That’s an absolute winner.
You’d think the Bible would be warning enough, it’s right there in the first chapter, but you had to go and run with the devil.
Mine is at least at the back - you can’t tell that I look like a retired crocodile back there; it just feels funny.
Back in the ole loggy log. Upper body pumps remain unreal, which is really the only reason I go to the gym anyway.
Today was back and a little tris
DB Row: worked up to one heavy set of 8 with 120s. I was really able to get my lat to open up on the stretch on these, without letting my body move. Good job, old bean.
Pulldowns - bunch of sets working up, and then a backoff
Neutral grip pulldowns - couple more sets with drops
Rack pulls: these were pretty eh today. I did 315/8, 335/6, 365/6
A giant set of neutral pullups, chins, and neutral pulldowns for 3 rounds. This was incredibly awful
Tricep machine extension - sets of 6-12
One long drop set of overhead cable extensions
Giant set of rope pushdowns, OH extensions, and BW skullcrushers off a bar for 3 rounds
Don’t let anyone bring anything sharp near this dude.
His ego is so overinflated that it’s getting dangerous just to let him see sharp objects.
Like my delts, yo!
More brotastic work today. Tonight’s HSM was Chick-Fil-A because we just ran out of time, but I kept it within some control.
I’m trying to really rock a bikini this summer, so it was more upper deck work.
Bench
4 sets of 8 with a 4+ second eccentric and 45 seconds between sets
Wide-grip Bench
3 sets of 8 continuing with the eccentrics and 45s
After the last set, I dropped to 115 and held the mid-range for 20s
This was pretty burny
DB Incline Flyes
Mechanical drop set dropping the incline so it’s 3 “sets” each set for 3 actual sets. Yeah, that makes sense.
Superset of cable crossovers and TRX push-ups for 3 rounds
Giant set for shoulders (3 rounds)
Incline front raise
Seated DB side raise
Cable upright row
Oof!
Machine rear delt
4 x 25
Crunch machine
4 sets
Quick update!
I finally lost a couple lbs, but still not a ton. I actually look moderately lean. Perhaps it’s possible I’ve really added some lean tissue the last couple years? It seems like a dream, but I’m like 8+ lbs heavier than what I’d think I’d need to be to look the way I do (still not great, but acceptable). 
Today was a quick arm workout then I did another small group training. Had a young mom join and she was a terrific athlete and a hard worker - super fun. She’s also still learning English so I got to practice my now-awful Spanish, so that was fun too.
Today was a baller arm workout, then death by sled pushes and abs, and 15 minutes of treadmill.
Now my gorgeous wife and I are about to walk into the pregame for the Luke Combs concert… so I may just decide to die and remain in redneck heaven.
Holy crap I’m bad about updating this.
I survived the concert… barely. Incredible fun!
I’ve still been doing my lifting. Today’s session was highlighed by incline DB presses for 6 really solid, complete reps. I’m feeling my chest work lately - a win.
I’m headed to the gym to teach some deadlifts now. Big update - the hard worker from last week is signing me up to coach her through a 6-week challenge. I’m pretty excited because she’s a gamer; we’re going to witness a winner here.
How was it? Big fan of his, would love to see him live
Best show I’ve ever been to in my life. Tickets are expensive, but dude gives you your money’s worth. There were acts on from 3pm until close to 12, and 3 of them are headliners themselves
Dudes and dudettes!
I had my physical last week with a new doc (because we moved back to Ohio and the one we had before we left didn’t have room for me to come back). Every time I get a new doc, we have to start with the am I taking steroids conversation. It used to be flattering, but I think it’s more because I have heart issues than I’m just so jacked. Anyway, it’s sometimes annoying with male PCPs because it’s just a pissing contest. I know that’s sexist, but I’m calling it like it is.
So we had our conversation (this one actually was super “cute”: he opened with “where are you going to get drugs that I won’t prescribe.” I didn’t even understand him at first). When I told him I wasn’t taking any steroids he asked “not even protein?” So I said I may misunderstand his definition, as whey doesn’t end in “one;” then he asked what I did for a living, which was gratifying.
All that self-aggrandizing was just to set a stage: my BP and my bloodwork were perfect. Absolutely perfect. It’s all been improving over the last several physicals. What’s funny is my knee jerk reaction is competitive, like I just beat an opponent (the PCP) and I want to talk trash. That makes no sense, because we’re same team, but that’s how it feels.
I really think adding nattokinase after the recent TC article was a major contributor; it seemed to have a positive impact on both my hemoglobin and my BP, both of which are notoriously stubborn. I did do the velocity diet, which I think helped, but more in terms of what I eliminated than any real weight loss or the addition of shakes themselves.
In no order of importance, things I think have been major health contributors:
I certainly think other things can matter/ help/ etc., but for my specific context those are the things I wasn’t already doing/ don’t like doing that I’ve changed and saw a positive difference. Anyway, I was super stoked.
In other news, I found some pretty slick egg + turkey sausage sandwiches at Costco. @T3hPwnisher have you seen these? They’re a pretty big win for me as I’m adding small meals back.
Kicked off day one of Thanos (Meadows, of course) today. We’ll see if I stick with a program or do my own thing. Either way, I’m cool.
Legs
Seated leg curls
Did a couple warm up sets, then
70/15
85/12
100/10
115/8 + 6 forced (I pushed the handle) + 20 partials
Squats
40lbs chains on each side (obviously) for all sets. Loaded these straight from the bar, so it unloads maybe 1/3 - 1/2 at the bottom. This seems to be a little less stable than when I double them and let them all unload at the bottom, but obviously less of a strength curve delta. I’m also trying a narrower stance and breaking at the knees more, with a heel lift, to get more quads - they definitely burned today.
45 + chains/10
135 + chains/6
185 + chains/6
225 + chains/20
This wasn’t failure, because I didn’t crash into the pins or anything, but I certainly didn’t have a ton left. I’m always skeptical of myself when I end on an even number though.
Leg Press
3pps/6
5pps/20 x 3
Was definitely pretty wobbly after this.
Eh
Screwed around with lunges and hip thrusts for a few sets, but couldn’t find anything that felt good so I left it.
RDL
135/10
185/10 x 2
The gym I’m training folks at started a 6-week challenge that’s a really good value, and I now have absolutely the max folks I can handle. It’s going to be busy between that and my actual job until Memorial Day! It should be fun though.
Aaand this is why I don’t like doctors.
You ended up pursuing a NASM cert, right? Was it worthwhile?
Dude, OUTSTANDING news on the medical front. You’ve absolutely earned those results. And I completely get that “us vs them” medical mentality. It took a LOT of relationship building with my docs to become more of a team than rivals. I definitely remember the first time I got my LDL under control with some clueless doc that wouldn’t even do an in person visit and thinking very clearly “f**k you” when he saw my results, haha.
You’ve got a great sustainable way forward.
Absolutely! Costco has so much neat stuff, haha. I have to set time limits when I go, because I can just meander there for hours.
Yeah it was ok. I don’t have any others in my background for comparison (well, I did the Army Master Fitness Trainer thing a long time ago, but that was totally different). NASM has some credibility and a hefty veterans discount, so I think that’s worth a shot. If you really go at it, you could knock it out in a week if you were motivated. I think it took me ~ a month without really trying. Most of their info will complement what most of us believe, vs. conflict. I guess the moral of that story is, if you want a certification (so you can train folks in a facility), I can’t give you a reason not to do this one.
Thank you, my friend; I was flying high all weekend when those hit my phone. I appreciate the nod because I know you get it!
Absolutely. I had a doctor I liked a couple years ago when we lived here, but then he went and retired without asking me if it was ok. I sympathize, because PCPs are pressured on pure throughput and algorithmic (if/ then) medicine, but wow can some of them be jerks. I then have to check myself, because work gives me access to very well-known specialists in their field… I start thinking I get to flip the script and be condescending to them before reminding myself I am not, in fact, a surgeon or cardiologist.
This is so key - I’m not doing anything crazy and I’m pretty confident in the drivers/ key variables. Thanks!
That’s actually clever. It’s the one errand I can convince my kids to join, because free samples and giant TVs, so their attention span becomes my time limit. I guess I prefer that to them wanting to buy 14 cases of everything on the shelf like I do.
I guess I’m at a point that if I see someone who has a physique I’d like to have (or has verifiably coached those who are built that way), and they are clearly knowledgeable about the subject - I could care less about formal education.
I think, a lot of times, that trainers tend to have more paper on their resume than muscle, and it makes me second guess what they’re saying. Much alike the stuff that Ellington Darden PhD puts out there (or used to); it had all the scientific backing in the world, and the man was a pioneer in this stuff… but most of those who were trained by him hardly even look like they lift. Then you have folks like Poliquin, Dante Trudel, Wendler, Jordan Peters, who really don’t have credentials outside of muscle - and they’ve built some absolute monsters.
I’ve lowkey taken on a few freebie ‘clients’ while learning how to better guide and coach folks. I think at a certain point in one’s physique - no one cares about your credentials and they just want your advice… I know multiple people who fit this bill personally. So what I’m getting at, is I’m kind of weighing out options as for a method to move forward.
This would merely be a hobby/side gig, but I would also want to make sure the information I give is based on a solid foundation of anecdotal experiences provided by huge dudes - maybe bolstered by science. Were science to conflict with anecdotal experience, I would usually go with experience due to the limitations of scientific studies on mutants.
IDK, I’m thinking out loud and rambling - sorry 
I agree with everything you said, and I’ve given “advice” to a lot of folks for a long time (especially young athletes getting ready for the Army or trying to make a team, etc.). This gym wanted me onboard, and I wanted to coach, so this was the only way to make it work. I will say my physique, such as it, actually scares most folks off - the world is not this site.
Most personal trainers I see in real life and ones on Facebook videos, don’t even look like they lift. Dont look super lean either, just a meh physique.
But my gym is full of monsters, now those people I’d ask for advice if I had the stones to interrupt their workout 
Oh, hey, here’s my log.
I’ve been up to my bodypart split shenanigans all week. I did the DB low incline with 100s for 10 full reps yesterday, which was pretty good.
The gym is running a 6-week challenge, and I’ve taken on absolutely as many clients as I can. It’s getting a little busy. I’m also giving them each probably a little too much individual attention; it’s just meant to be a group thing (but I want all the winners).
Anyway, I’m doing the workouts I programmed for them (just a day ahead of them). Feel free to follow along. We’re starting with a ton of variation, reps, and low-complexity movements (except one day), to build some capacity and get motivated. Then I intend to go to heavier loads for a couple weeks, then finish with good ole glycogen-depleting PPL for the last 2.
Today was as the hard day, with complexes.
Alrighty, staying busy. Had a lot of softball last night, then friends over and toasted marshmallows and all that. Ran back-to-back groups through the workout posted above, and they did awesome. I’m in with one person tomorrow, then I need to get them all on the same page to go twice a week together.
Today I did the easy hypertrophy day:
Warmup
5 minutes cardio
Hyperextension: 4 x 12
Machine Crunch: 4 x 12
Main:
Everything is 12, 10, 8, ~15 trying to get pretty close to failure on the 8 and the 15.
And finished
been away but just caught up and wanted to say well done n the medical news front mate.
Thanks man! That was a huge deal for me.
How are you, fine sir?
