Thanks @simo74. These last couple of months have been a complete shift in mentality. I went from training a couple times per week, just hoping to hold onto my strength/mass to pushing hard and forcing the body to adapt. No plans to let off the throttle yet!
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Dinner last night was a āSmokehouse Stuffed Chickenā. Pulled pork and cheddar in this large chicken breast weighing over 1lb. Salad not shown in photo.
It was delicious.
6 Likes
05/05/2021
5/3/1 BtM W3D3
Squat
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
365 x 5
415 x 5
465 x 5
270 x 26
Same weight as last week for the widowmaker set, so I made sure to beat my reps (25 last week).
270lbs sure feels light after a set with 465lbs.
OHP
115 x 5
135 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
170 x 5
My press is feeling quite strong right now. I just hit a PR in my last cycle of BBB, but think that I might have another in reserve.
05/06/2021
I got the previous dayās assistance work in.
Chins - 5s slow eccentric; These were supposed to be weighted, but Iām clumsy and loud with the chains and plates and had just put the little man to bed so I decided something quieter would be ideal.
5
5
5
5
5
Shrugs - single arm, using the chest supported row machine
90lbs x 25
90lbs x 25
90lbs x 25
90lbs x 25
Band Pullaparts - red mini
25
25
25
25
Notes:
- W3D1 has been my most difficult day of the program so far.
- 2 out of 4 of the BBB workouts felt more difficult than BtM, but recovery has been more difficult on BtM (I am guessing that this is a combination of full-body training and a higher average intensity).
- Diet is improving again. Concerning myself less with avoiding carbs, but I am not relying on them either. Still lots of healthy fats in the diet (avocados, butter, nut butter, etc.)
- Iām still fluffy, but physique is still trending in the right direction. Looking strong and overfed, and feeling strong and healthy.
8 Likes
For me, itās the difference between a 4 day vs 6 day approach. And yeah: youāre supposed to do conditioning with BBB, but itās not prescribed on a set day like BtM. Your schedule slips just once and youāre hosed. I forgot about that before and Iām rediscovering it now: you really eat, breathe and live training on BtM. Itās pervasive.
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This is 100% the area that Iām slacking in the most. Iāve just completed week 3 of BtM and for conditioning, I have only pushed the prowler once, weighted vest walked twice and rode the AirDyne once. This needs to be an area that I improve on over the next 3 weeks. Right now the conditioning is a ābonusā or āextraā in my head, but in fact, they are part of the program. Game on for these next 3 weeks, which will also bring me right to the end of the T-ransformation Challenge.
05/07/2021
5/3/1 BtM W4D1
SUPERSET
Squat
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
365 x 5
405 x 5
450 x 5
450 x 5
450 x 5
450 x 5
450 x 5
Press
115 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5
165 x 5 - was supposed to be AMRAP, oops
165 x 17
The above work took nearly an hour and I owe the assistance work again. These squats are starting to add up. I was feeling the fatigue coming into this one and these squat sets were difficult.
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05/09/2021
Chins
13
12
13
12
13
13
12
12
(100)
Dips
20
20
20
20
20
Facepulls
100
2 Likes
05/10/2021
I purchased 5 more stall mats for my weight room so now most of my weight room is protected and no need to shuffle mats around depending on the exercise. This involved moving my entire weight room out to the rec room while I moved the mats in, then moved it all back. It was a decent workout, but I also mixed in some more chins and dips while contemplating the new arrangement of equipment.
Photo of new setup to follow.
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05/11/2021
5/3/1 BtM W4D2
Deadlift
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
365 x 5
410 x 5
465 x 5
525 x 5
525 x 5
525 x 5
Bench
135 x 5
185 x 5
230 x 5
260 x 5
295 x 5
295 x 5
295 x 5
295 x 5
295 x 5
Deadlifts - Whew, those top sets were tough. This was my first workout trying a mouthguard (I pulled the trigger on a NewAge 6DS after having it in my Amazon cart for weeks). Apparently, my gag reflexes are sensitive, even though it is a rather shallow (?) mouthguard. I think once Iām used to it Iāll like it. I canāt say āOMG it made me sooo much strongerā, but clenching is one less thing Iāll need to worry about controlling when Iām pulling or squatting heavy.
Bench - This 5x5 @ 295 felt a LOT easier than last week at 305 (yes, I understand that it is because it is lighter). I was hovering around RPE8-10 on all sets last week with 305. This week I would say I had 3+ in the tank on every set. Still hard work, but not close to failure.
DB Rows
80 x 20
90 x 15
100 x 15
90 x 10
80 x 10
Axle Curls
35 x 100
Biceps were fried after this. Good workout.
1hr and 15mins
Weighing in between 223-224lbs and feeling bigger and leaner than when I began this training block.
05/12/2021
2km weighted vest walk.
Lasagna was on the menu for dinner tonight.
6 Likes
Just when I am even a little bit happy with my progress and level of strength I see that and realise I have so much more work to do. Great work mate and thankyou for keeping me honest and giving me a destination.
3 Likes
I appreciate the kind words Simo! Hitting that spot in 5/3/1 right now where shit is getting HEAVY!
Hip flexors are mad at me today. I could feel them tightening up yesterday after my deadlifts, and the squats tonight seemed to aggravate them further. Need to start hitting those prehab hip flexor movements again. Pretty typical for me to stop doing prehab until the injury/pain returnsā¦
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05/13/2021
5/3/1 BtM W4D3
Squats
135 x 5
225 x5
315 x 3
350 x 5
400 x 5
450 x 5
250 x 25
Axle Press - clean first rep
25 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
135 x 5
A semi-interrupted workout, but I got the work in. Nothing special and I owe the assistance.
3 Likes
Psychotic mate
Absolutely psychotic.
Love the pain for it is fleeting and to be savoured
2 Likes
Just a few pounds behind my you Canadian Oak!
Heās not a good reference. Heās an anomaly.
Tell that to my L5!
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Thanks Chong!
05/15/2021
Prowler - on grassā¦that is in need of a cut
35lb plate added x 40m
35lb plate added x 40m
35lb plate added x 40m
35lb plate added x 40m
Empty prowler x 40m
Empty prowler x 40m
Holy crap this was hard. Iām going to assume that pushing this on asphalt is 1000x easier to make myself feel better. My quads were so pumped up that I could not bend my legs. I was trying desperately to find a position to stand/sit/lean over to help me get air into my lungs, but nothing was working.
I felt like Charles in this scene, but it was more like:
āOh man, my legs.
Augh! Ow, my lungs.
My legs, my lungs, I canāt move my legs, and my lungs and my legsā.
05/16/2021
Chins - 5s slow ecc
5
5
5
5
5
Shrugs - using chest supported row machine
90 x 34
90 x 33
90 x 33
Facepulls
50
30
20
I finally picked up my 155lbs dumbbells from storage. Picking them up and carrying them (farmerās walk style) was difficult enough. Iām hopefully going to get my fat gripz back from my buddyās place and try to ācircus dbā lift one of them for fun. They are fracking heavy.
6 Likes
New home gym layout:
Edit: and yes that is a signed Dwayne āThe Rockā Johnson photo hanging on the wall. It was a bit of an inside-joke gift from a friend of mine.
11 Likes
Man I really want a chest supported row like that. Craigslist has failed me. Iāve heard good things about facebook marketplaceā¦but facebookā¦meh. The Rock would have a rough go keeping up with the sleeper.
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I had one on my wish list for quite awhile until a good deal popped up. It was a little personal trainer home studio that a women was selling off. My coach at the time purchased a bunch of stuff from her and I scooped up the chest supported row machine for ~$150, if I remember correctly.
Iād be lying if I said I didnāt like this piece of equipment. It takes up a decent amount of space, but I like it for a way to get in some row volume without taxing the lower back. With all the squatting and deadlifting I do, it is nice to ājust rowā. Could I set up a seal row with my bench and barbell? Sure. Would I actually do this consistently? Probably not.
Adding other uses like shrugs, help to justify keeping it. Right now, if there was one piece of equipment I had to get rid of, it would be the back extension bench.
Come to think of it, I could probably rig up some belt squats for it as well. A slightly limited landline attachment.
I appreciate the compliment! Iāve been a fan of āThe Rockā for quite awhile, and my wife and I joke about him being on both of āour listsā (celebrities the significant other is granted a free pass with - we are big fans of āFriendsā.). Speaking of which, Jennifer Anniston is also on both of our lists, haha.
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