HustlingHat93's Road to 123lb and Weak to Strong

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 1 Day 5 (Squat)

Warm up + jumps

Squats: 100kg/215lbs x3, 110kg/243lbs x3, 122.5kg/270kgx3, 2x137.5kg/303lbs x1 | 117.5kg/259lbs x9 (I messed up!)

Barbell hip thrusts: 2x10 with 100kg/220lbs
Goodmornings: 2x25 with 40kg/88lbs
Leg extension: 3x10
Decline DB bench press: 2x15 and 1x20 with 20kg/44lbs
Chest supported Barbell row: 3x10 with 40kg/88lbs
Low cable row: 1x20

Notes
So I am pissed off myself this morning. I mean REALLY pissed off. My squat TM is the same as last anchor so the PR sets are at the same weight. I got 1 less rep today than I did last time:

@hustlinghat93

So I got the goal of 10 reps with the 5+ set which I think is 10 rep weight PR. Funny that if I did not set myself the goal of 10 reps I would have probably racked the bar earlier. I probably had a few more reps in the tank

The reason I am so mad is when checking my phone for the reps I hit last anchor I accidentally looked at week 2 instead of week one. Week 2 had 8 reps so once I hit 9 today I racked it… Here is the killer… THE 9TH REP WAS EASY. I thought I had a PR and I didn’t push… only to not even match the old PR.
Mindset failed me today. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again

[cdep89]

I often do silly things like that, it’s not worth worrying about though. 1 rep/1 set isn’t gonna make or break anything. The number of times I’ve jumped back into a rep range thinking I’ve hit a PR that felt easy to then see that I mischecked/misremembered and actually did worse than last time. That then leads to a day or two of irrational overthinking about it. Just remember that many programs even give you 5-10% deloads now and again to allow for slight recovery to keep moving forward. With squats it’s even less measurable as I believe it’s one of those exercises very few of us ever take close to real failure. Just smash it next time.

Even doing the exact same workout as last time can still be progress if you moved the bar faster/form was smoother. You already said that the 9th rep was easy.

[SvenG]

@hustlinghat93 - I hear you, man. I HATE when I do stupid stuff like that. But even so, you won that round because:

@cdep89

You already said that the 9th rep was easy.

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 1 Day 6 (Easy conditioning)

04:00 AM Weighted vest walk (25kg/55lbs)

2.5 miles walk done in just over 45 Minutes

Notes
Not much but managed to shave nearly 2 minutes of the time from last week and this Thursday. If I was to reach my goal that would be shaving off 1 minute 15 seconds per KM which is something I think will have to wait till next year to be done considering the coming months in London tend to have a lot of ice/ snow

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 1 Day 6 (Bench)

Bench: 52.5kg/116lbs x3, 60kg/132lbs x3, 67.5kg/149lbs x3, 75kg/165lbs x1 | 62.5kg/138lbs x10 | 40kg/88lbs x30
Seal rows: 2x15+1x20 with 16kg/35lbs
Incline DB press: 2x15 with 15kg/33lbs
Tricep pushdown: 2x15
Weighted Crunches: 50 total reps over 3 sets

NOTES
Decent session today and really happy with getting 10 with the MR set and getting 30 reps on the extra pressing set.

Not much else to say. Next week’s 3+ weight will the same as last cycles 5+ set so
i’ll have a good comparable lift to gauge any strength loss/ gain.

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 2 Day 1 (Conditioning)

5 Minute as many rounds of possible consisting of:
Bench Press: 40kg/88lbsx10
Hip Cleans: 40kg/88lbs x5
Bent over rows: 40kg/88lbs x10
(Managed 4 rounds and yes I messed up the timer and put 5 instead of 10)

5 minute EMOM
60kg/132lbs x 3 Bench press
30kg/66lbs x5 Hip cleans

1 Mile bike ride
6 laps of pushing the Tank Torque M4 sled

Notes
Not much but had to get in and do work on my day off before the gym shut for the Queens funeral

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 2 Day 2 (Deadlifts)

Deadlift: 107.5kg/237lbs x3, 125kg/276lbs x3, 140kg/309lbs x3, 155kg/342lbs x1 | 140kg/309lbs x3

Goblet squats: 2x10 with 40kg/88lbs and 1x10 with 32kg/71lbs
RDL: 60kg/132lbs x10 and 70kg/154lbs x10
Cable flies: 2x15 and 1x20
Seated cable row: 2x15
Bent over rows: 1x20 with 50kg/110lbs

NOTES
So not happy with today’s 3+ set. I got the same amount of reps than I did last anchor with 7.5kg/17lbs less. The single at TM also felt hard and slow. Very, very slow. Probably the worst single since I started 5/3/1 (including jokers).
I did cable flies for the push work due to having issues in the shoulders/ pec area which got worse yesterday at boxing throwing hooks. I remember Joe Defranco mentioning that a lot of NFL players and boxers neglect working the chest in that position which leads to injuries.

Except that not much to report except:

@hustlinghat93

On non gym new work has gotten somewhat more stressful overnight (new head of department flexing her chops and trying to make things ‘happen’) so hopefully this isn’t something which causes issues

I called it
She is indeed making my life more stressful to the point I think I had a minor anxiety attack. I sent her an email asking for clarification about things I don’t understand because I need to know whether management (the chairman) has made decisions about changes I am not aware or if she is just in fact being stupid

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 2 Day 3 (Incline Bench)

Warm up + throws

Incline bench: 42.5kg/94lbs x3, 47.5kg/105lbs x3, 55kg/121lbs x3, 60kg/132lbs x1 | 55kg/121lbs x6

Seal rows: 4x15 with 16kg/35lbs
Flat DB press: 2x15 with 20kg/44lbs
Tricep extensions: 2x15

NOTES
Not much to report. The 3+ set went ‘meh’, was nothing good nor bad. Somewhat in a mental rut atm so this very much felt like a ‘get the work in, tick the box and move on’ type of session.
Hopefully the week gets better and I find a way out of my head.

[cdep89]

@hustlinghat93

Somewhat in a mental rut atm so this very much felt like a ‘get the work in, tick the box and move on’ type of session.

I don’t know your details but I feel that so many people get into these “ruts” as soon as winter approaches and arrives. Mornings in the UK have been shockingly cold and much darker this past week or two despite it being bright and warm after lunch. I’m upping my Vitamin D tabs to twice a day to see if it makes a difference.

[hustlinghat93]

Yeah UK winter may play a little part. So may the lack of sleep too if honest ( I tend to be more emotional and my mood regardless of happy, sad, angry etc is just amplified when I undersleep).

Just think it’s work related + my typically overthinking/ analyzing + I think the very common approaching 30 and feeling like I haven’t achieved shit

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 2 Day 4 (easy conditioning)

AM Weighted vest walk to work (25kg/55lbs)

1/2 mile walk to bus stop in 9 Minutes ( like 40 seconds longer than last week)
1 Mile (aprox) walk uphill in 19 minutes (exactly same time)

PM Weighted vest walk back home from work (25kg/55lbs)

2.5 miles walk done in 47 Minutes (few seconds better than last week)

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 2 Day 5 (Squat)

Warm up + jumps

Squats: 100kg/215lbs x3, 110kg/243lbs x3, 122.5kg/270kgx3, 2x137.5kg/303lbs x1 | 122.5kg/270kgx9

Barbell hip thrusts: 2x10 with 100kg/220lbs
Goodmornings: 1x20 with 40kg/88lbs and 1x10 with 45kg/99lbs
Leg extension: 3x10
Db RDL: 1x20 with 25kg/55lbs
Decline bench press: 1x20 with 40kg/88lbs
Cable flies: 2x15
Chest supported Barbell row: 3x10 with 40kg/88lbs
Low cable row: 1x20

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 2 Day 5 (Mini conditioning)
(done about 2 hours after the squat workout)

1 Mile on the Watt Bike (moderate intensity)
Squat: 70kg/154lbs x20 drop the bar after the 20th as if I was bailing on a failed rep and straight into
Deadlift: 70kg/154lbs x20

Zercher squats: 40kg/88lbs x8, 50kg/110lbs x8, 60kg/132lbs x8, 80kg/176lbs x1 and 90kg/198lbs x1

NOTES
So today was a good day. I got 9 reps for the 3+ set which is a 1 rep PB at that weight. Only proves that last weeks getting 9 (due to my mistake) was me not pushing hard. Rest of the workout felt good.

The mini conditioning workout was done about 2 hours after the main workout. I had a pass to my GFs gym so decided to spend time with her and get a little work in. The squat widowmakers into deadlift widowmakers was both easy, yet hard. The weight was light (considering I have done widowmakers a decent amount recently) so easy in that regard but easy weight meant fast bar speed and more reps done in ‘one breath’ which meant cardio wise I was pushed hard.

Tomorrow we bench!

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 2 Day 6 (Easy conditioning)

04:00 AM Weighted vest walk (25kg/55lbs)

2.5 miles walk done in just over 45 Minutes

Notes
Not much to report finished it in about 20 seconds longer than last week but not really trying to compete with past times at the moment. This is more about getting up and out at 4am (while the weather still allows me) to get the heart rate up and blood flowing in the legs post Squat day

[hustlinghat93]

DONE YESTERDAY
Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 2 Day 6 (Bench)

Bench: 52.5kg/116lbs x3, 60kg/132lbs x3, 67.5kg/149lbs x3, 75kg/165lbs x1 | 67.5kg/149lbs x7 | 2x40kg/88lbs x22
Seal rows: 2x15+1x25 with 16kg/35lbs
Incline DB press: 2x10 with 17.5kg/38lbs
Tricep pushdown: 2x15
Weighted Crunches: 50 total reps over 3 sets

NOTES
I got 1 less rep with the 3+ set then I did last cycle when it was the 5+ set but not too mad about it. Except that nothing to report.

I skipped this AMs conditioning session due to feeling right at the the edge of being broken. My left pec feels super tender and tight with pain going toward the shoulder/ AC joint. My right leg also has a little niggle slightly below the back of the knee in the upper calf area. Perhaps its me being low with my mood and lazy but I decided that extra sleep and rest was a better option.

Tomorrow we deadlift

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 3 Day 1 (Deadlifts)

Deadlift: 107.5kg/237lbs x3, 125kg/276lbs x3, 140kg/309lbs x3, 155kg/342lbs x1 | 147.5kg/325lbs x4

Goblet squats: 1x20 with 32kg/71lbs
RDL: 2x 60kg/132lbs x15
Flat db press: 2x25 with 15kg/33lbs
Seated cable row: 1x20
Bent over rows: 1x30 with 40kg/88lbs

NOTES
So today was a meh day. I got 1 less rep than I did with the same weight last cycle on 3+ week. But I won’t cry for a rep even more so considering my estimated max (based on the reps done) only went down from 170kg/375 to 167.5kg/369lbs.

I have a rough plan for the next couple of months of programming (possibly even a year!) which I will flesh out and post here some time this week along with a review off my experience with Leviathan while in a deficit

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Review (prior to last week ending)/Diet Review

@hustlinghat93

The next 7 weeks will be a ‘cutting’ phase

@hustlinghat93

I want to get in and out of the diet phase as soon as possible

Well this was bullshit! The 7 weeks ended and turned into (including this week) a 13 week diet due to not losing enough

@hustlinghat93

Size wise I am currently 151/152lb

@hustlinghat93

140lbs-145lbs at the end of the 7 weeks

So I am about 144/145lbs atm so at the upper end of where I wanted to be but I’m not happy. It’s less with not being happy with how I look, all though with the weight loss being so slow I feel like I haven’t lost much, but it’s the fact that I have lost only 6/7 lbs in a 13 week time frame.

I know exactly why the weight loss has been so low and it’s exactly the same reason I put on fluff in the first place. I HAVE BEEN INCONSISTENT WITH MMA ALL DAMN YEAR and my nutrition never reflected that. I have been lacking roughly 11/12 hours of hard exercise weekly obviously the weight didn’t budge as fast as it should have.

@hustlinghat93

Another goal for these 7 weeks will be to work on and improve shoulder mobility and get into a position where I can perform OHP with good technique and look at maybe having that as the 4th lift instead of Incline press.

@hustlinghat93

I will also prioritise daily mobility work for the shoulders, thoracic back as well as pec and lat flexibility in order to be able to press overhead properly

This has also not been adhered too. Once again an example of my discipline letting me down and me neglecting to show up.
About the actual lifting
So far the 13 weeks have been fun. I actually enjoyed the set up and change from the 5 pros I have been doing up till now. I also loved the freedom with supplemental work which allowed me to choose what was best depending on how the main work felt.

I have gotten weaker no doubts which annoys me because the weight loss has not been dramatic. I however do not blame the Leviathan programming because:

@hustlinghat93

This happened when I was running Juggernaut last year and decided to trim down. I do not react well to maximum effort work during a cut.

and I also feel like I went in with TMs a tad too high and perhaps over trained/under recovered due to life in general (covid, stress, stomach issues etc).

I would love to retry Leviathan in the future while eating a surplus to sustain the work and I am sure I will see better results.

PLAN MOVING FORWARD

Step 1: Finish this weeks Anchor off keeping calories as is. I will use the 1+ sets to have new estimated max and use that going forward to base my TM around

Step 2: ‘Last diet hurrah’. This is probably where my ego and past eating disorder pops in but I have decided to run 1 cycle of Rhodes 5/3/1 and a 7wp deload using 80% TM (based on this weeks estimated max) while in a large deficit. These 4 weeks will basically be what the initial 6 week plan was meant to be

Step 3: ‘The building stage’. Same 80% TM as step two but will be running BBB. The plan in my mind looks like: 1 Leader + 7wp (PR week with TM) repeat for 4/5 cycles. The goal of the PR sets will be 10 reps + allowing to push myself once a month due to no anchors for a while ( I will stop here even I have more) and as the TM increases the PR 7wp will slowly transition into a TM test week/ deload (depending how I feel). This will help keep my TM accurate for the cycles and avoid having them too high

Step 4: 2 leaders of god is a beast, deload, Anchor: This should be 15 weeks of programming and should bring me into June 2023

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 3 Day 2 (Incline Bench)

Warm up + throws

Incline bench: 42.5kg/94lbs x3, 47.5kg/105lbs x3, 55kg/121lbs x3, 60kg/132lbs x1 | 57.5kg/127lbs x4

Seal rows: 4x15 with 16kg/35lbs
Flat DB press: 2x10 with 25kg/55lbs
Tricep extensions: 2x15

NOTES
Nothing special. Just like yesterday I got 1 rep less than I did last cycle on the 3+ week which is not too much of a big deal. Again like deadlifts based on the 1+ set my estimated max has only gone down 2.5kg/5lbs from my estimated max from last cycle. The TM moving forward will be 80% instead of 90% so will be significantly lower but the goal is to start low and build back up while in the surplus

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 3 Day 3 (easy conditioning)

AM Weighted vest walk to work (25kg/55lbs)

2.5 miles walk done in 48 Minutes and 18 seconds (about 30 seconds longer then last week PM)

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 3 Day 3 (second easy conditioning)

PM Weighted vest walk back home (25kg/55lbs)

2.5 miles walk done in 47 Minutes and 16 seconds (about 30 seconds faster then last week PM and 1min faster than the AM)

[hustlinghat93]

Leviathan Cycle 2 Anchor Week 3 Day 4 (Bench)

Bench: 52.5kg/116lbs x3, 60kg/132lbs x3, 67.5kg/149lbs x3, 75kg/165lbs x1 | 75kg/165lbs x3 (misloaded bar) | 40kg/88lbs x20

Seal rows: 2x15+2x20 with 16kg/35lbs
Tricep pushdown: 2x15

NOTES
So I messed up the weights and did the 1+ set with the TM instead of 95% (only 2.5kg/5lbs difference) and managed a triple which is 1 less rep than last anchors 1+ week. Overall not too saddened and it’s only a 2.5kg/5lbs drop in estimated max.

Decided to do bench today so I can start next weeks deload on Sunday. I prefer having my workout week start on Sunday because that matches my ‘nutritional week’.

Tomorrow we squat and I will have to really focus on depth. I feel like my depth is ok, you’ve seen me re-do the TM single if I had doubts, but the fact all other lifts have gone down while the squat is slightly getting better has me questioning depth. I may also get out the old weight belt tomorrow and play with it + start using wraps for accessory hamstring and back work (I feel like my RDL is limited by grip and same with rows)