Bro. But LeBron, bro.
5.10.17
221.2 lbs
Yesterday’s Nutrition
3199 calories, 349g carbs, 110g fat, 212g protein
I don’t know why I didn’t mention this sooner but my My Fitness Pal handle is the same as this and public. You can look there if you really want to know what I eat
Today’s training will be at home in the basement. I’ve had a solid few weeks of going to the gym but I’m on house arrest once again. My poor 4 year old daughter had an earring get way too tight and we didn’t notice until after it got infected. It looks gross and smells a little. I feel terrible! We’re staying away from the germ-fest Kid Zone at the Y today while I liberally apply rubbing alcohol and antibiotic ointment.
My lifting will be fine but I’ll have to come up with something for conditioning. I’m sure Tabata intervals are in my future.
3 Likes
5.10.17 Training
Bench Layers Week 4
- 4x6 sec isometric press
- 205x2, 225x2, 245x2, 255x2, 265x2, 275x2 (5 sec rep but finally got it!)
- cluster sets. 245x6, 245x5, 245x6
- 4-5 sec eccentrics. 185x6, 185x6, 185x5
- constant tension. 135x10, 135x8
Front Squat
135x5
135x5
160x5
160x5
160x5
Squat
160x5
225x2
Realized this still hurts my hip so I shut it down.
Reverse Lunge
3x6 ea @ 95
Front Plate Raise
3x10 @ 35
Side Bend
2x10 ea side @ 95
Suitcase Hold
1x45 sec ea side @ 95
Skull Crusher
3x8 @ 95
Notes
Overall it didn’t feel like I did very much and therefore felt like it was a bad workout. But then I realized that my primary focus is supposed to be bench. I had my best day yet since starting the Layers Program. I finally got 275 for 2 reps and improved from 4 reps to 6 reps per set on the cluster sets. I lost track of reps on my second set and don’t know if I did 5 or 6 but I only counted 5.
So I’d have to say it was a good day. I lost track of my primary goal momentarily. It’s easy for me to slip back into the mentality of needing to improve everything at the same time. This has failed me repeatedly in the past so I don’t know why I keep going back to it.
So far I haven’t done any conditioning and don’t feel all that motivated but maybe I will go to the gym tonight after my wife gets home and run some sprints. That sure sounds better then Tabata intervals.
3 Likes
So I threw in the towel on going to the gym tonight. I grilled a couple of t-bone steaks and two pounds of hamburgers. I also cooked two boxes of pasta and two pounds of ground beef on the stove. Mix the pasta, beef, and two jars of sauce and I have my Italian fix for the week.
I couldn’t decide which of these things to eat but settled on the steak. I cooked four eggs over easy and put them on top. It was delicious!
I weighed the steak after cooking and then weighed my plate again after I was done to account for the bone and gristle that was left behind. It was 13.0 ounces which is about 17.3 ounces raw (I estimate it reduces by about 25% through cooking).
I clearly can’t go run after eating this.
6 Likes
5.11.17
Woke at 222.6 or 222.8…can’t remember.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
3081 calories, 225g carbs, 111g fat, 268g protein
Early Morning Training-5am
Hang Clean:
135x3
135x3
155x3
175x3
195x3
215x3
225x2
235x2
Felt like I had no pop/power this morning. I do hang cleans from a dead stop and I could not get the bar to move. I pretty much topped out at 235 today.
Clean Pull:
235x5
275x3
275x3
275x3
Again, felt like crap. Everything was heavy. Maybe it’s because it was so early for me.
Pull-Ups:
2x10, 10-3-3 (double rest/pause)
Romanian Deadlift:
2x5 @ 225 (felt heavier than 275 did on Monday)
Lunch Break Workout
Some sort of superset…giant set, maybe?
Straight Arm Pull Down:
60x10
60x10
60x10
Neutral Grip Lat Pull Down:
150x10
150x10
150x10
Seated Cable Row:
150x10
150x10
150x10
Bent-over Reverse Cable Fly (single-arm):
20x10 ea
20x10 ea
20x10 ea
Face Pull:
120x10
120x10
120x10
Back Extension:
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15
All done in a continuous circuit. I probably rested 10-20 seconds between each set and just kept moving from one exercise to the next til I had three rounds. I did an extra set of back extensions.
Single-Arm Lateral Cable Curl (basically flexing):
80x8 ea
80x6 ea
50x11-3-3 (double rest/pause) ea arm
Cable Twist:
2x10 ea @ 60
2 Likes
Settled and steak don’t belong in the same sentence. Good looking snack there.
1 Like
I’m spoiled. I always have good steak on hand since I buy 1/4 of a cow in April. Sadly, I usually grill it while I meal prep and end up taking it to work cold later in the week. Not this time - - I finally ate it fresh.
2 Likes
I have these thoughts leaving the weight room sometimes too. Then I get logging my work, and realize…hmm, ok that wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.
That workout on paper looks pretty good to me!
Sorry to hear about your daughter’s ear, that doesn’t sound fun.
1 Like
I fear that I’m a bit of a stimulus addict. My recent interest in conditioning hasn’t helped. If I’m not smoked then I feel like I slacked off. I also tend to do a lot of volume for the same reason. I’m going to have to be careful not to overdo it.
Just look at my second back workout from today. Does it look like I’m a fan of volume?
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I think the main problem is you’re doing all three when you should be doing two. Volume, frequency and intensity. You go heavy often, you lift often, and you do a ton of volume. Add on the conditioning, work, kids and your age, and it’s no wonder you’re exhausted.
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I actually don’t feel too bad because everything tapers off as the week goes on. I’m off Mon-Wed and that’s when I get carried away because I have more time.
I lift Thurs and Saturday but they’re usually shorter sessions due to work. I also don’t get much cardio done those days. By Monday I usually feel fresh again.
I think I need to focus on improving one thing at a time while maintaining the rest. But I tend to get ahead of myself and start pushing multiple things. Trying to get stronger in every lift at the same time is a tried and true program of mine that leads to mediocrity.
I think instead of trying to do 20-30 reps at 80-87% max on squat, front squat, deadlifts, and OHP I’ll stick to working up to a heavy single and call it a day. Bench is the focus for now and I need to let my hip/back continue to heal.
Lol, yes. Your volume is ridiculous compared to mine. I thrive on low volume, high intensity though.
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It seems that I only do that on back. With the exception of deadlifts and other big pulling movements I’ve never liked going heavy. Part of it is because I train back for hypertrophy and to balance out gravity, sitting in a car, and my pressing work. The beach muscles are so popular at the gym that early on in my lifting days I decided to focus on what wasn’t popular. Everyone has pecs and anterior delts, but I want a big back.
I also don’t seem to get much out of heavy rows. It just doesn’t seem to feel the same as a heavy press or squat, ya know? When I do rows I’m focusing on my lats and middle traps/rhomboids. With heavy rows it’s so easy to start using everything you have just to move the weight and it tends to take away from my mind-muscle connection. Occasionally I’ll throw in some heavy DB rows but I still get some volume. I enjoy the 5/4/3 wave loading that I’ve done a few times recently. Two rounds of that feels pretty good.
Part of my back training has always been fueled by paranoia. Now that I’ve added deadlifts to my regular routine I still find myself wondering if the pulling work is enough… it’s isometric work so I worry. So inevitably I still have to do a rowing movement or some reverse flys before I feel like it was a complete workout. And I always do pull-ups. I just can’t skip those. That’s more about my ability to move my own body weight…and pride.
##5.12.17
Forgot to weigh myself like usual but weight 224 and change with pants and a shirt on instead of my usual gym shorts.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
4690 calories, 479g carbs, 159g fat, 314g protein
Holy hell that was a bit over budget LOL! I was on point all day and then my daughter asked if we could have pizza for dinner. My wife made it with Jiffy crust out of a box. It’s surprisingly delicious. It was cooked on your standard baking sheet and cut into 15 pieces. I ate 10. And as usual, my F-it mentality stepped in and I drank two cups of delicious 1% chocolate milk as a chaser.
See, @MarkKO, your 360 extra calories don’t seem so bad by comparison 
Training
There will be none today. Physical therapy at 9:15 and then I’ll just chill the rest of the day. Sitting in my patrol car will cause enough damage.
6 Likes
It’s hard to give you an idea of my typical week because it’s been changing a lot lately. In the past couple months I’ve done 5/3/1, played with CT’s wave loading, and then tried having a strength day and hypertrophy day during the week. I’ll try to lay out what I’d typically write up for a training week:
Monday
Deadlift: the rep schemes vary. 5/3/1 programming, wave loading sets of 3/2/1 or 5/4/3/2/1, or I might just work up to something heavy and get in some volume by doing EMOM for 10-20 minutes.
Snatch Grip Deadlifts or High Pulls: 15-20 reps with moderate weight
Pull-Ups: Always a staple. I do 2 sets of 10 and the last set is a double rest pause set.
Romanian Deadlift: various loading schemes but usually 2-3 sets of 5-8 reps
Rows: lately it’s been 2x10 + 1 double rest/pause set or wave loading of 7/5/3x2 or 5/4/3x2.
Reverse Fly: usually 3 sets of 10, sometimes I’ll do 10 bottom half, 10 top half, 10 full reps like the old 21’s setup for curls. I also do a variation that emphasizes my delts.
Biceps: 2x10 + 1 double rest/pause or drop sets
Tuesday/Wednesday
Squat or Front Squat: the rep schemes vary. 5/3/1 programming, wave loading sets of 3/2/1 or 5/4/3/2/1, or I might just work up to something heavy and get in some volume by doing EMOM for 10-20 minutes.
Bench: the rep schemes vary. Running Layers for now but in the past it’s been 5/3/1 programming, wave loading sets of 3/2/1 or 5/4/3/2/1, or I might just work up to something heavy and get in some volume by doing EMOM for 10-20 minutes.
Walking lunges or reverse lunges: 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps each leg
Delt training but not pressing–lateral DB Raise variations, upright rows, etc: usually 3x10
Triceps: same as biceps
Thursday
Power Clean: working on rebuilding my form so for now I’m working up to a heavy single. Once my form breaks I call it a day and drop the weight and get in some volume such as 5x2.
Clean Pulls: around 15 reps. I used to just add 50lbs to the bar after power cleans but I might start using 80% of the weight I used for deadlifts on Monday.
Pull-Ups as always
RDL’s: same reps as Monday but less weight, ideally 80% but sometimes I’m lazy and just use 185 or 225 lbs instead of doing the math.
Row variation: same approach as Monday
Reverse Fly variation or Face Pulls: same as Monday
Biceps (optional): same as before
Saturday
Bench or Incline (regular or DB): 5/4/3 wave loading for now
Squat or Front Squat (opposite of Wednesday): the rep schemes vary. 5/3/1 programming, wave loading sets of 3/2/1 or 5/4/3/2/1, or I might just work up to something heavy and get in some volume by doing EMOM for 10-20 minutes.
Standing DB Military: 5/4/3 wave loading
Walking or Reverse Lunges: 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps each
Triceps (optional): same as before
That’s a plan on paper, but if you look at my log you’ll see I don’t always stay on track. I’m off work when I do my first two workouts so I have as much time as I need. I work on the days that I do the second two workouts so it gets a bit tougher. Lately I’ve done my big pulls (cleans or deadlifts) at home after work and done a bodybuilding routine at my work gym during my 30 minute lunch break. Time is short so it’s easier to set up a giant superset and get the volume in for my back.
On Saturdays I’ve been forced to combo set my bench and squat sets which sucks. I’m still searching for the perfect approach but I seem to get in most of my work on Monday and Wednesday and Thursday/Saturday turn into lighter supplemental days.
I also do conditioning and abs as time allows on any given day.
Scroll up and you’ll get an idea of that stuff. For now I’m running Layers for bench so everything else has been getting more variety because I don’t have a structured approach.
2 Likes
I should’ve just done this in the first place…
The Punisher logo denotes a double rest/pause rep scheme.
4 Likes
Great workout.
Thanks! I write a lot of great workouts. It’s the execution that fails me!
2 Likes
So you said no?
4 Likes
5.13.17
222.4 lbs. No surprise there. Apparently I’m to the point that it takes one day of eating decently clean and staying within my normal caloric budget and I recover from a binge. I actually think this reveals how hard I’ve been training as of late. My body has been craving fuel; most days I feel hungry at least half of my waking hours regardless of what I eat. I’ve backed off the conditioning and I’m trying to keep it on training days only so maybe I’ll see a slow down in my metabolism soon.
Yesterday’s Nutrition
2940 calories, 229g carbs, 79g fat, 255g protein.
5AM Training
Woke up early to do half my workout so 1) I don’t have to rush so much at work and 2) so I don’t sweat through all of my clothes at work.
Front Squats:
45x5
95x5
115x5
135x5
155x3
175x3
195x1
215x1
225x1
235x1–this felt like a max effort…pathetic
Reverse Lunge:
3x6 ea @ 105 lbs
Tabata Burpees!!! (F my life)
Reps per round: 6, 6, 5, 6, 5, 5, 6, 6 (45 Total)
Boy, that sucked, @bustedwheel
More to come later.
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