Mrs. GarageRocker
12/8/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 W2D4
Press
45 x 10
50 x 5
65 x 5
80 x 3
95 x 3
110 x 3
120 x 10
All press sets superset with 7 chin ups
Assistance Superset
TRX Triceps Extensions - 5 x 15
DB Alternating Lunges - 55 lb DBs - 5 x 20
Went into yoga thinking it was gonna be an easier, more relaxing session. Lo and behold, we got the fuckin drill instructor and she kicked my ass. I hurt real bad on Sunday from it but it was really nice to get cardio, stretching, and breathing work in all at once.
Today’s training session was great, started out with my squat workout and then realized when I opened my tracking sheet that I was supposed to press. Felt pretty strong and stable, I may start doing FSL Widowmakers on my press days to get some extra work and add reps near failure. Chins were tougher than normal, wondering if I’m not just a little heavier today? Other assistance was great. Loving pushing lunges more and happy to add some hard work for my triceps.
4 Likes
Thanks man! Hope all’s well with you 
GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 W3D1
Usual Warmup
Squat
45 x 10
160 x 5
195 x 5
230 x 3
265 x 5
300 x 3
335 x 10
All squat sets superset with 15 hanging leg raises
Assistance Superset
DB standing press - 45 lb DBs - 5 x 10
DB curls - 20 lb DBs - 5 x 10
My back has been cranky because I’ve been doing physical labor all day at work in odd postures (and walking 8-10 miles a day), but I’m thrilled with how this session went. 335 x 10 is a recent PR since my weight loss and I’m glad I’m adding some strength back. Really focusing on not letting my shoulders collapse forward and can tell the chest supported rows help with it. Assistance work was brutal as well, but my shoulders have never felt more stable or balanced. Don’t know that I’m ready to add any weight to them yet.
5 Likes
12/17/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 W3D2
Usual Warmup
Bench
45 x 10
110 x 5
135 x 5
160 x 3
185 x 5
210 x 3
235 x 5
All bench sets superset with 10 reps of 45lb dumbbell rows with chest supported on incline bench
Assistance Superset
25 lb plate raise - 5 x 15
Nordic Hamstring Curls - 5 x 10
Didn’t have my best session today, kept feeling lopsided when I laid back on the bench and I let it get into my head a bit. Still got 5 reps on my 1+ set and am OK with that. Assistance work felt great but was very hard - barely made it up the steps after 
5 Likes
Forgot to add that my ski season started Sunday at 7 Springs near Pittsburgh. 14" of new snow and unbelievable cold (3° on mountain with a wind chill around -15°). Felt good to knock the rust off my legs and get a little dumb to stoke the adrenal glands. No crashes or injuries to report
4 Likes
Hell yeah man. I’m in NEO myself. Glad there’s a fellow steel town psycho here 
1 Like
12/20/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 W3D3
Usual warmup
Deadlift
225 x 5
225 x 5
265 x 3
305 x 5
345 x 3
385 x 7
All deadlift sets superset with 15 hanging leg raises
Assistance Superset
Dips - 5 x 15
Dumbbell bent over rear lateral raises - 12 lbs - 5 x 10
Haven’t felt great this whole week - work has kicked my ass and general holiday stress didn’t help. Still felt good to move heavy shit. Deadlifts felt like my torso was twisting and I didn’t have my balance front-to-back. I was hoping for 10 so getting 7 was a little disappointing. Assistance work felt good though, titties are ablaze and my shoulders feel strong and stable. Desperately need to get off my ass and do some cardio tomorrow.
4 Likes
12/22/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 W3D4
Usual warmup
Press
45 x 10
55 x 5
70 x 5
85 x 3
100 x 5
115 x 3
130 x 6
All press sets superset with 6 chin ups
Assistance Superset
TRX Triceps Extensions - 5 x 15
DB lunges - 45 lbs/hand - 5 x 20
Afternoon session this time because I went full hyper focus trying to record music in the morning. Not my best, not my worst, assistance fuckin rocked me.
12/23/25
6 hours of skiboarding at Holiday Valley. Ouch.
5 Likes
12/24/25 - earning my Christmas Eve dinner
Bastard Son of Bear complex
Zercher Deadlift
Zercher Squat (eccentric)
Flip grip
Hang clean
Overhead press
95 lbs - 5 x 7 unbroken reps
10 pound wrist rollers - floor to top and back in each direction x 3
Hanging side leg lifts - 4 x 10
Needed to get some cardio in and felt like working on some weaknesses while I was at it
5 Likes
12/26/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 Cycle 2 W1D1
Warmup
Squat
45 x 10
135 x 5
165 x 5
200 x 3
235 x 5
275 x 5
310 x 12
All squat sets superset with 15 hanging leg lifts
Assistance Superset
Dumbbell standing press - 45 lbs - 5 x 10
Dumbbell extreme supine curls - 20 lbs - 5 x 10
Barn burner of a workout but I needed it and felt great after. Can tell I still need to go for a fuckin run though…
4 Likes
12/29/25 - GarageRocker’s Balanced 5/3/1 C2W1D2
Usual warmup
Bench
45 x 10
95 x 5
115 x 5
140 x 3
165 x 5
190 x 5
215 x 11
All bench sets superset with 10 reps of single dumbbell rows with a 95 lb dumbbell
Assistance Superset
25 lb plate raise - 5 x 15
Nordic hamstring curls - 5 x 10
Pushed the final bench set a little too hard, rep #11 was a grind and I’m not supposed to do that. Felt good though, bracing clicked a little better for me than usual. Assistance work was rough. I think I need to prioritize eating a little more good stuff everyday. I’m probably under maintenance calorie-wise but have had awful sweets cravings in the evenings. Not having enough fiber (fruits and veggies) or protein. So that’s my focus this week - hit my fiber and protein goals (25g and 180g, respectively). The rest will shake out as long as I can do those two things. Still operating just on the high side of 180 pounds, weight holding steady. Will be interested to see how a run goes tomorrow with the wild weather we’ve been having. Last time I ran, the inside of my nose got so irritated I felt like I was sick for a week.
5 Likes
