I’m surprised you’re willing to call any muscle on your arms small. It’s cute. 
For me, its this little fucker going right alongside the Radius. I think it’s this red bastard, maybe the blue one.
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It’s the green guy for me, which explains why we are having issues with different grips
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Is that really a forearm, seem very skinny 
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If I’m being completely honest, I’m under a lot of stress between work, school, finances and family. Fortitude is adding a fair bit of stress and I’m not actually having fun doing these workouts. Right now, i need the gym to be stress relief… so I’m calling it in Fortitude, at least for the time being. So i made a thingy that should be easy to follow, productive, and gets me back to the heavy BB movements I’ve been missing.
Phraks 5/3/1 + Rest-Pause
Phraks Greyskull exercise choice with 531 progression and rest pause accessory movements.
Day 1: Vertical Push/Pull (OH Press/Pull Ups) + Triceps
Day 2: Deadlift + Abs/Biceps
Day 3: Horizontal Push/Pull (Bench Press/Yates Row) + Triceps
Day 4: Squats + Abs/Biceps
Plugging in previous PRs as new Training Maxes
OHP: ??? > 205 (guess)
Pull Ups: null
Bench: 305x7 > 305
Yates row: 275x5(?) > 275
Squat: 405x3 > 405
Deadlift: 495x5 > 495
Will adjust as needed.
Weight last week avg: 208lbs
Diet was stellar until family came up over the weekend - made it really hard to eat properly so likely carb and salt bloated.
Day 1
FitNotes Workout - Monday 9th October 2023
** Overhead Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 155.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 175.0 lbs x 6 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 8 reps
** Pull Up **
- 20 reps
- 8 reps
- 3 reps
** EZ-Bar Skullcrusher **
- 110.0 lbs x 15 reps
- 110.0 lbs x 8 reps
- 110.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Arnold Dumbbell Press **
- 30.0 lbs x 15 reps
- 30.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 30.0 lbs x 8 reps
** Seated DB Shrugs **
- 70.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 10 reps
** Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl **
- 30.0 lbs x 15 reps
+10mins cardio @ HR 145-155
Did a few extras because i had time and it felt good.
Bloated and Flat Physique Update 10/9/23
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Day 2
FitNotes Workout - Tuesday 10th October 2023
** Deadlift **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 325.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 375.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 425.0 lbs x 6 reps
** Hanging Leg Raise **
- 8 reps
- 4 reps
- 2 reps
** Biceps Cheat Curl (EZ) **
- 110.0 lbs x 12 reps
Pain stop
** Reverse EZ Curl **
- 60.0 lbs x 16 reps
- 60.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 60.0 lbs x 8 reps
Deadlift form felt like shit but i haven’t pulled in nearly a year so not bad, all things considered. Training max may be too high, 425 was rough. No drive from bottom… suggestions?
Forearm is still bothering me so i went reverse curls again.
+10mins cardio AHR 135
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Obviously you know I’m in, because I’m a rudderless ship, but I think this is important. Training implies a goal; if our goal is to de-stress and just stay somewhat fit so we can crush the rest of our life goals, then program hopping during that period is the appropriate training plan.
Or I’m rationalizing. Either way.
Lower your TM?
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I meant specifically regarding drive from the starting portion of the movement. I was never exactly tearing the weight off the floor, but this felt very grindy from the get-go.
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Ah. I’d imagine it’s just being out of practice, but who knows - I’m no good here. @simo74 maybe?
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Do you brace at the top while standing, or at the bottom while holding the bar? I get more pop off the ground when I brace at the top. I can get more air in, and have a more rigid core if I brace at the top. The down side is a set is basically all singles unless you brace at the top holding the weight (which I what I do).
Also, a cue that really helped me was pulling the slack out of the bar. What I do is imagine that there is a scale on each side of the bar. I like to imagine the weight on the scales going down as I pull out the slack and ideally be very close to 0 on each before starting the pull. I’ve accidentally paused 5 plates doing this. What doing this accomplishes I think is it takes out all of your bodies tendency to round as you start the pull. Then when you pull every inch you move, the bar tends to also move an inch, which I don’t think happens for most if they don’t have the slack pulled out making the start slow.
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I’m a bottom bracer.
Wait, that came out wrong…
I can try being a top for a change.
Okay, that’s worse… You know what I mean.
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Possible bottom of deadlift stuff.
Deficit Deads. Instead of regular deads you stand on something so the pull is longer and harder. Then when you go back to regular deads, it’s easy. These are almost universally recommended by strength guys, physique guys, science nerds, and hardcore guys alike.
Special Work. Pause deads, isometric deads, don’t touch the floor deads, slack pull deads, etc. After your regular deadlift you do a 2nd, special lift that makes you spend more time in the bottom position. And as you master the special deadlift, you hope it teaches you something that helps the bottom of your regular deadlift. Fancy strength coaches recommend these techniques, but most lifters hate this stuff. And physique focused dudes wouldn’t waste time with this stuff.
Assistance work. After deads you do stuff like paused front squats and weighted decline situps to build power and stability in the bottom of the deadlift. Again, mostly recommended by strength focused lifters/coaches, not bodybuilding coaches.
Just say fuck it. Put the plates on blocks and lift from a height that feels natural for your body. You’ll grow the most when you can progress the most, so just lift from the height or with the style that comes the easiest, without any BS. Pretty much only huge, successful bodybuilders say to just do what comes natural.
Or just lower the training max.
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Lack of power from the bottom of the lift for me would suggest weak quads or could be a positional thing.
But the most obvious answer is usually the right one so I am going to go for
If it was me I would drop the TM back and get some good quality reps in the 4-6 rep range for a while. Good speed RPE 7-8 by the last set. If you are still having an issue after a training cycle then a video would help.
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Day 3
FitNotes Workout - Monday 16th October 2023
** Flat Barbell Bench Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 205.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 260.0 lbs x 8 reps
** Yates Row **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 10 reps
** Close Grip Bench Press (Smith) **
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 16 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 10 reps
** Hanging Biceps Curl **
- 9 reps
- 7 reps
** Scoop Flye (Cable) **
-
40.0 lbs x 16 reps
-
30.0 lbs x 15 reps
-
Experimented with leg drive and Bench TM can probably go up.
-
Interview today a la corporate nepotism and hard work. Lets see how she goes.
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Okay we’re back folks. Was getting overrun with seasonal allergies in the form of Rhinitis/Hay Fever so I took some days off while my sinuses were winning.
Day 4
FitNotes Workout - Monday 23rd October 2023
** Barbell Squat **
- 45.0 lbs x 10 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 265.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 305.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 345.0 lbs x 8 reps
** Hanging Biceps Curl **
- 13 reps
- 8 reps
- 5 reps
** Ab-Wheel Rollout **
- 10 reps
- 8 reps
- 8 reps
+10mins Cardio AHR 145
Squats felt surprisingly okay. Watched a Swede Burns Squatting video and things just clicked. Imagine that.
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You can bench 260 x 8? I continue to feel inadequate.
How was the interview?
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Most i ever hit was 305x7 so 260x8 felt meh tbh.
Me too lol
I think it went really well. I’m pretty inexperienced with interviews but this felt good and both interviewers were pretty much justifying/selling themselves on why my answers (STAR format) were good. Like if i was selling you on a car, and every time i said something good about it - you said “yeah and i really like that becayse XYZ”.
I was referred to the position by someone who already works under that manager before the interview, then had another coworker speak to that manager and recommend me for it too.
Anyways, I’m not getting my hopes up. I did that last time and it kind of fucked me up honestly. Helped push me through some of my cut though - i always do better when I’m told “no”.
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Good luck! It’s so hard to control all the variables, it doesn’t do to start measuring the drapes in your new office. Sounds like you told your best story, which is all you can do; then you just see where it falls.
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Forgot to post my weight for last week.
207.5lb
Day 1
FitNotes Workout - Tuesday 24th October 2023
** Overhead Press **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 95.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 145.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 165.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 185.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Lat Pulldown **
- 150.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 210.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 230.0 lbs x 6 reps
** Pull Up **
- 10 reps
** EZ-Bar Skullcrusher **
- 110.0 lbs x 17 reps
- 110.0 lbs x 8 reps
- 110.0 lbs x 5 reps
** Arnold Dumbbell Press **
-
35.0 lbs x 12 reps
-
35.0 lbs x 8 reps
-
35.0 lbs x 6 reps
-
Abs were too sore to get good Overhead Pressing in. It was my core that limited OHP, not my shoulders. Called an audible and hit a second top set.
-
I was tired and burnt out before stepping foot in the gym. For some reason, my triceps were sore this morning and i did nothing at all to them yesterday.
Anyways, training is done. I didnt want to, but i grinded through it anyways.
Class tonight. Let’s see if i have it in me to lift tomorrow morning.
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Well folks, i did not - in fact - have it in me to train yesterday.
Day 2
FitNotes Workout - Thursday 26th October 2023
** Deadlift **
- 45.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 135.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 225.0 lbs x 5 reps
- 315.0 lbs x 1 rep
- 350.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 400.0 lbs x 3 reps
- 450.0 lbs x 3 reps
** Hanging Leg Raise **
- 10 reps
- 6 reps
- 4 reps
** Reverse EZ Curl **
- 70.0 lbs x 14 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 8 reps
- 70.0 lbs x 6 reps
Deadlifts felt better with these adjustments but my TM is too high. Everything flew off the floor except top set.
I watched another Swede Burns video on deadlifting and there’s a lot i never knew. A couple notes:
Hang from a bar and drop. Where the feet land is a good starting point for deadlift foot position.
Scaps down
Brace (fill the belt)
Pull the slack
Glutes to bar, bar to glutes
Started my 105 test 210 mast cruise. Just trying to increase my T without increasing my E. Was hoping to do this with Deca about 6 months ago but that just didn’t work out.
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Are you still working with a TRT clinic? No judgement here, I started out with a clinic, but decided to go my own way for a couple of reasons.
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