Nordic Blood: Climbing And Lifting / Lifting And Climbing

Training Training Logs
603

February 28, 2019

Really long and productive bouldering session with a small amount of time spent on some new autobelay routes.

March 1, 2019

OHP session, heavy. Had a very fat meal afterwards.

March 2, 2019

AM: Impromptu solo-boulder session, medium effort.
PM: Squat session. Felt bad in every single way. Starting week 3 a bit early to accommodate the schedule of a climbing friend tomorrow.

Feeling exceedingly beat-up and a nice mixture of lethargy and anhedonia during the tail-end of this week. If this persists the coming week I might have to drop yet another weightlifting session.

Itā€™s strange that Iā€™m sleeping better than in a really long time, putting on weight (but seemingly only on the abdomen) so Iā€™m obviously getting enough calories to sustain my overall activity level (which is down by a lot by the way) and yet Iā€™m not really recovering as well as I did when I was in a deficit and working out sometimes twice a day.

Also starting to see peripheral cyanosis on my fingers. Wonder if that is at all related to my hormonal picture (which should be improving as I have fewer stressor now than before as Iā€™m on sick leave).

604

March 3, 2019

Decent lead climbing session

March 4, 2019

BP session that was quite alright

March 5, 2019

Really nice lead climbing session and a powerful display on the boulders after. Got to do a lot of kip ups for fun as well.

March 6, 2019

Deadlift session that went very poorly. I didnā€™t even finish all of the assistance work. Most of the session was spent trying to not pass out. On lower body days I do a mobility complex, normally unbroken. Took three or so breaks during it today so obviously something was off.

Almost passed out during a meal before the session too so I knew going in that I was pushing it.

605

March 7, 2019

Fun climbing session, there were some new routes that had been put up with but energy-wise I crashed about an hour before Iā€™d normally consider myself done.

Objectively, I used to train a lots more often in the past but Iā€™m now putting in a considerably bigger workload on the compound lifts than I was before. And, since then Iā€™ve started climbing harder and harder routes and so a climbing session now arguably tales a bigger toll recovery wise.

March 8, 2019

Normally, today Iā€™d have my push-press session. I might actually skip it. I donā€™t have any strength at all to exhibit and Iā€™ve only just gotten up and had breakfast and already feel run-down.

Since Iā€™m not training for a meet or a performance I think what Iā€™ll do, to not risk an injury (lower back is still unhappy) or continue regressing, is

  • Maybe skip today
  • Bouldering tomorrow with friends (already scheduled)
  • Rest-day or endurance work on Sunday (climbing)
  • Deload all week next week.
  • Establish training maxes the week after
  • Run a suitable 531-template three days a week, something that isnā€™t too hardcore to get in the way of climbing.

For the deload Iā€™ll keep to bodyweight stuff only, as otherwise I believe I am more than likely to start pushing myself on the weights again rather quickly.

1 Like
606

March 16, 2019

Iā€™ve just come out of a week with bodyweight exercises only. My health has been shoddy at best for a while now. Have encountered such oddities as having my heart rate falling to nearly half of what my morning resting heart rate is in the middle of the day. Other experiences include getting out of breath by zza walking short distances and impromptu muscle weakness. No worries, Iā€™m getting checked out.

Anyway, recovery isnā€™t as good as it used to be, even though Iā€™m sleeping far better than I have in a long time. Hence, Iā€™ve been cutting back on lifting more and more.

I used to lift 6-7 days a week, with extra activities on top while in a deficit. Now Iā€™m at maintenance/surplus and have had to cut back to four gym sessions per week. And now, Iā€™m removing yet another session which ended up being a struggle for me mentally as it feels as if Iā€™m giving up so much all of the time but let us hope this is just for a time.

Today, Iā€™m setting 1RMs to use to establish training maxes for 5/3/1 5ā€™s progression (5ā€™s PRO) + First Set Last (FSL)

Estimated 1 RMs and weights for the day were,
SQ: 120x0.85=102.5 (I think I used a 100 but)
DL: 150x0.80=120
BP: 75x0.8=60
MP: 50x0.85=42.5

Adjusted Estimated 1RMs: in accordance with w x reps x 0.0333+w
SQ: 116.5 (5), reps inside parentheses
DL: 135. 984 (4)
MP: 47.992 (6)
BP: 67.992 (4)

And, using a training max of ~85% which is the lower end of what is suggested for the template leaves me with the following work ahead of me for the ā€œweekā€ (Iā€™ll do three sessions per week so it spills over into the next week).

Monday: Squat, 5@77.5 kg, 5@87.5kg, 5@100kg, 5x5@77.5 kg
Wednesday: Military Press, 5@32.5, 5@37.5, 5@42.5, 5x5@32.5
Friday: Deadlift, 5s at 90, 102, 117.5 and then 5x5 at 90.
Monday: Bench press, 45, 52.5, 60 and 45 again for 5 sets.

My ā€œweeklyā€ schedule is as follows,

Monday: Lift
Tuesday: Climb
Wednesday: Lift
Thursday: Climb
Friday: Lift
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Climb

As I get to and from work every day I suppose that counts as easy conditioning, and if I recover well enough I might be able to run hard conditioning on Saturdays.

For assistance Iā€™ll primarily focus on alternating dips and one-arm overhead kettlebell presses between ever session as far as push goes and pulling will emphasise seal rows/inverted rows/barbell rows depending on availability for pull.

Havenā€™t decided on an agenda for single-leg/core but I have some ideas as to what I can benefit from at least.

607

Sorry to hear about your struggles. I hope you turn the corner and get to feeling normal soon!

1 Like
608

Thanks man, normalcy is still absent but my mental game feels on point. Iā€™m more positive than ever, and better at handling adversity than ever before. So, strength loss aside, hopefully in the long run this will be a net win.

1 Like
609

March 27, 2019

Did all my workouts as scheduled with varying amounts of intensity put forth in the assistance categories last week. These havenā€™t been my favourite workouts, but itā€™s not a bad way to train.

Today is a Squat workout with the following weights,

  • 5@82.5
  • 5@95
  • 5@105
  • 5x5@82.5

Assistance will be,

  • Push: overhead pressing of some kind (single arm KB would be nice)
  • Pull: emphasis on horizontal pulling, maybe inverted rows. Want to get a few heavy weighted pull-ups in though.
  • Single-leg/core: will favour core work this session as I did pistol squats Monday. I have a somewhat weird rehab exercise that is a glute-bridge, with a medicine ball between the knees, where I alternate extending the legs while maintaining the bridge that serves as a core exercise when I do it right. Might be happy with just doing that to be honest. Energy levels in the gym will dictate this.
610

Did you get checked? Sounds fucky

611

Got checked, but they couldnā€™t find anything. Allegedly, Iā€™ll receive a HR-thing that Iā€™m supposed to put my thumbs on after these kinds of episodes but

  1. Havenā€™t received it, even though a week or so has passed since this was brought up.
  2. Havenā€™t experienced these types of spells in a while.
612

Training update: I noticed Iā€™ve been using my estimated 1RMs and not my training maxesā€¦

Here is what I ran, and what I should have done is in parentheses.

"Week" 1
SQ: 77.5,87.5,100 (65, 75, 85)
OHP: 32.5,37.5,42.5 (27.5,32.5,35)
DL: 90,102.5,117.5 (77.5,87.5,100)
BP: 45,52.5,60 (40,45,50)

"Week" 2
SQ: 82.5,95,105 (70,80,90)
OHP: 35,40,45 (30,35,37.5)
DL: 97.5,110,122.5 (82.5,92.5,105)
BP: 50,55,62.5 (42.5,47.5,52.5)

"Week" 3
SQ: 87.5,100,112.5 (75,85,95)
OHP: 37.5,42.5,47.5 (32.5,35,40)

Having noticed this, here is what remains of this week

DL: 87.5,100,110
BP: 45,50,55

So, oddly, my next cycle of 531 after I update my training maxes will in effect be easier than the one I just did. It will look like this:

"Week" 1
SQ: 67.5,80,90
OHP: 30,32.5,37.5
DL: 80,92.5,102.5
BP: 40,47.5,52.5

"Week" 2
SQ: 72.5,85,95
OHP: 32.5,35,40
DL: 85,97.5,110
BP: 42.5,50,55

"Week" 3
SQ: 80,90,100
OHP: 32.5,37.5,42.5
DL: 92.5,102.5,115
BP: 47.5,52.5,57.5

So, looking forward to not having to dig as deep into my capabilities next cycle. My cue was that my form was really breaking down in the last few sessions and I started missing reps. Oops.

1 Like
613

Well thatā€™s not good

This is

614

IMG_20190404_205659
IMG_20190404_2056593456Ɨ4608 3.83 MB

IMG_20190404_205901
IMG_20190404_2059013456Ɨ4608 3.56 MB

Gratuitous flexed, post-workout pics.

2 Likes
Natty on Pennies
615

Youā€™ve stayed lean quite well, what does your nutrition look like at the moment?

616

Good question. Uhm, I was keeping pretty well to P+F meals before training, carbs during and after my workout, and making sure I met my protein goal. So, a sample day would have been

  • Shakshuka for breakfast or egg and salmon soup
  • beef and vegetables for lunch
  • 30-40g carbs + 10g EAA intra-workout
  • 60g carbs (fruits and potatoes/noodles (rice/glas/sweet potato)) and lean meat
  • Quark and nuts before bed.

My vegetable intake was insane on this, but immune system kept up well but very lethargic and weak during day to day activities.

But now,

  • Steel cut oats + whey (breakfast)
  • potatoes and chicken (lunch) + 1 tbsp of olive oil or equivalent in other fat source
  • same intra-workout as before*
  • less carbs post workout, say 40g, and beef

And I feel better on that performance-wisd. Iā€™ll add fruits back in soon. But after discovering I had my weights wrong for 531 I might go back to the old model. My food was more wholesome and well timed but for now Iā€™m enjoying the break.

1 Like
617

Both of those approaches look good, personally, for me, the first one looks more appealing, although lately Iā€™ve found that going without intra-workout carbs also works very well (or adding the carbs into the drink at the halfway point or so)

But then again, different strokes for different folks

618

Goal update:

Next level is doing it on a stiffer surface and not a mattress.

619

General life update:

It seems as if Iā€™ll be receiving treatment for my low testosterone after all. Finally. Just need to run a fertility test before starting treatment but Iā€™m doing that already this week so treatment should commence shortly thereafter.

My latest blood work apparently had the lowest value Iā€™ve ā€œscoredā€ yet, despite being on sick leave (less stress) and sleeping adequately (which I hadnā€™t done in a year or so since before going on sick leave) which means that my T levels had the best possible circumstance to be high as opposed to as low as they were.

This is a welcome reprieve and with any luck my anemia will go away as treatment commences. Right now Iā€™m wearing a heart monitor for a week (this is day 3) to see if my weak spells relate to my heart at all or if its just the anemia doing its thing. Also had low values of B-vitamins which is odd as I eat lots of meat, and creatinine was elevated significantly so Iā€™m taking a break from creatine to see if the elevated creatinine goes away.

2 Likes
620

Dang - low T at a young age! The good news is that itā€™s the 21st century and itā€™s common to treat it. Youā€™re going to be fine in that regard.

I usually have high creatinine when I get my annual blood work. Itā€™s something to do with lifting. I donā€™t take creatine very often anymore so thatā€™s not the cause. Iā€™m not sure if itā€™s the higher protein consumption or the constant damage to my muscle tissue.

The only thing that matters to me is that my doctor isnā€™t concerned about it.

621

Yeah, itā€™s a bit sucky but after we get my treatment dialed in Iā€™m confident Iā€™ll be faring a lot better in every way that I can imagine.

My doctor says it is very common to see in people with a lot of muscle mass and /or high protein consumption but he just wanted me to lay low on creatine just to see that the value goes down because if it doesnā€™t it can apparently be indicative of something. So heā€™s not concerned as much as doing due diligence.

How are you doing J?

1 Like
622

Iā€™m doing pretty good even though Iā€™m still battling hip pain. I shifted my training back to a Best Damn Program For Naturals style this week. Iā€™ve been doing a more traditional bodybuilding style program for seven weeks.

I feel pretty good. My leg training is more rehab and maintenance though. I donā€™t mind it too much; Iā€™m happy with my weight and leg size. Iā€™d like to add some muscle to my upper body and backing off on leg training might actually help.

The reason I say Iā€™m doing a style of the program is because Iā€™ve modified some things. Iā€™m following the Simple Guaranteed Strength and Size rep scheme for a few lifts. I like having structure when Iā€™m pursuing strength.

That pretty much brings you up to date with my log. Iā€™m seeing a new physical therapist and think I might actually make some progress finally.

Iā€™m looking at a career in the health and wellness world but thatā€™s a long term thing. Iā€™ll stick with my current job until at least 2023.

Iā€™m looking forward to seeing you get your hormones dialed in and back to full strength.