Questions for Professor X

Off Topic
41

[quote]TrainerinDC wrote:
I know my bench max is 350/2 and my squat is 405/3.[/quote]

That’s fine if there are only a few maxes that you are interested in. I also like to keep track of my overhead presses, deadlifts, farmers walk, yoke, sled drags (time, distance, and weight), etc. There are also a few other things that are important to me to keep track of. Of course, this is because I compete and I need to make sure I am improving.

This is not a knock on you at all. I think most people would do just fine without a log. I just prefer to keep one because of what I want to keep recorded. On the other hand, I know plenty of strength athletes that don’t keep logs and they’re doing just fine.

42

I kept track for the first few weeks until got settled on where I was, but after that it would be a distraction to me.

I think what the Professor said about the non linear nature of progress in general is a widely missed truth for a lot of folks. Even recently I’ve gotten myself psyched up hoping for six reps and wound up getting 8 with relative ease, but then couldn’t get 8 with 10 more pounds or more than 8 with that weight for a couple weeks.

This is the trouble I have with formulated plans. Too many times you can’t predict specifically what you’re going to able to do and failed or even exceeded expectations can throw you off mentally. At least for me.

43

I record every workout. It helps when I start a new workout where I am going to be doing a lift I haven’t done in several months to get an estimate of where my starting poundages should be. Besides, at my age, I can’t even remember if I even lifted yesterday.

44

I am on a push/pull/legs split and I stimulate each muscle group every 5 to 6 days.

So I keep a very simple training log, mostly just to remember when my next workout is, and for what muscle group.

I may try to increase my strength on a particular lift at a time, and then I might add some sort of method to measure my progression for that… either more sets each workout, total poundages increasing every workout, whatever it may be…

but for the most part i agree that a strict training log would definitely hold me back, because some days i have one or two more exercises in me… some days i don’t… following a plan that doesn’t know my body as well as i do just doesn’t work as well for me…

but who knows i’m certainly not a professional or even an experienced regular guy. haha

45

Prof X is a wise man when it comes to training, although I think a lot of gymrats would do well to try a log just so they can realize they haven’t made significant progress in their past year of year-round machine circuit lifting.

46

I keep a log because I can’t remember anything. I have no idea what my max lifts are, unless it was within the last three days.

I also have to make tick marks to remind me how many damn sets I have done during a workout.

Hell - I forget to turn on the stereo about every 3rd workout.

I think it’s a personal thing. If you are going to worship at the alter of the log - then you have a problem.

If I keep a serious log - it is a food log.

47

thank you both avoidsroids and professor x for your responses.

avoidsroids: the results you achieved (slowly gaining muscle mass and losing fat) is similar to what i was interested in doing. what was your training routine and cardio (if you did it like). did you also follow any kinda specific diet (like low carb, etc)

professor x: when you said you don’t record anything, did you also mean you don’t count calories?

48

I agree with rainjack. No way could i remember numbers from days or a week ago, so i’d waste sets just upping the weight til it’s just-right.

And no fanboy or whatever, but Waterbury said something like ‘progress is closely linked to mathematics’- ie making a curve happen through calculating load may be a more empirical method than just looking in the mirror as prof x says. All sounds a bit maverick. Cool if you can make it work though

49

im rolling out of work, so ill say this quickly…

in CT’s “mutation series,” did he not gain muscle while in a deficit?

i havent read it for a while, and i could very possibly be wrong. if i remember correctly, he was not the same weight afterwards, but with bf% taken into account, he had actually gained muscle. a poster on here, jbodzin (and i think hes changed his name) posted about his own mutation series, in which he added muscle while losing fat, and ended up at essentially the same bw. of course, i dont recall whether or not he was a beginner.

anyway, not trying to argue with anyone, but if youve got the time, i think i remember some interesting things being in CTs mutation series