Looking phenomenal dude!
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He looks like what he lifts!
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@alex_uk Thanks brother!
@tlgains Much appreciated. I may not have the 19" arms I want, but I feel my overall thickness shows I spend time moving heavy weight.
Woke up at 8:30 on Saturday and went for a 40-minute fasted jog with a little bit of dry whey scooped in my mouth (for those curious, it clumps and forms a small protein candy ball). Started by jogging uphill for 3 rounds before continuing on flat ground. Very nice start to the morning.
No training the rest of the day, as I went to the San Francisco area to see a friend, but there was plenty of walking all day, starting with a beach hike at a WW2-era coastal artillery site. Reading up on the history, it also became a missile launch zone during the Cold War. Went to Chinatown afterwards and, per tradition, chatted with a store owner about Bruce Lee and bought a Bruce Lee shirt before dinner.
Sunday:
Bench press
315 x 1
335 x 1
345 x 1
Paused: 315 x 2
Notes: 345 went up easier than I was expecting.
Swiss bar bench press
225 x 8, 9, 8, 8, 8
Super-set with dumbbell rows
125s x 8, 9, 8, 8, 8
Dumbbell flye press
50s x 12
Notes: Saw a Christian Thibaudeau article about these and tried for fun. It’s basically a dumbbell press on the concentric and a chest flye on the eccentric. I enjoyed the movement, got a pump from just the one set.
Dumbbell curls with Fat Gripz
50s x 3 x 12
Afterwards, went on a 3-hour walk around town, starting with a hike (gotta love the proximity of the mountains and downtown to each other here). It was my cheat day and I tried to get a pizza slice before heading home, but the slices looked like they’d been sitting out for days so I just drank bone broth and eggs once I was back home instead. I think I’m going to continue that practice: yes, have your cheat day, your body handles the carbs well and you’re still losing weight with that ritual, but end the feasting a few hours before bed so you’re not going to sleep stuffed.
Great end to a great weekend.
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no shit Sherlock. Looking proper hench mate
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My dad passed away last Wednesday. I can’t say it was unexpected with how his health was, but it was nonetheless an emotional shock. I had spoken to him at midnight the night before to check on him and tell him I was staying home from work the next day, to which his last words to me were “Ok” while he was laying in bed. I found him unresponsive the next morning.
I had been his caretaker for certain things like driving him to the store and doing chores around the house for the last 10 years and opted to stay with him after everyone else had moved away so he wouldn’t be alone. He was a real hard man, an old-school badass, but incredibly loving to his children at the same time. Also, just my best friend, which I’ve mentioned in my log numerous times. We had a lot of great inside jokes, often taken from movie lines via Commando, Rocky 3, Braveheart, and others.
One badass exchange we had recently (imperfect English intentional):
Dad looking at my black cat: “In Iran, they scare of black cat. They think they’re the devil.”
Me: “Hah, are you scared of him?”
Dad: “No. I am devil myself.”
The past week has been a mix of grieving, taking care of appointments, and of course, training. I did this yesterday:
2-board press
315 x 3
345 x 2
Close-grip bench press
245 x 8, 8
225 x 10
Super-set with reverse hyper rows: 290 x 3 x 12
Dumbbell flye press
50s x 12, 12
Seated curls with Fat Gripz
35s x 12, 10, 10
Today is the first day back at work and I’m tackling tasks bit by bit, but I’m looking forward to the day being over.
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Dude, my condolences. I can’t imagine what you are going through. Your dad was an awesome man, and I know you made him proud. You’re the kind of son anyone would be proud to call their own.
If you need anything, reach out to me.
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Hitting ‘like’ for the workout, but brother, my thoughts and prayers are with you in this time of loss. I’m digging that story about the black cat—those are the kind of memories that you can hold onto over the long run. Stay strong!
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I am really sorry to hear about your dad passing. I’m not sure how to phrase this but I’m happy to see you got to talk to him one last time before he passed. A similar thing happened with my uncle and I had a lot of closure with having that one last conversation with him before he passed. It might have been a small conversation but that would mean the world to me. Keep smashing your training!
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I’m sorry to hear and wishing you the best as you navigate this. I don’t know if I’ve ever said anything in here before, but I’m a regular follower.
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My deepest condolences on the loss of your best friend. It sounds like you were very lucky to have such a great man as a father and I am sure he felt like the luckiest man in the word to have you as a son. Stay strong my friend.
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I’m sorry to hear of this. I know we haven’t interacted with each other much but if you need someone to vent to, feel free to send me a message.
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So sorry to hear this man. Sounds like your dad was an awesome guy
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I wanted to say thank you to each and every one of you for leaving a message and some well wishes. The physical culture community are my people and I draw upon some strength interacting with all of you. I’ve been going to the gym with my dad since I was 7 years old so I took his inspiration and ran with it.
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Man, I am so sorry to hear this. It sounds like the two of you had a fantastic relationship, and I’m truly sorry that you have suffered such a loss. Smoke and prayers headed your way brother
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Sorry to hear about your dad.
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Thank you again for the latest comments. I appreciate you warriors.
I managed to drag myself into boxing last Friday after a fatiguing day of appointments preparing for my dad’s service. Part of me felt like skipping, but classes are pre-registered every weekend and there’s a cancellation fee, plus another side knew that toughing it out and going would be good for me. It was a new coach and some hard conditioning. Instead of merely skipping rope for 3 rounds of 3 minutes as the warm-up, we replaced the 30 second rest with 10 burpees before jumping back into rope skipping. That didn’t feel hard, but It escalated from there with rotating medicine ball throws, kettlebell thrusters, and battle ropes. I felt like my gas tank was truly tested for the first time at this place. It was also the first time I’ve ever used battle ropes. They were the easiest among the exercise trio.
We then did a drill of jabbing at our defending partners for 2 minutes straight, then 1-2s for 2 minutes, then switching.
Played around with a different squat form last night after work: high bar and ATG, with hamstrings touching my heels. Lately I really like the idea of cycling in different grips and stances, instead of primarily thinking about changing the bar or exercise. I used to exclusively squat high bar until 2019, when the top of my vertebrae started to seriously hurt. The positioning didn’t come back naturally to me and it felt awkward.
Worked up to a single of 405, then 315x8. Predictably, the weight felt very light except for a split-second at the very bottom.
Have also started supplementing with Biotest Superfood instead of buying my usual Costco multivitamins.
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After dropping off our chosen resting clothes for Dad at the funeral home yesterday, I came home and unpacked a new laptop that had arrived and then hustled off to boxing. I ended up being the odd man out with no partner, which I became really disappointed with once I heard we would be doing light sparring, but the coach grabbed me to do mitt work and 1-on-1 coach time which is also invaluable. One of the guys there commented between rounds that my right hand sounded like a gunshot. Ended with bag work and then abs.
Unfortunately, I woke-up with both back and elbow pain. I made a point to try and not strain my back during the ab circuit, but it seems like the effort wasn’t enough. Nothing major, just feels like a few steps backward after making some progress on both fronts. It would be worth using the reverse-hyper after working abs and seeing if that makes a difference, just as I’ve been pairing it with squats and deadlifts. For the elbow, I should use the Flexbar rehab tool I have more and make sure I sleep with my elbow sleeve (not my powerlifting one, this is a Venum cloth sleeve) without exception.
Got the idea to end my log entries with a quote during these hard times.
Quote of the day: "You have been baptized in fire and blood and have come out steel.” -General Scott at Chapultepec [taken from General Patton’s diary War As I Knew It]
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Dips:
Bw x 10
50 x 10
100 x 13
115 x 10
Chin-ups: 8, 12, 12, 12
Behind-the-neck axle press:
110 x 10, 10, 8
These were mostly done as giant sets back-to-back with little to no rest except the last set of 115 lb dips, when I got lost in thought over my dad.
Ended with a 48-second chin-up. Previously noticed I was stalling for time by pausing at various points during the chin-up rest, which is fine, but it’s harder if I don’t stop and instead ascend and descend very slowly throughout the whole rep.
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Sending you a big hug. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
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@QuadQueen Appreciate you for that, thank you.
Had the service for my dad on Friday. I miss him, but whenever I feel at my lowest, I simply remember how stoic and ironclad he was, and his simple words of “Be strong” to me.
Did some deep squats on Saturday:
410 x 5
Drop-set to 320 x 8, 225 x 8, 135 x 8, 50 lb kettlebell goblet squat x 8
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