Kurt's Training Log

Training Logs
21

Today is the second full day following Shelby’s low carb plan. I’m still amazed at how easy it is. I haven’t been hungry at all and I’ve only had trace amounts of carbs through a little bit of salad and the nuts. I wasn’t very carbed up before this plan started but I’m sure my 6 pound weight drop this week cant be all water.

Wake up: 7am. I took a sleeping pill last night and had a hard time waking up this morning.
Sleep: 8hours
Weight: 180
Temp: 97.0
RHR: 55
Feeling like: 8/10

I’m still a little sore from Tuesday but I’m looking forward to the dynamic box squats tonight. The weather is supposed to be incredible too so I want to get some running in.

Meal 0ne: 730am
Small portion of fish, tbsp almond butter

Meal two: 10am
Shake w/ almond milk, 5 fish oils

Meal Three: 1pm
Salad, 1.5 cans tuna, 1 tbsp olive oil

Meal Four: 4pm
1.5 cans tuna, 1 tbsp olive oil, 5 fish oils

Meal Five: 630pm
Tbsp almond butter, crab meat, diet soft drink

Tonight’s workout was Dynamic Effort Lower Body

Prehab work was still calves but with a higher weight, lower reps and single legged. A two second pause was used at the bottom to eliminate any elastic rebound. Standing Single Leg Calf Raise â?? 2 x 5 w/ 30s then 50s

Activation work was Dumbell Jump Squats â?? 2 x 5 with 50s

WORKOUT
A) Speed Work: Parallel Box Squat w/ chains â?? 10 x 2 approximately 50% of my current estimated 1RM.
We were still feeling out the optimal resistance here. The chains are estimated at 80lbs and completely deloaded at the bottom. 10 sets of 2 with 185lbs of bar weight with the 80lb chains. Bar speed was decent. Sets 7 and 8 were slow but 9 and 10 were better.

B) Good Morning â?? 5 x 5
This was a heavier set of good mornings than on the max effort day. We used 135 for all 5 sets to get a little more comfortable with the form.

We opted for the speed training today. Started off with some bounds for height, bounds for distance, kneeling step out jump for height, kneeling step out jump for distance.

Because this was the first time I’ve run since I hurt the leg I decided to change the plan and do some light flying 30s at around 60%. And what do you know…popped it again. I’m estimating it as a 3/10 in terms of injury severity but this puts a lot of pressure on my timeline.

Now to take Alieve, ice this shit out of it, wrap the hell out of it and wait.

22

Friday April 2nd - Dynamic Effort Upper Body

Today was a rough morning. Out late last night, slept in and didn’t get morning vitals. Visually the body looked better though.

The workout was at 7pm. Initially my energy levels were pretty low but overall the workout went pretty well.
Prehab) External Rotators - Used 20’s for 2 sets of 10. This was a few pounds less than normal but it felt good.

Activation) Went outside and did 4 sets of 5 overhead medball slams with the 15. Felt a little less explosive than previously/

The Workout
A) Speed Bench w/ Chains
We had a hard time figuring out appropriate chain vs bar weight. 55% of my 1Rm is 170lb. I ended up using 115lbs of bar weight and added 80lbs of chains. We slung the chains low so the actual weight at lockout was a little less. Grip was alternated each set and we did 10 sets of 3.

B) Seated Dumbell Shoulder Press
Used the fat grips and did two sets of 20 with 30’s. Could have gone up to 35’s (if I had them) but probably not the 40s.

C1) Weighted Pull Ups - 4 sets of 3 with 55lbs

C2) Face Pulls - Used the blue band, 4 sets of 15

D1) 4 Board Press w/ 80lbs chains - 185 x5, 205 x5, 215 x5
The last set was a grinder

D2) 1 Arm Dumbell Row w/ Fatz - 50s x 12, 55s x 12, 55s x 12

E) Dumbell Hex Holds - Used a 20. I was lasting about 10 seconds but Pat with his man hands was probably up to 30s.

The gym was a sweatshop today. Unseasonably warm weather gave us a taste of how unpleasant the summer months are going to be.

The hamstring doesn’t feel as bad as I thought it would. I’m sore as hell everywhere else though. Still probably not going to try running on it for a bit.

23

Monday April 5th

This is the beginning of blog week 2. Coming off a three day weekend it was nice to relax and use the time to recover mentally and physically from the stress of the past few months. It returned my enthusiasm back to where they were and I’m excited for the challenges of this work week.

The diet definitely slipped over the weekend. While I didn’t indulge in Easter treats I relaxed my carb restrictions and constantly grazed. I know this lead to some water retention but I still feel lighter than last Monday.

Wake Up: 730am
Weight: 183lbs
Feeling Like: 8/10
Temp: 97.2
RHR: 54
Waist: 33"

All things considered, my numbers are basically the same. I’ll be follow Shelby’s plan for the duration of this training meso cycle and will come off in two weeks.

24

4000×3000 1.97 MB

April 5th Front

25

4000×3000 1.97 MB

April 5th Side

26

4000×3000 1.98 MB

April 5th Back

27

April 5th: Max Effort Lower Body

Prehab) Standing Calf Raise: 2x10 w/50s. This was a big jump up from the 30s last week.

Activation) Dumbell Split Jumps: 2x10 w/30s. Same weight as last week but faster and easier.

A) Low Bar Rack Pull w/Bands: We used the Elite FTS Light short band, giving 125 at lock out. We got the power rack to cooperate and lowered it all the way down. It worked out to about 2" below the knee or the 45’s being about 2" off the ground . Last week I think we kept using the Method of Heavy Effort too long before maxing out so the goal this week was to make bigger jumps and spend more time going for singles.
Bar, 135, 185, 225, 275 x 3. Switched to mixed grip at 275. 315, 335, 365 x 1. 385 x FAIL.
This works out to 490 at lockout, up 10lbs from last week.

B1) Reverse Hyper Extension: 3 x 10 x 60lbs

B2) Swiss Ball Leg Curl: 3 x 10, R=60s
Body weight x10x3

C1) Band Good Morning: 2 x 20, R=30s
Average band and monster mini band x20x3

C2) Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches: 2 x 20 w/ 30lb dumbell

D) Car Push or Sled Pull: Skipped the optional conditioning today.

28

Tuesday April 6th
Had a great sleep last night with the exception of the serious elbow the girlfriend tossed me to the chops in her sleep.

Wake up: 730am
Sleep: 8 hours
Weight: 182
Temp: 96.9’F
RHR: 54
Feeling like: 8/10

I don’t feel sore at all from yesterday’s workout. I’m going to have to throw in more direct quad work next cycle but I’m enjoying the extra low back work right now. It is something that has been neglected in the past.

Meal One: 745am
One cup of egg whites, left over tuna from last night. Mixed up into a delicious omlette, coffee

Meal Two: 1045am
Protein Shake with almond milk, handful of almonds, coffee

Meal Three: 130pm
Two cups of haddock, mustard, 5g fish oil

Meal Four: 330pm
Two cups of haddock, mustard, handful of almonds

I snacked infrequently throughout the evening. I was preparing to do the Max Effort Upper Body workout but ran out of time. So it’ll be rescheduled for Wednesday.

29

Wednesday April 7th

Had a great sleep last night due to another sleeping pill. I need to phase these out soon but I’m just not tired until after midnight.

Wake Up: 730am
Sleep: 8 hours
Weight: 179.5 (down quite a bit)
Temp: 97
RHR: 54
Feeling like: 9

Meal One: 745am
Few slices of leftover ham, egg whites, tbsp fish oil, coffee

Meal Two: 11am
Protein shake with almond milk, fish oil x 5g

Meal Three: 1pm
Cup of ham, handful of almonds, coffee

Meal Four 330pm
2 cups haddock, cup of mixed vegetables, mustard

The evening was light grazing on nuts and dried vegetables. It equaled a lot of salt but I don’t care about that right now. Daily calories are still low and protein content is still high. Plus, as seen in the log below, all my lifts are up so I can’t argue with what the diet is doing. Shelby’s stuff works apparently.

The workout (rescheduled from yesterday):

General warm up plus some additional shoulder dislocations, figure 8s and wall slides.

Prehab) Bent Over Trap 3 raises- 30’s x10 , 30’s x 10
Last week I did 20s and 25s. This is a nice increase.

Activation) 10 Second Heavy Holds.
2 sets for 10 seconds with 275 plus a light band which is around 120 at lockout.
I put a tensor on my wrist for these and it made it feel a lot better. Could this be the beginning of the transition into equipment?

The Workout:
A) Max Effort: 2 Board Press w/ light short bands and Fat Gripz
Bar, 95, 135, 155 x 3, 185, 205 x 1, 215 x FAIL, 215 x 1
I failed around the mid point with 215. I tried several times to hitch it back up but the bands were not allowing that. But on the next set my training partner hit the weight he had missed on the previous set so I couldn’t end my day without trying again. As seen in the video my ass comes off the bench briefly. But with about 100lbs of tension at the bottom and 120 at lock out I am extremely happy with this.

B) Incline DB Press
75s x13 , 75s x10
I didn’t use the fat gripz and upped the weight 20lbs from last week. It give me a rep target to hit instead of a weight target.

C1) Purple Light Band Assisted Pull Ups with Fatz
17, 13, 11, 9
This is one more rep on each set than last week.

C2) Monster Mini Pull Aparts: x 15 x 4

D1) Lying DB Triceps Extension With Fatz: 40s x12 , 40s x12 , 40s x11
I would have prefered to use 35s but I don’t have them. I’ll stay with this weight for a while and focus on quality reps.

D2) Barbell Reverse Curl:
55 x 12 x 3

E1) Plate Pinch: 2 x 3 5lb plates x 25sec and 20sec
I felt like puking before these started but finished the workout. My training partner easily doubled my grip times and that is after he worked 24 hours in a garden center in the last 3 days carrying rose bush pots with a pinch grip. He’s a man.

Afterward, I sat in the rain for 20 minutes trying not to throw up. I didn’t.

30

215lb 2 Board Press with Light short bands.

31

Thursday April 8th

Wake up: 730am
Sleep: 8.5 hours
Weight: 179lbs
Temp: 97
RHR: 55
Feeling like: 8/10

Meal One: 745am
Hamburger patty and handful of mixed nuts, coffee

Meal Two:1030am
Protein Shake w/ almond milk, handful of nuts

Meal Three: 1pm
Two cans of tuna, 5g fish oil

Meal Four: 4pm
Two cans of tuna, 5g fish oil

Lack of preparation time lead to lack of food diversity today.

Meal Five: 630pm
Steak, avocado

Meal Six:
Handful of nuts, protein shake

WORKOUT
A) Speed Work: Parallel Box Squat w/ chains â?? 10 x 2 approximately 55% of my current estimated 1RM.
10 sets of 2 with 185lbs of bar weight with the 80lb chains. I kept the weight the same because I think I over estimated my current squat max. I wanted to focus on bar speed.

B) Good Morning â?? 5 x 5 w/ 135. Same weight as last week. The hamstring wasn’t quite behaving and I just wasn’t feeling it so I cut the workout short.

32

Friday April 9th
Went out last night (didn’t drink) so bed time was pushed back and bit and total sleep hours were affected. I didn’t feel tired though.

Wake Up: 730am
Sleep: 6 hours
Weight: 180
Temp: NA
RHR: NA
Feeling like: 7/10

Meal One: 745am
Coffee with a little milk, small steak, 3 whole eggs, a couple mixed nuts

Meal Two: 10am
Protein Shake with almond milk, handful of mixed nuts, coffee

Meal Three: 1230pm
Two cans of tuna, coffee with a little milk

Meal Four: 4pm
Two cans of tuna, 5g fish oil

Meal Five: 7pm
Shake w/ almond milk

Meal Six: 930pm
Small steak, turkey bacon

The Workout: Dynamic Effort Upper Body
Prehab) External Rotators: 25s x 10,10
This is a 5 lb jump from last week.

The Workout
A) Speed Bench w/ Chains: 115lbs + 80lbs chains x 10 x 3
I think the speed was decent but videos can be the judge of that. Enclosed is set number 9 with a wider grip.

B) Seated Dumbell Shoulder Press w/ Fatz
40’s x 20, 17
This is a 10lb jump on last week and I couldn’t finish all the reps on the last set. I’ll stay here next week and will hopefully hit 20 reps on both.

C1) Weighted Pull Ups:
In lieu of more reps we upped the weight another 10 lbs, using a 55 and 10lb kettlebell attached to a dip belt. 4 sets of 3 reps, all done from a dead hang with the weights resting on the floor.

C2) Face Pulls: We used a lighter band and really focused on the squeeze. 4 sets of 15.

D1) 4 Board Press w/ 80lbs chains: These were good. Last week the weights used were 185, 205, 215lbs x 5 reps. This week they were 195, 225, 240lbs x 5 and these could have been higher.

D2) 1 Arm Dumbell Row w/ Fatz: Jumped up to 75s with Fatz. These were really taxing on the grip and were a little sloppy. 75s x 10,12,12

E) Dumbell Hex Holds: 25s x 35sec, 30s x 22sec

All in all it was a good workout. Every set of every exercise was an improvement. Next week is the last workouts of this cycle and hopefully the increase continues before switching up the exercises.

We’re having a problem with the benching. You can see in the video that a) the J hooks are too deep and b) they’re either too high or two low. It is really affecting the set up, especially on the wide grip. Time permitting I’m going to try and cut some wooden inserts to put inside, making the depth less imposing and slightly raising a lower height. The problem that this creates is that when using short bands they really pull the bar forward and I’m not sure how safe it would be to shorten the front. Using straight weight or chains though, this would be great. I’ll report back on the results.

33

Saturday April 10th

Wow. I don’t know what to say about this diet of Shelby’s but its just working. I was certainly not obese before I started and I haven’t been needlessly strict with portion control. I’ve also not been doing any fasted cardio due to the hammy.

I’m down another 2.5lbs this morning. And that is after a week of hitting PRs.

Wake up: 8am
Sleep: 8 hours
Weight: 177.5
Temp: NA
RHR: NA
Feeling like: 9/10

I’m really looking forward to Monday’s pictures and measurements. Could my long time dream of a 31" waist be a reality soon?

Meal One: 830am
3 whole eggs, turkey bacon, coffee w/ milk

34

April 12th:
Wake Up: 7am
Sleep: 7.5 hours
Weight: 179
Temp: 76.8
RHR: 53
Feeling like: 9/10
Waist: 32"

I’m not particularly happy with the appearance of these pictures. I don’t feel very full or vascular at all but measurements and weight are mostly leaning towards a better body comp. My waist is the smallest it has been in a while at 32" around the naval and 31.5 at the smallest. I’ve seen a decrease in arm and neck size though and that is surprising and upsetting.

This presents me with a difficult decision. Would it be better to continue the low carb diet and continue to lose weight, potentially losing lean body mass? Or would now be a better time to increase carb intake and focus on muscle gain even if it leads to slight fat gain?

For the time being following the current plan appears to be ideal. This is a long term plan and should be treated as such. I’ve found in the past I’m always happier when I’m lean and the last two weeks have been filled with PR’s. As long as strength increases I’ll stay the course. I will gradually increase carbs as my tolerance permits.

Meal One: 730am
Coffee w/ milk, 2 whole eggs, 3/4 cup egg whites, pack of instant oatmeal

Meal Two: 10am
Protein shake with almond milk, 5 fish oil, handful of almonds

Meal Three: 1pm
Two cans of tuna, 5g fish oil, handful of almonds

Meal Four: 4pm
Two cans of tuna, handful of almonds

Meal Five: 6pm
Steak, salad, avocado

Meal Six: 930pm
Steak, salad, avocado, olive oil

Max Effort Lower Body

Prehab) Standing Calf Raise: 2x10 w/55s.

Activation) Dumbell Split Jumps: 2x10 w/30s. Same weight as last week but faster and easier.

A) Low Bar Rack Pull w/Bands: We used the Elite FTS Average short band, giving 120 at bottom and 180 at lock out. The bar is set at about 2" below the knee or the 45’s being about 2" off the ground .
Bar, 95, 135, 155, 185, 225 x 3, switched to mixed grip, 245, 275, 295, 315, 335 x 1, 345 x FAIL
http://www.youtube.com/user/kmorrison6?feature=mhw5#p/a/u/0/Yw-mC2S_CeQ
We couldn’t make the average band work properly. It felt like we were getting more tension on one side. Based on EliteFTS calibration these bands provided 120lbs of tension at the bottom and around 185 at lockout. This makes the max pull 425 up to 515lb, good for another PR.

B1) Reverse Hyper Extension- 3 x 10 x 80lbs

B2) Swiss Ball Leg Curl- 3 x 10, R=60s
Body weight x10x3

C1) Band Good Morning- 2 x 20, R=30s
Light band and monster mini band x20x3

C2) Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches- 2 x 20 w/30s

Neither my training partner or I had a whole lot of energy today but we got through it.

35

4000×3000 2.07 MB

Front

36

4000×3000 2.06 MB

Side

37

4000×3000 2.05 MB

Back

38

I’m going to play a little catch up. I maintain a blog off T-Muscle so I’m going to cut and paste to get back on track with this log.

Thursday April 15

Woke up early and easily today.
Wake up: 7am
Sleep: 8 hours
Temp: 96.7
RHR: 54
Weight: 177lbs

Meal One: 730am
Two burgers w/ mustard, coffee w/ milk

Meal Two: 1030am
Handful of mixed nuts, coffee

Meal Three: 2pm
All you can eat sushi, lots of fish. I’ve been waiting for a while to carb up and enjoy some good food.
Unfortunately I glutinously over consumed and lost all sense of enjoyment from the aforementioned sushi. I hope someone directs me towards this statement the next time I consider an all you can eat because I feel like complete garbage. I’m drowsy and lethargic, hinting that I’m not very carb tolerant or perhaps so glycogen depleted that I’m responding as such. Either way, I’d better be pretty damn vascular later today and I’d better be strong as an ox or this carb up was nothing but pain.

Meal Four: 9pm
I ate a handful of nuts and half of the hot dog Gina couldn’t finish. Then right to bed. No lift. Felt like shit.

This is two missed workouts in the same week, which I find unacceptable. This was a quote on T-Muscle today.

"When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet him he will win."â??Ed Macauley

I took this to heart and will be more determined from this day forward.

39

Friday April 16 - Dynamic Effort Upper Body

Carb loading was a success. I woke up this morning weighing 5 pounds more than I did yesterday. Pounds of rice plus cups of soya sauce equals extreme water retention. I haven’t pissed in 24 hours and I’ve drank liters of water.

Wake up: 7am
Sleep: 8 hours
Weight: 182
Temp: 97.3
RHR: 55
Feeling like: 8/10

Meal One: 745am
3 whole eggs, few pieces of bacon, coffee w/ milk

Meal Two: 11am
Handful of mixed nuts, protein shake

Meal Three: 130pm
Two cans of tuna, 5g fish oil

Meal Four: 4pm
Two cans of tuna, 5g fish oil

The Workout: Dynamic Effort Upper Body

Prehab)
External rotator: 30s x 10 x 2
This is another jump up and near where it should be. Because I don’t have 35s ill stay here for a while and upp the eps.

The Workout
A) Speed Bench w/ Chains: 135lbs + 80lbs chains x 10 x 3
155 x 10 x 3. Fiannly upped the weight and the speed felt decent.

B) Seated Dumbell Shoulder Press w/ Fatz
40s x 20,20. Three more reps than last week.

C1) Weighted Pull Ups:
70 x 4, 80 x 3, 90x 3, 100 x 2. Did chins instead of pulls.

C2) Face Pulls:
Red band 4 x 15

D1) 4 Board Press w/ 80lbs chains:
Opened at 225 x 5, jumped to 275 x 5, finished with 300 x 2. It feels good typing the number three.

D2) 1 Arm Dumbell Row w/ Fatz: 3 sets of 12 w/ 75’s and Fatz. These felt easier than last week.

40

Monday April 19th

Today is the first day of the second cycle.

I’ve been trying to change my sleep schedule and get a up earlier. I’m hoping this makes me more productive but this morning I was up at 6:30am and after finishing everything I usually do in the mornings I had 30 minutes to doing nothing. I’m either hyper productive or I need a hobby.

Wake Up: 630am
Sleep: 8h
Weight 179
Temp: 96.9
RHR: 53
Feeling like: 9/10
Water weight fluctuation aside, I’ve been observing my average body temperature drop slightly over the past three weeks and I’m wondering if this is due to body comp and lack of insulation or a tend towards reduction in metabolic rate.

Meal One:
1 cup egg whites, pack of instant oatmeal, coffee w/ milk

Meal Two:
Bowl of chicken meatballs

Meal Three:
Chicken breast salad with lots of vegetables

Meal Four:
Hamburger and chicken meatballs

Meal Five:

Max Effort Lower Body:
This was the first workout of the new cycle. The focus is shifted more towards leg strength after spending three weeks targeting the low back which has proved to be a limiting factor. As seen in both videos today, it still may be proportionally weak compared to the quads.

PREWORKOUT
General Warm Up and Ground Based Mobility

Prehab) Terminal Knee Extension: 2 x 10 with the light bands

Activation) Box Jumps: The program called for 4 x 5 but I did one jump, realized my homemade 36" plyo box was an epic failure and skipped the jumps. I’m going to need about ten more support beams to reinforce my shabby craftsmanship.

WORKOUT
A) High Box Squat w/ 80lb chains: 1-3RM: The box was set slightly above parallel and the chains were fully deloaded at floor. Box squats are still a foreign movement and technique is still lacking but it was nice to hold some heavier weight.
135, 225, 275, 315 x 3, 335, 365 x 1, 385 x FAIL, 385, 401 x 1. The last set was a grinder. I have a pretty visible sticking point.

I failed at 385 due to terrible form. My feet weren’t set properly, I didn’t walk the bar out clean and I lost all muscular tension off the box. It was doomed to fail from the start. But the second attempt was successful.

B) Speed Pulls w/ Mini Bands: 6-8 x 1, W1=50%, W2=55%
205 x 8 x 1. I really enjoyed these. Deadlifts are also an area that needs extensive form work.

Watching these again a few days later supports my conclusion that this form is atrocious. I’m embarrassed.

C) Long Stride Lunges: 4 x 10* or 20yds
45’s x 10*, 50’s x 10*, 55’s x 10*, 55’s x 10*
I couldn’t decide if my grip, quads or abs were the most fatigued at the end of these.

D1) Bent Over Dumbell Row: 3 x 12-15
40s, 45’s, 55’s x 15

D2) Reverse Hyper: 3 x 20
40 x 3 x 20

POST WORKOUT
Core: Swiss Ball Reverse Crunches: 3 x 20
Core: Dumbell Russian Twist: 3 x 10 x 20s