Silver and Steel

Training Training Logs
3127

I agree with all that you said here, but i meant it in the context that 80-160 calories for a half or full scoop of Surge won’t break your diet, and if it does - you weren’t really in a deficit anyways.

I can’t intuitively diet to save my life. I spent all year floundering around in my log trying to figure it out and it just didn’t work… if I’m not counting, my diet isn’t adhering. No idea how folks manage it so i don’t have much advice for you here.
^I can say that i cut out all fast food that wasn’t planned, stayed more or less healthy the whole year and saw a lot more results than i anticipated… something about 80% adherence being all that’s necessary for most goals to be accomplished. Some psychology thing (idk, YouTube university said it so it must be true).

Anyways, I’ll stop clogging up your log (for now). Might need to find some fuel to feed the hatred… angry Andrew is more productive than happy Andrew; i imagine Angry T4P is much the same way. Rambling, sorry.

2 Likes
3128

I completely agree… when it’s a single variable I’m controlling. When trying to not count calories (with which I’ve yet to be successful, like you), I think it’s about mindset: if this little bit doesn’t matter, then that little bit won’t, and on we go.

I have to appeal to the engineer in you: if adding calories takes you out of a deficit you weren’t in a deficit? I get you’re trying to say we can’t control to that minute level, but that amused me.

This works well for me most of the time. I can stay within range of the weight I want just by being an adult. When I need to actually lose pounds, though, I also struggle without the scale. I’ll figure it out, though; people do it.

Absolutely. It will find its way back when its ready. I will be here for it when it does.

Please don’t. Me writing down doing the same boring workouts over and over is not very exciting, even for this narcissist.

1 Like
3129

Since you asked…

So I’m not actually an engineer, but I work hand-in-hand with them on a daily basis, review technical drawings, help disposition non-conformances, and am quite fluent in blueprints. Engineer Adjacent is accurate.

Anyways, what I’m getting at is if you have better workouts, you’re more likely to want to train. The more you want to train, the more you will train. The more you train, the more calories you burn… So if adding 80-160 calories gets you to a point of burning about 350 calories, it is a net gain with a positive feedback loop.

The other option is to have worse training as a result of lacking intra-workout nutrition, making your training less enjoyable and harder to comply with. Might miss an occasional session here or there as a result. Maybe you’ve got the willpower to stick to training with subpar results and a less-enjoyable process, but you are relying on sheer willpower (not that I’m doubting you, it’s merely a human condition).

SO when I say that if the 80-160 calories takes you out of a deficit - you weren’t really in a deficit to start with; it’s because if your deficit was ONLY 80-160 calories deep per day, your fatloss rate is so slow it is imperceivable. You’ll lose between 8 and 16lbs a year at this pace, and that’s if you’re rock-steady with your diet in every other aspect. Most people would get discouraged and just not go for it at this point, and I can’t blame them.
^you could just go 1kcal deficit daily and lose 8lbs in a month instead. That honestly sounds much more achievable.

I’m glad someone said it :roll_eyes:

1 Like
3130

I have absolutely nothing against intra-workout or Surge, in fact, when/if performance is the end goal - I encourage it. BUT when your main goal is weight loss/getting lean and things aren’t moving - we need to look at all of our inputs. And if the intra-workout isn’t significantly improving the quality of your workouts - it’s an easy input to pull until we get things moving again.

2 Likes
3131

This is a fact - liquids just don’t offer the same lasting satiety as something you chew. I tell my clients that are really struggling to “just chew it” - liquid calories aren’t helping.

My opinion is that I’d rather spend my caloric budget on food rather than a beverage - like, if I’ve got a choice of a 120 calorie intra-workout drink or an intra-workout banana - give me the banana!!! lol

3 Likes
3132

Actually similar here - my BS is in systems engineering, but I’ve never worked as one. I like to pretend I speak engineer when in those meetings (but we all know I don’t).

Touche; I can buy this.

1 Like
3133

Today was a good day! John was certainly smiling down upon me from Catholic Valhalla, whatever that may be.

Angry King Kong GIF - Angry King Kong Denzel Washington GIFs

  1. Seated Leg Curls
    Couple of warm up sets, then 15, 12 10, 8

  2. Superset Leg Press + Squats
    1pps/20 + 45/10
    2pps/10 + 135/6
    3pps/10 + 135/6
    4pps/10 + 135/6
    5pps/10 + 185/6
    6pps/10 + 185/6
    7pps/10 + 225/6
    8pps/10 + 225/6

  3. Lunges
    20/12 per leg x 3 sets

  4. RDL
    I did these with that Hammer Strength deadlift/ shrug machine because my lower back was smoked. I’ll call it eh for feel; I might like it if I get it used to it.
    1pps/8-10 x 3

  5. BFR Leg Extensions
    4 sets of 15 - 20

The end!

7 Likes
3134

Oof - the soreness is already setting in!

4 Likes
3135

That just means you did it right. :wink:

1 Like
3136

Okie doke, busiesh couple days.

Thursday I went to one of the group fitness classes at my gym, because it’s popular and I want to learn. I took my daughter and she did great. The kids argue with us about doing their exercise/ activities/ whatever, but then they’re happy afterward.

Yesterday I did a secondary upper body workout and did volleyball drills with my daughter and sled pushes with my son. He’s getting into running on the track and likes when he can do another lap than he did last time or go a little further without stopping - it’s starting to be something he wants to take on on his own, which is perfect.

Yesterday was:

  1. Giant set (3 rounds):
  • Machine incline press
  • DB hex press
  • Dips
  1. Giant set (3 rounds):
  • Straight-arm pulldown
  • Pullups
  • Machine high row

  1. DB 6-ways
    3 x 10

  2. EZ Curls
    BFR x 4 sets

  3. Rope Pressodwn
    BFR x 4 sets

Then I did some fartleks with the kiddos

7 Likes
3137

Basketball last night. We’re an interesting bunch. I would not sign up for this free agent league play again. Some of this is likely just frustration with myself that I move like cement.

Today I wanted to do explosive legs, both because I need it and to see if it helps work some soreness out rather than just sitting on them.

  1. 5 minutes Airdyne

  2. Line hops
    Forward and sideways
    2 x 30 each

  3. French Contrast (because I’m a weight scientist). 4 rounds:

  • Squats x 3
    135 + the heavy chains
    3s eccentric, explosive concentric
  • Tuck Jumps x 5
  • Squat Jumps x 5
    Holding a 25
  • Overspeed Jumps x 8
    Holding onto a band looped on a chin-up bar
  1. Assistance. 2 rounds:
  • GHR x 8
  • Walking Lunge x 10
  • Plank x 30s
  1. Airdyne x 10m
6 Likes
3138

My trap/ rear delt/ upper back area still is really uncomfortable and has a huge knot there. I’m thinking maybe I actually had a small tear or something. Oh well.

Yesterday was chest/ shoulders

  1. DB Bench
    30/10
    40/8
    55/8
    70/8
    80/8
    90/8
    100/8
    I haven’t been able to progress on these in quite awhile. I threw in a long hold after the last rep on this.

  2. Incline
    45/8
    135/8
    165/8
    185/8
    155/12

  3. HS Wide Press
    This machine was super comfy
    1pps/8
    1.25pps/8
    2pps/8
    2.25pps/8 + 2pps/6 + 1.25pps/8

  4. Stretch Push-ups
    4 sets
    30s pec stretch each side between sets

  5. DB Rear Delt
    20/20 x 4

  6. DB Side Raise
    20/15 x 4

  7. Machine Shoulder Press
    4 or 5 sets

Then my daughter helped me take video for the gym’s Instagram that I don’t really know how to edit, so that will be my learning project tonight.

The kids were awesome and worked out for like an hour and did all their chores and had big days at school, so we ended up eating pizza on the way home… take that, diet. (I’ll be back later to wonder why I’m not losing weight, despite obviously being in a deficit some hours of some days).

8 Likes
3139

Took on CT’s Advanced Eternal Warrior training today. I’d been thinking about it, and it’s simply time for me to do a program again, so what the hell let’s do it.

This thing is hard!

Today was squat focus.

It starts with steady state cardio and then movement prep, which is loaded stretching, bodyweight movements and jumps.

Then it’s straight sets of slow eccentric squats. I just used 225. My lower back had a brutal pump at the end of this, I guess because I don’t do anything to hold a position this long?

After that it’s two assistance circuits that include a couple minutes of steady state cardio for the rest.

All in all, this was exactly what the doctor ordered (or answered the mail, as our resident crazy person says). I was sweaty, my quads were pumped, and I felt moderately athletic… at least until I rediscover the truth on the basketball court (yet again) Sunday.

5 Likes
3140

Did the push day today. Good pump and my heart rate was up. This is really a winner.

It again starts with 10 minutes of easy cardio, loaded stretching, push-ups and plyo push-ups.

Onward to slow eccentric bench press. I used just 185 and it was plenty.

Assistance circuit is dips, incline DB (I did 80s and that was, again, plenty), triceps extensions and cardio.

I used KB snatches for the assistance circuit with rowing and the track.

This is absolutely on-point - very glad I just jumped into the unfamiliar. I’ve been your stale for quite awhile.

I also saw a dude using chains in our gym after I made them an Instagram video about it. That was pretty gratifying!

5 Likes
3141

Had dog walks, kids and helping our best friends move some dental chairs the last couple days so I ended up one day back on workouts. I need to get one day ahead because my wife and I are going to the Arnold on Saturday and I have basketball Sunday (and turn 41, which is disgusting).

Anyway, today was the pull day. Maybe the hardest yet - I’ve never done negatives on deadlifts.

Today started with 10 minutes cardio, pull-up stretches, pull-ups and sled pushes.

Then the main lift is trap bar deads with a slow negative. I used 275 and was, again, not unhappy with that decision.

The assistance circuit was pulldowns, rows, curls (hell yeah), and cardio. Then the conditioning was swings, farmer walks, air bike and cardio.

The first week of this has been spot-on. I’m enjoying it every bit as much as I did the old 6 weeks to superhero.

8 Likes
3142

What are negatives?

3143

The eccentric, or lowering, part of the lift.

The concentric is commonly called the “positive” portion of the lift, and pauses are isometrics.

The eccentric would be bringing the bar down to your chest and the concentric would be pushing it back up.

You’ll also see tempos prescribed for lifts. These always start with the eccentric, which usually is the first motion (i.e. the bench example above); even if the eccentric is not the first part of the movement (like a deadlift where the first action is concentric) the tempo will still be written with the eccentric first.

You’ll see tempos writte in 4 digits: Eccentric - Isometric - Concentric - Isometric.

Using a tempo of 4 - 2 - 1 - 1 with our bench example, you’ll lower for 4 seconds, pause on your chest for 2 seconds, lift the weight over 1 second, and pause at lockout for 1 second.

You may also see the concentric written as “x”, which just means to lift the weight as explosively as possible.

I’m also realizing I may have scared anyone off from ever asking me a simple question again.

2 Likes
3144

Knocked out a spin class with my daughter that my wife was teaching. Obviously I should be lean by tomorrow

4 Likes
3145

That was a helpful explanation. Thank you. I encourage more detail as opposed to less detail.

2 Likes
3146

My upper trap/ neck area has been killing me for a few weeks. I finally went yesterday and got a deep tissue massage, which I’d not done before. The lady beat me up and did a great job on that area, my lats and my IT bands. I’m crazy sore in my upper traps today, but more like DOMS than the knotted muscle feeling.

I did legs today and used 275 for the slow squats. I then screwed around and did a lot of belt squat and GHR stuff for Instagram videos for the gym - basically how to set up and why to use kind of thing.

In other news, my daughter has become extremely self-conscious. It all stems from wanting to be the most popular person, but she’s worried about every social interaction. She is uncomfortable in all her clothes, wants “abs by Memorial Day” (she’s 10!), and is worried nobody likes her any time they happen to even speak to someone else. It’s a tough time for her. On the flip side, she has decided to work out on her own, and is picking out her own clothes, so I’m proud of how she takes action. I absolutely don’t want her chasing some crazy nonsense and eating nothing and all that, so I’m just trying to focus on keeping healthy foods available (without even really discussing food - that’s just what’s in the house) and praising her performance improvements (like she went a whole spin class the other day!). I think softball starting back up in a couple weeks will be a huge help for all of us. She doesn’t want to hear it from me, because I’m a boy and don’t care what people think, etc.

To complete the role reversal, my son is crushing it and has found some real confidence. He was on their school tv announcements all week, reading what lunch would be, etc., and was totally comfortable. His teacher sent us videos of it all week, which was great to see. He’s in a “running club,” where they work up to a 5k by running a couple times a week, and has been challenging himself to do another lap, etc. each time. We had the junior high briefing this week, where they tell you what kids will be nervous about. Middle school was a year earlier in Georgia, so we’d already kind of prepped once before. The big thing that scares them is their lockers and managing a combination, but he even said “I already practiced, so I’m good;” it’s a nice turn for him to not be in panic mode.

I think that’s all. Everything else is normal work and life. We’re kind of in logistics ambiguity with a couple things right now, navigating which is a comfort zone for me, so no biggies there.

8 Likes