Much more fun. Life is so much better with abs.
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Tell me about it! Plus, I think once I’ve finished adjusting and up my calories my strength is going to come back and then some. With abs.
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Careful bro, Rip is watching, lol!
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So true.
No one knows BC no one has abs. And the 15 year old skin and bones boys don’t count!
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Woke at 185.5 lbs, looking good. Another early morning and I’m feeling rested. Go figure.
Today’s training
Lazy lifter
Grip work: putting on briefs
Sumo DL, stiff bar in briefs
TM is 440 lbs
Work up from 132 lbs in 44 lbs x 3-5 to 60%, varying width neutralish grip pull-ups for fives between sets
2x308 lbs, under 6 RPE, hook grip, beltless - hook less agonising than before, but also less comfortable than on a DL bar
1x352 lbs, under 6 RPE, hook grip, loose belt
1x396 lbs, under 6 RPE, straps, loose belt - in briefs there’s really no difference in how four plates feels compared to three
8x440 lbs, 9 RPE, straps, ‘loose’ belt (because apparently in briefs I can’t get it as tight as without) - the goal is TM for 10 by the end of the cycle, I’ll take eight first week back. Called it because I didn’t want to grind and last lockout was iffy.
Briefs SIGNIFICANTLY change the groove for sumo: instead of hard of the floor and easy past the knees, it’s very easy off the floor and once fatigued gets hard past the knees. Interesting how this makes different bits work harder.
Deficit conventional DL off 2.5 inches, beltless, straps
3x3x308 lbs, under 6 RPE - lower back working hard, which is what I wanted these to do. Took short rests.
SSB squat, briefs, DL belt
3x10x330 lbs, under 6, 6 and 8 RPE - hamstrings and glutes working overtime from the midpoint onwards, all of back brutalised. I’ve missed high rep squats. Wasn’t sure how this would pan out, and it went beyond expectations. No chance of my hamstrings lagging.
Grip work: taking briefs off
Reverse hyper 3x20x220 lbs - just what was needed, first two sets lower back really opened up
Abs/shoulders
Standing cable crunches 2x25x77 lbs - focused on flexing my abs doing these, seems to work well
KB rope upright rows 2x25x35 lbs - I’ve realised the trick to really get my whole upper back pumping is to pull as high as possible and pull out: the KB ends up face height and my hands way overhead, a bit over shoulder width apart
During the abs/shoulders introduced one of the other PLers to my old Slingshot wraps. I wrapped his knees for his top set. He liked it so much he offered me fifty bucks for them, which was a win for me. He’s a nice guy, but my asshole-ness can’t stop me thinking that if I was competing at 275 lbs I’d be stronger than that (I outlift him on fucking everything) even at 6". Still works hard and is nice.
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Nice poses, looking tight and lean, express yourself with your body and show us what you got
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No problem, it’s normal to get forgetful when you see those pictures
Thanks. One day I’ll learn to pose properly. One day…
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O…k
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Feeling today’s work. Looking forward to seeing how the briefs work.
One thing I did notice is that there was no adjustment going back to the stiff bar - either that’s the briefs or my setup has improved.
Forgot to mention, used my elbow sleeves as shin guards, sumo not being the bane of my shins conventional is. They actually fit exactly the same as my knee sleeves it turns out. Kind of weird, since they’re a size down, but also a less stiff material. Maybe that explains it. Either way, they feel a ton better than my regular sleeves, and seem to fit better too. Guess which ones I’ll be using from now…
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Hahahahaha
Glad the Hook grip is getting less painful too!!
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Woke at 186.6 lbs, looking normal. Extra weight courtesy of salt and vegetables. 186 lbs plus or minus half a pound seems to be where I’m at these days.
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Appetite is through the roof. I hadn’t intended on refeeding for a bit but I think I’ll do one next Sunday night. That’s about the only time that fits, really, and I’d deadlift the next day. I could do one this week on Thursday night, but that’s too early for me to really need one.
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Some mulling:
- before I forget, Titan F6 would be the shirt I get, probably a size 42 (which would be very loose, it’s a smug fit for 198 lbs).
About backoff sets for squats when I swap to briefs next cycle:
- TM will still be low, so I’m debating how much sense 3x5-8 at 70ish per cent would make in briefs (for reference yesterday’s squats were over 80% of my TM and even post DL, 10s on an SSB weren’t an issue);
- right now I’m leaning towards comp depth and width box squats, because they’ll be noticeably harder, and I could even do them with the SSB. That way 3x5-8 would probably make me work some around the hams, back and glutes;
- assuming I do box squats as backoff sets for squat, post DL I’d squat normally, and look to have a variation that hits my quads more, keeping moderate volume (so 8-12s). That would be either narrow stance or front squats. I’m leaning towards narrow stance because that’s what I’m using as backoff sets this cycle and also because front squats for 8-12 sounds unpleasant;
- the main reason I’m doing all this now is because I’ve got about four and a half cycles until my next meet, and I want to get a good two cycles of higher reps/low TM in, at the same time as one full cycle of briefs for squat and DL apiece. Depending how I find the first two cycles, I’ll extend briefs to cycle three.
Fuck it, this whole thing deserves more bullet points in a separate bit:
- cycle 1, sumo DL in briefs with SSB squat 10s/raw squat with narrow stance backoff sets (I’m here now);
- cycle 2, raw conventional DL with close stance squats 8-12s/squat in briefs with comp width and depth box squats;
- cycle 3, sumo DL in briefs with I’m not sure what squats at the moment, it’ll be in briefs either way but probably 5s, maybe back to SSB/raw squat with narrow stance backoff sets; and
- cycle 4 (five weeks) conventional DL on DL bar with 15x2 comp squats, no DL weeks four and five/wrapped squat with comp width and stance SSB backoff sets, last heavy squat week four.
Bench I don’t see myself making as many changes to as I’m way weaker so need less faffery. That being said, current thoughts for bench are:
- Monday comp grip with a variation for backoff sets/Thursday CGBP setup seems to be working well;
- the real game changer was adding CGBP as a main lift;
- still trying variations for comp bench backoff sets, floor press was OK but nothing special. Ditto CGBP to a one board;
- Incline will be interesting, but I may need to fiddle with degree of incline. I’ll start with the fixed incline this cycle and then if necessary move to the adjustable. Pin presses would be next I think.
- DB and BB rows with lat pulls will stay at least this and next cycle, although I may well change loads and sets for DB rows (straight sets at 120 lbs is one thought I’m having). BB rows I’m keeping for a while because I never really tried to get good at them so I think I need to stick with them for a while, and DB rows work that well for me I don’t see myself resting them any time soon;
- when I do decide to rest BB rows they’ll be replaced by single arm chest supported rows;
- overhead pressing variations I’m not overly fussed about as long as I’m doing some;
- dips I’ll keep in for the foreseeable future. I view them much as I do DB rows, they just work.
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Woke at 185.2 lbs, looking normal. Still hungry. That’s about 24 hours I’ve been hungry now.
Yesterday’s training
Lazy lifter plus shoulders
Bench press
TM is 220 lbs
Work up from bar in 22 lbs x3-5 to 60%, 20 pull aparts between sets
3x154 lbs, under 6 RPE
3x176 lbs, under 6 RPE
1x198 lbs, under 6 RPE
6x220 lbs, 9 RPE - short of the goal of 10 but looking at the video I could have gotten a seventh and maybe even an eighth. Didn’t want to grind though.
Incline press
2x8x154 lbs, 7 and 8 RPE
1x6x154 lbs, 8 RPE
Very interesting. I’d expected it to be harder but it also feels like it’ll do what I want. Definitely notice lack of leg drive and my chest works way harder than for bench. I could even seen this as a possible main variation.
Supersetted single arm DB press/strict BB rows
Press 3x10x40 lbs - I’ll push the weight next week, maybe 40, 45, 50 or something
Rows 3x15x154 lbs - extra five reps is no joke especially being strict, ended up rest/pausing sets two and three
Paul Carter rope lat pull-downs
3x15x66 lbs
Pretty decent pump by now
Bis/tris giant set
BB curl, controlled eccentric, 3x15x50 lbs
BB JM press (or what I think is a JM press anyway) 3x20x50 lbs
60 second rests
This is an amazing combo, felt my triceps in an entirely different way. Keeping this for a while, now I just need to find something new for Thursday.
Stationary bike sprints 10 x 35 seconds off/25 seconds on at level 15 - best intensity AND pacing yet, managed to just about keep everything at the same level. Now to do this every time.
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Decided to swing through the work gym for calves.
No calf raise machines of any kind so
Leg press calf raises, DC style at four plates, 10 reps
straight into
Single leg leg press calf raises, four plates 4x30/leg
Then on to horizontal leg press, pin loaded
Start at 187 lbs, both feet, drop to the next weight down (22 lbs) when it got too painful, down to last increment (33 lbs). Probably averaged 30-40 per weight.
My calves have mixed feelings about this.
Oh, and went to Jim Wendler’s site and got two shirts because sale and I can’t resist $10 shirts.
Waiting for Ironville Clothing to drop their shirts prices. Kind of. Maybe. I need shorts…
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Pics when the shirts arrive!
Also do you do seated Calf Raises?
Also it may be a good idea with all these calf raises to throw in a few toe raises. Just for muscle balance. I didnt think about it until I started jogging and it exposed that weakness.
Just some thoughts 
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I do, but didn’t have access to one today. I feel straight legged ones more anyway. I hadn’t thought about toe raises, but they’d make sense
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