@isdatnutty thanks for tagging me bud! Based off your post, honestly I think you’re probably good as-is, maybe give it another week before increasing. What was the scale doing before your 2 week stall?
It sounds like you actually have put on some more LBM, if you see your obliques coming in more then you’ve lost some fat, but the scale hasn’t moved down. So, if you’ve gained 2lbs of muscle over the past month but lost 2lbs of fat, the scale won’t move but you should see some noticeable physique changes.
Definitely use the mirror as a guide, and strength. How has your strength been? If it’s been improving steadily, another good sign you’re gaining.
It’s hard to break down exactly, measuring something small like 1/2lb a week is tough, so you could look at it as, as long as you’re not averaging more than 1lb a week you’re good to go, or 2-3lbs a month. Additionally, it could even be less than that, and it’s not a super steady process, just like dieting isn’t a linear process. If you could gain 1/2 of mass per week, then over the course of 6 months you’d gain 13-14 pounds of muscle, which obviously isn’t going to happen.
Macros look rock solid for your caloric intake! Since you’re taking such a meticulous approach and seems like you’re priority is to minimize excess fat while gaining, since it’s only been 2 weeks, and you’re seeing some good recomp, just my .02, I’d recommend running your current numbers for another week. When you do increase next, maybe try adding another 30-35 carbs (150ish cals) in your day, just enough for a bump but not so much your body doesn’t react well.
Hope this helps brother! Keep killing it man, thanks again for tagging me!
My scale weight always fluctuates 2-3lbs. I’m always between 167-170 I think that’s due to fasting on Sundays, and not truly paying attention to everything I eat.
All my lifts are going up steadily. Especially my squats and overhead presses. My body definitely feels “harder” when not even flexed.
Thanks man. I’m just eating the SAME thing every single day (Just changing out the type of meat) to stay consistent. I will be doing this for quite some time until I hit my goals. It sucks a bit, but I gotta do whatever I can to get the job done! Below is a snapshot of what I eat daily. I didn’t list the veggies because the caloric hit is too low to even count lol. But cool man, I will do that if I start to feel like I need to. As long as the weight on the bar is going up and my body the way it looks changes, I’m not going to concern myself with too much.
DEADLIFT
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5
245x5
245x5
245x3 (grip gave out)
225x5
*Felt much tighter. I actually tried the “bounce technique” and my god it has your heart pumping. If I had chalk I for sure would have gotten 245x5 on the last set. Going up to 255 next week.
BENCH PRESS / DB ROW
95x5 / 60x8
115x5 / 60x8
135x5 / 60x8
165x5 / 60x8
165x5 / 60x8
165x5 / 60x8
165x5 / 60x8
165x5 / 60x8
*2nd week in a row that my last set was a grinder. I think it’s because I am super setting the DB rows to make my workout a bit shorter. I know Wendler doesn’t recommend that, but it’s all good. I don’t think it makes or breaks the program. Will be shooting for 175 next week. Most I’ve ever done was when I was doing SL years ago and got to 185 5x5. TRex arms for the win lol.
CURLS / BACK RAISES
100 reps / 70 reps
NOTES: All my main lifts are going up! I’ve 100% eating how I should be and it’s reflected so far this week. I think for the past few years I Just wasn’t eating properly and that caused a lot of my stalls. I always had this mentality “get as strong as you can eating nothing”, but I realize that has a short limit lol. Feels good to be getting stronger. I REALLY like this building the monolith setup. I think after the wedding I’d still base my strength side of my program on this.
I don’t know, Wendler says to do chin/pull-ups between pressing sets. That is what I do and havent seen a dramatic correlation. I like super setting for time constraints too, but I tend to take a full 3 minutes between the working sets and make up the time during assistance work.
Looks like everything is progressing nicely, keep grinding brother.
Oh that’s ok than. I was gonna say if your mixes grip gives out at that weight than you really should be trying to up your grip strength. Probably still isn’t a bad idea if you want to continue to increase your deads.
My hands get REALLY sweaty when lifting lol. So I usually always have chalk in my car/home to make sure I’m good when I’m doing anything even squats. But when you mix no chalk + shitty bar + not that strong it’s not a good combo lol.
Also I think now that I’ve included a high volume of rows, pull ups, and even farmers walks, I think my grip is always recovering lol.
All my snatches and cleans are double overhand or hook grip lol. I figure I need to be strong with those grips. I know a typical deadlift won’t carryover to the oly lifts, but at least keep it double overhand my grip will be worked in the same manner. If I was powerlifting I would use a mixed grip, but since I’m not I don’t really care for it.
NOTES: Back is a bit sore from yesterday, but over all feel a bit fatigued but now truly sore. Gonna make sure I eat enough to recover today for tomorrows workout no doubt!
It’s just a pain to get use to lol. I have small hands, so it makes it even worse. But it’s effective!
Even for the snatches and clean I use a double overhand grip if I’m doing triples or doubles (just to work my grip too). But if I’m going for singles I’m definitely switching over to hook grip!
BACK SQUAT
135x5
155x5
185x5
205x5
225x5
240x2
155x20
*240 felt ridiculously heavy. I think because I worked out with no sleep, no food, and also fatigue from the DLs on Wednesday. Its all good.
BARBELL ROW
155x5
145x5
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x8
*Even these felt ridiculously heavy. Think my body was just fatigued.
NOTES: Workout felt ridiculously heavy. I think being super early and general fatigue. Still got in work. Did 155x20 and I was gassed! My quads and lungs were on fire! That’s a new PR!
I’ve noticed my grip strength increases when I do either-
-Lots and lots of moderately heavy pulls with mixed grip
-Heavy cleans
I tried limiting my deadlift to just double overhand and it led me nowhere.
Yup, deadlifting has no correlation to the Oly lifts, but a strong grip on the deadlift is still a strong grip =D My grip is never an issue with the cleans until I have to catch the bar before I lower it. I’d be more than willing to push upwards of 225lb with the clean if I had bumper plates.
Spent 3 days moving my apartment to a new one. Didn’t realize how unprepared and how much stuff I had. Moving couches up and downstairs and through weird doors is no fun. Felt it in my back and my conditioning lol.
But now my fiance can walk to work and I’m on 6 miles away. So not bad at all.
BACK SQUAT
135x5
185x5
225x3
225x3
225x3
225x3
225x3
*Was a bit of a grind. I think all the moving and lack of eating got me. Will stick to this weight next week and shoot to get 5x5.
OVERHEAD PRESS
45x10
95x5
115x5
125x5
135x4
105x10
*Almost got 135x5. One more week and it will be mine!!! Instead of going from 95 to 105, I’m gonna go from 95 to 115 to 135 next week. I want to save my strength for the bigger sets and also the AMRAP set.
DB ROWS
100 reps @ 60lbs
*Forearm kept having this stinging feeling when doing chin ups so decided to do rows instead.
DIPS / AB WHEEL
100 reps / 50 reps
NOTES: Today was a grind. I think all the moving and lack of food (really only had one meal of pizza each day. Deon’s is super good pizza though lol.) It’s all good, sometimes just gotta go in and punch the clock like Dan John says.
Instead of ramping weights like 135,155,185,205,etc I’m going to save my energy for the big sets. So I will be going from 135 to 185 to 225 just to converse energy for the big sets.
You guys think that’s a better idea than taking all those smaller jumps? What do you think @flipcollar?
I think this depends on why you’re doing the ramp sets.
Personally, the singles ramp I do for the deadlift/squat are to gauge how I feel that given day + do the over warm-up. I tend to use more reps for warm-ups with the bench and the OHP because my max and my working sets don’t really have much of a weight difference, and so I feel the ramp is less valuable.
That being said, I never intentionally allow my warm-up sets to eat into my work-sets. If I do more than 2 reps on what appears to be a warm-up, then it’s probably because I consider it part of the overall work-sets.
I don’t see the point in exerting any real energy on sets that you don’t consider actual work. Warm-up is supposed to be just that, warm-up.
Use straps. That way you can add as much weight to your DL as your back and legs can handle rather than hat your grip can handle.
I used to be fairly rabidly anti-straps until I started using my brain. Pulling mixed grip sucks balls, but double overhand is generally a lot weaker unless you’re @lil.greggy. You’re doing a bunch of gripping work apart from DL (like I do) so pulling with straps won’t hurt your grip one bit.
lol. I have small hands, so it makes it even worse. But it’s effective!