Thanks man! I really do appreciate it.
I definitely stressed over moving them, so I’m really happy the last week or two with how things are shaking out.
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BTW, I’m sitting in a Panera Bread right now, waiting on my daughter’s swimming event finals to begin, and here’s how I’m occupying my time:
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That is perfect! Same page!
Good luck to her - hope she crushes her expectations
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So much good stuff in this post. Happy for you mate.
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Thanks my man!
What was the rest period ok those leg presses?
They 100% arnt junk volume, don’t listen to those nay sayers.
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A minute and a half, good sir. Any longer and I would have been there all day.
I couldn’t go to sleep, so I went ahead and went to the gym and I’ll get an early start on work.
Chest & Shoulders
5 minutes bike
-
DB Bench
20/12
35/12
50/12
65/12
80/12
90/12
100/11 -
Incline
45/6
135/6
165/6
185/6
205/6 -
Paused Bench
Pause 2” above your chest, then all the way down and up. Lots of tension
135/3
185/5 x 5 -
Superset:
- Feet-elevated Stretch Push-ups
BW/20 x 3 - DB Rear Delt
20/20 x 3
-
DB Lateral
Go heavy, but really control the eccentric
35/6 x 4 -
DB 6 Ways
10/10 x 3
Will do abs and cardio with the kids this evening.
I have finally figured out the super top secret intra workout formula that everyone needs in order to get any gains in the gym… at least if they’re a humble natty:
- 12-16 oz of Trop 50 OJ
- 1 scoop whey
- 5g creatine
- Fill the rest with water (I have a 28 oz Batman bottle)
Shhhh!
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I typically don’t like doing 3 bigger days in a row, and this morning was a good example of why!
Back
- 5 minutes bike
-
Meadows Row
-/6
25/6
50/6
75/4
100/8 x 3
100/20 -
Machine Pulldown
110/10 x 2
130/10 x 2 -
DL
135/5
225/5
315/5
365/5 -
Smith Row + Shrug
135/5
185/8 + 10 -
Machine Extension
3 x 15 -
Crunch Machine
4 x 8
Out!
I have noticed I recover better when I separate cardio from lifting. It’s just less draining
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Back in the states and back on a plan! Thanks @jskrabac and @aldebaran for some of the diet chat; I looked pretty decent the first couple days… until I was done eating and drinking my way across the gulf coast.
I’m doing a high-frequency body part specialization for this block until summer along with building up a higher low-impact aerobic base and a small caloric deficit.
Here’s my thought process:
- These are shorter workouts, which is more conducive to both more cardio time and lower calories.
- Since all my effort is in one body part at a time, it’s possible I might build a little even while in a deficit.
- It is hardcore traveling season, and these are a little more foolproof for that. If I’m doing back 3x a week, it doesn’t matter if I can’t do my favorite lift in a gym on any particular session: I just do whatever they have to smoke it.
After this, my intention is to switch to more of a strength-focused plan headed into fall. I maintain the right to change my mind depending how this goes.
I’m going to try to manage a sustainable deficit this time. I’ll loosely track by estimating portion sizes and adding macros in my head, but I won’t weigh and measure foods (I’ve explained why before).
Anyway, I’m only writing this out in case anyone is interested and almost as a foil to some of the stronger dudes on here! There’s just so many ways to skin this cat, and I think it boils down to fitting your situation and preferences. Not preferences in a wussy way, but preferences in that you can just put your head down and do the work vs looking for something out. @ChongLordUno hated this style, but started shaking worlds when he jumped all in on frequent calisthenics. Whatever clicks will work.
Preamble complete!
Back
-
Meadows Row
-/8
25/8
50/6
75/8 x 4 -
One-arm BB Row
75/8 x 4 -
DB Pullover
55/10 x 3 -
Cheater Pull-ups
Major focus on stretch
BW/5
-55/7
-85/9 -
Decline Leg Raise
4 sets -
Calf Machine
3 sets of 10 + 10 partials + 10s stretch -
20 minutes incline treadmill
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Do the work mate
So simple yet so devastating
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That’s all there is to it. We all want to be special, but we aren’t. It just takes what it takes (Nick Saban!)
Legs!
I was trying to purposefully go lighter slower and really go all muscle vs joint today.
-
Lying Leg Curl
3-4 warmup sets
Don’t remember the weights!
2 sets of 8 with a flex at top and 5s eccentric
1 set of 8 as above, then 10 fast reps, then 10s hold -
SSB
The v1 Titan bar I hate, but is still better on my shoulders
Feet narrow, slow and deep reps
135/8
225/8
275/8
I should have done more sets in the form of back-offs -
BSS Drop Set of Death
BW/10
15/10
30/10
45/10 + 10s + 30/10 + 10s + 15/10 + 10s + BW/10 + 10s -
Machine Squat
1pps/4
2pps/4
3pps/8 -
DB RDL
80/8 x 2 -
Decline Leg Raise
4 sets -
Calf Raise
Couple warmups
1 set of 10 + 10 + 10
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I’m in a groove lately, team!
This morning the ground beneath my feet was soaked with the blood of my enemies; the air about my head filled with the cries of their widows.
It’s important to start your day doing what you love.
Chest & Shoulders
-
Machine Press
10/20
40/12
70/8
100/4
130/4
160/8 x 3 -
Incline
45/8
135/8
185/8
195/8
205/4
Hit the stupid cup -
DB Incline
75/8
85/8
95/7 + 75/7 + 65/7 -
DB Pronated Incline Flye
30/8 x 3
Big stretch -
Cable Rear Delts
4 sets of 20 -
DB Side Raise
25/8 x 4
45s rests -
Incline treadmill x 20 minutes
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Back 2
My general plan is to do a high-frequency body part specialization from now until midsummer. Then I’ll move into more of a strength focus through the fall (the conjugate bodybuilding approach I like). As we get to the holidays, I’ll go into a lower volume/ higher-intensity phase.
-
Supinated Pulldown
3-4 warmup sets
140/10 x 2
160/8 -
Smith Row
135/6
225/8
245/8 x 2 -
DB Shrugs
100/10 x 3 -
Hyperextensions
BW/16 x 3 -
Cable Crunch
4 sets -
Seated Calf
90/15 x 4
I don’t know if anyone cares how I do these, but I see the question like every day about how to manage straight sets. On something like this, my first set will be pretty near failure. My second set will definitely be failure, and maybe one or two of the reps are cutting the ROM short. My third set I’m definitely cutting reps short and I might lose a couple. By the fourth set, it’s just burn and see what happens.
I don’t do that at all on compound lifts. I typically will ramp up to a top set. If I’m doing a couple straight sets, like with the smith rows for instance, the first one is not going to be to failure. I’m ok losing reps if I do multiple sets, but I won’t do garbage reps on something like that. Typically it’s ramp up and then maybe a back off set though.
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Gun Show
-
Cable Pushdown
Used two spongy handles
Just kept going up doing sets of 10 until I couldn’t anymore -
Reverse Pushdown
Flipped the grip over, dropped the weight, did 4 sets of 10
I hate these. I don’t know why I keep trying them -
DB Skullcrusher
30/10
35/10 x 8 -
EZ Curl
Slow eccentric
30/6
60/8
70/8
80/8 -
DB Pinwheel
25/9
20/15 x 2 -
EZ Preacher
50/8 x 3 -
Decline Leg Raise
4 sets -
Calf Raise
A warmup or two
4 sets of 8 + 15 partials + 10s stretch
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I’ve noticed that when I do straight sets, I get more of it of things when I leave some in the tank on the first set and then nearly get to failure the second and then failure on the third.
The reason being (for me) if I go all out on my first set I seem to get less reps overall. Maybe that’s because I’ve not warmed up enough or maybe it’s a mental thing but I definitely perform better on straight sets with reps in reserve on my first two sets.
Love the gun show workout by the way!!!
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I think we’re pretty close in thinking on that. I just am ok to fail on the second set. It’s also probably a “permission” thing. Like if it’s supposed to be 15 reps, I’m already ok with 10-12 in my head.
Us differing a little even with obviously similar lifting preferences also shows it simply isn’t that big a deal!
Thanks on the gun show! I like the fluff day sometimes, now, where I used to get bored. Now it’s nice to still get in there and do stuff, but I actually feel better vs worse when I’m done.
As the universe’s blessings for my birthday continue to roll in, Tom Brady unretired yesterday (I’m an enormous fan, even though I am a Panthers guy) and the truck I ordered arrived (which is a big feat nowadays)!
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I think the likelihood of hitting failure for 3 sets of 10 is highly unlikely tbh. This is why stuff like Rest-Pause makes way more sense IMO, but not for compounds… because no one wants the point of failure to be cardiac arrest/crushed to death lol
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I have been slack and not checked for a while, I read three of your workouts and was slightly confused and a little worried and then bam
I got what I came for.
Glad to see you are still priming the cannons mate.
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Thanks for checking in man!
I’m pretty bad about checking people’s logs, even for you gents I want to keep up with.
I usually log in on my phone while waiting for something to open in my email or dozing off on a conference call, scroll down to whatever headline is amusing, and either give mediocre advice or roll my eyes.