Your goals also play a factor. If your goal is only strength then increased frequency is a better route because you get to practice the skill more frequently which should make you more efficient at it. Being more efficient should improve performance.
1 Like
Is that only really an issue for competitive powerlifters?
Olympic weight lifters fit the bill too. I think anyone who wants to reach their peak strength should use more frequency (two to three times per week). Those of us who just want to look good, build muscle, and maintain a respectable level of strength and health can use just about any approach we’d like.
2 Likes
I forget Olympic lifters exist sometimes. My mistake.
2 Likes
Chest & Bi’s
INCLINE
135 x 10
145 x 10
155 x 8
165 x 5
175 x 4
185 x 3 immediately drop to
95 x 20
HAMMER BENCH (lying version)
100 x 10
110 x 8
120 x 7
130 x 6
140 x 5
150 x 5
BARBELL CURLS!!!
bar x 20, 15, 15, 15
Tendon only popped once but it hurt afterward. This is better but I still think it will be best to have surgery to fix it long term.
superset with
PUSH UPS (AMRAP)
20, 13, 12, 11
Triceps seemed to be the limiting factor here.
CABLE FLY
50 x 10
40 x 15
40 x 15
superset with
LAT CABLE CURL (low pulley)
40 x 10
30 x 5 + 20 x 7
20 x 15
SA REV CABLE CURL
20 x 15 x 2 sets each
Assisted myself on the last few reps of each set.
This took about 42 minutes. I guess I need 45 minutes minimum for a good session.
6 Likes
Looking good matey 
1 Like
Excellent workout! Maybe after the challenge, and when I have time to train 4 days per week and stop doing full body workouts, I’ll start doing curls and stuff again!
This bit confused me, though…
Typo?
1 Like
Yep!
I’ve been tempted to go back to a bro split for a long time. It provides a type of gym satisfaction that no other split can give you…focusing on chest and biceps for an hour is true bro stuff. I love it
4 Likes
I know it’s early days but do you feel you have seen any changes in your body since moving over to BB training.
1 Like
4.1.19
Woke at 213.6 lbs. FINALLY!
PT at 10 this morning and then we’ll head to the Y for my new leg day.
Nothing yet but I’m in the position of not being able to gain much muscle anyway. Based on my fat fest from last year and the research, I’d be lucky to gain 5 lbs a year. I don’t think I’ll see much change until I do this for a long time and then look back.
I also have tunnel vision right now. I’ve been staring at the scale and my abs the past couple weeks (when I’m not eating cupcakes and ice cream). I finally cracked the 213 barrier this morning. For some stupid reason I’m going to keep trying to cut to 205. I’d like to bring a 30 lb change to the T-ransformation Challenge. I also felt a little push from the guys around here after revealing my 215 lb physique.
In the long run I’ll probably settle on being 215 though (unless I can magically gain some muscle).
Even though I’m not seeing (or expecting) any changes short term, I’m really enjoying my training. It’s pretty low stress and three out of every four workouts is upper body. I don’t have any dreaded leg sessions like 5x8 on deads, squats, RFESS, and RDLs like I did on SGSS.
I’m pretty happy. I just wish my hip didn’t hurt. It’s aching this morning and has been for several days (mostly muscular pain).
8 Likes
Legs
WARM UP
10 minutes on the bike, L10, 2.69 miles, about 115 calories
GLUTE EXTENSION MACHINE
110 x 20 ea
130 x 18 ea
150 x 12 ea
RFESS
Nope. Too much pain in my left knee.
LEG EXTENSION
100 x 20, 20, 13-4-3 rest/pause
superset with
LYING LEG CURL
90 x 15, 15, 10-2-3 rest/pause
My leg were jello after just three sets of this. @flappinit, how do you do so many sets???
STANDING CALF MACHINE
150 x 15, 12, 12 squeeze at top, slow eccentric, pause at bottom
superset with
SIDE TO SIDES
2 x 15 ea side
SL 12" BOX SQUAT
BW x 15 x 3 sets ea
Knee still hurting and limiting factor.
SL RDL
BW x 15 x 2 sets ea
CONDITIONING
Elliptical, 15 minutes, easy pace. HR was 125-135 the entire time. I felt fatigued and weak so I just plugged along the best I could.
I canceled all but one of my remaining PT sessions. I’ll go back next Tuesday and then I’m going to a new place Wednesday morning. The new place was referred to me by some friends. I checked out their site and they offer running analysis and functional movement screenings. Hopefully that means they are actually qualified enough to figure out my dysfunction and help me fix it.
I 100% believe my knee is my limiting factor right now. I can’t push my hip because of the stabbing pain in my knee. I’m pretty sure that my glute medius is better now than when I started. I’ve been going to PT for 4+ weeks now. My knee pain hasn’t changed one bit. The therapist focused on the tissues around my hip and used ultrasound on my knee and it’s the worst it’s felt in the gym in a couple weeks. PT is expensive and I feel like I’m wasting my money. I can continue to do the glute medius exercises on my own. I don’t need to pay $50 per session for that.
I also think I’ve been wrong with my self diagnosis. I’m not so sure that I have IT band syndrome. I can’t help but continue to search the internet for treatment protocols and success stories and I found one sentence that threw me off. IT band syndrome typically comes with a tenderness on the lateral side of the knee where the pain occurs. I have no tenderness. My only pain is with movement. I told the PT this and he pressed on my knee and we determined that my pain is not where he typically sees IT band pain. That’s not exactly good news and it could explain why strengthening my hip is not improving my knee problems. The mystery continues…
3 Likes
Had to work up to it, but mostly I just stumble around the gym like I’m drunk on leg days.
3 Likes
Interesting, I usually find I see some visible differences quickly from those pump type workouts, particularly in shoulders and arms.
The pics and measurements will tell me if anything changes. I’ll do all that again when I reach my final product for the challenge. I’m not sure if that’ll be 205 lbs or June 1st - whichever comes first.
2 Likes
Will be waiting with interest.
4.2.19
Woke at 212.4 lbs. Here we go!
I’m probably going to limit myself to protein shakes throughout the day in preparation for tonight. I’m meeting some co-workers for wings and the Shockers basketball game - we’re in the NIT Final Four. I looked at the menu and there’s no getting around wings. I can get them grilled but it only drops the calories by about 200 for 10 wings (they’re just big chunks of breast meat). I’m not sure if it’s worth the sacrifice.
I’m hoping to have at least 1400 calories left when I get there. That should allow me to have a couple of big beers and 10 wings dipped in ranch. 
Oh, yeah. I think I’m changing my weekly split again. 
Okay, it’s more of a fine adjustment. It seems weird and unbalanced of me to do shoulders, back, chest, legs, repeat. I think I’m going to add another back day. One will focus on vertical pulls and the other will have more horizontal work.
Since my biceps tendon seems to be staying in place more I’m going to try some hang cleans today. If that goes well then I’ll do those on one or both back days. I was also considering snatch grip rack pulls. Maybe I’ll do those on the horizontal day and cleans or high pulls on the vertical day.
3 Likes
Vertical Back Day
WARM UP
10 min bike, 2.69 miles, L8 to give my quads a break
HANG POWER CLEAN
155 x 3 x 3 sets
175 x 3 x 2 sets
195 x 2 x 2 sets
215 x 2 ugly
My biceps tendon didn’t pop! Catching 155 in a quarter squat caused my hip to ache so it appears the injection didn’t work. My hip has been aching constantly the past few days. It’s mostly muscle pain though. Eventually someone will figure this out.
PULL UPS
BW 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 7
I’m not sure what happened today but I went from doing 8, 8, 8, 5 to 5 x 8 with no problem.
45-60* SA CABLE PULL DOWN
160 x 6
130 x 10 x 3 sets
130 x 15 + 9 (did right arm, left arm, right arm, left arm)
J ROPW PULL
145 x 10
145 x 7
130 x 11
130 x 8
It really felt like I did more than this but I managed to get in 16 challenging sets of vertical work plus the cleans. I’m sure my Lat insertions are going to hurt tomorrow.
CONDITIONING
20 min interval on the Elliptical. 1.59 miles, 276 calories.
9 Likes
Looks like your really hitting your stride both in terms of solid workouts and progress on the scale. Enjoy the wings and beer tonight and then refocus. Maybe set another small goal to let yourself celebrate with a cheat again. Maybe at 210
3 Likes
Nice workouts, nice weight loss, you’re doing great J.
And enjoy the wings and beers you’ve deserved it.
1 Like