I’m already thinking about what I want to do next. I liked kind of returning to a program I did a long time ago (although this one was way easier when I was 35). I’m thinking maybe CT’s “I, BB” or his “Indigo Hypertrophy” program; not sure if anyone has any thoughts on those, but I remember thinking they were fun. I liked “Six Weeks to Superhero,” too, but all the jumping scares me a little - probably just me being wussy. Maybe I let the dice decide again - that was an awesome win I picked up from @T3hPwnisher and I highly recommend that to anyone.
Anyway, today was a pretty light leg day before sprinting through the final week.
10 minutes bike
Superset (4 rounds after warmups):
8-12 Standing Leg Curls
8 Lying Leg Curls
Slow, controlled reps on everything
Adductor Machine
4 x 12
Single Leg Press
I used the selectorized machine for this and tried to get deep - my adductors were on fire.
Anyway, no I haven’t done that one. I played with a day or two here or there. That’s probably worth me visiting as well. It’s the most similar to what I’ve been doing, which is not to say that it is particularly similar, which is probably why I’m overlooking it a little.
Today was a busy day, just cramming in doctor appointments and stuff before the end of the year. I drank a couple gallons of water a day the last couple days, which brought my HCT down 4 points and put it back in range… so maybe I’m just always dehydrated.
Big chest day today!
Incline DB Press
30/15
50/10
70/8
80/8
90/8
100/8
These were all full, strict reps
Incline Press
135/6
165/6
185/6
195/6
205/8
That might be a post-35 PR. If not, it’s definitely close and this is a relatively steep bench. Good day for me, especially being number 22
Machine Flye
1-2s flex each rep
1 set of 10
1 set of 8 + 5 partials
1 set of 6 + 10 partials
Stretch Pushups
3 x 15
Machine Rear Delt
3 x 20
Over and Back Press
65/10
85/10 x 2
DB Side Raise
Went light, really high, really controlled
10/12
15/12 x 2
Close-Grip Bench
This isn’t really a bench. I used an EZ bar and lowered it over my face like a Skullcrusher but pressed it up. Huge stretch.
60/10-12 x 4
OH Cable Extension
3 x 12
My wife got pumped enough the Bengals might make the playoffs she bought tickets, so tomorrow morning’s workout is coming fast and early (insert joke)!
Back and bis today! Moved fast and kept everything relatively strict and light. I might come back and log, but for now I’m housing Chick-fil-A and headed downtown for the game - keeping playoff hopes barely alive!
SSB Squat
45/10
135/10
185/10
225/10
245/10
My back was super tired and tight. I was wondering why and remembered rack pulls were yesterday. My legs had more in me, but I get scared to unrack a bar when my back isn’t feeling great
Leg Press
Feet low and together
2pps/25
3pps/25
3pps/20
BSS
55/10 + 5 partials
RDL
My lower back didn’t feel good, so I tried that HS shrug machine because I didn’t want to use a bar.
1pps/10 x 3
Overall a pretty meh workout. I have noticed I get a little mentally checked out around the 3rd hard day in a row. A few more days at this and then onto whatever is next.
Chest and Shoulders today - I am feeling the fatigue! It’s mental at this point, too.
Banded HS Press
1pps/ 10 x 4
Bench Press
3s pause 2" above chest, then finish the rep by touching the chest and pressing - this is a tough technique
135/8
155/8
175/8
185/8
DB Pronated Flyes
25/10 x 4
DB Rear Laterals
20/20 x 4
DB Side Raise Partials
35/15 x 4
DB Front Raise
15/12 x 4
Abs Superset (4 rounds):
Hanging Leg Raise
Cable Crunch
3 to go! I’m taking the kids to go visit my parents, so the rest of these will be hotel workouts (unless I can find a gym). It’s all “pump” days from here, so that’s no biggie.
We got on the road Monday evening, so my last two days have been hotel workouts with pretty minimal equipment (at least compared to what most hotels seem to have nowadays). These are the “pump” workouts, though, so it doesn’t matter much.
Tuesday was back and I did a total of 100 reps each of pull-ups and DB pullovers. I was worried my elbow would hurt, but it really doesn’t feel bad. I stayed really strict and just did a handful of reps at a time, so that probably helped.
Yesterday was legs, and it was glute-focused on paper. I did hip thrusts, BSS, and DB RDL as a circuit and did 6 circuits. That’s all the legs I care to do at this point!
Today is arms, which we know I have no issue doing, and then 28 days complete!
By way of catching up, I finished the 28 Days Later program on Dec 21. My kids and I were visiting my family in NC, and my plan was to take until after Christmas off and get rolling again; I ended up getting some stomach bug from my niece that absolutely floored me. From Christmas Eve to about last night I’ve been wrecked - never further than 5 minutes from the bathroom. I haven’t eaten a thing. I’ve pulled off walking the dog once and this morning I shot basketball with my son (terribly) for about 15 minutes. I’m vertical today, but still a little iffy, so I think I’ll be back at it tomorrow.
We are taking off to warmer climates for a week starting Sunday, so I won’t get back into anything real until then. I’m still playing around with what I want to do. I’ll just drop some rambling musings below.
The 28 Days Later (and really all the programs) was way harder this time even than 5 years ago. Recovery is just tougher now.
I’ve definitely noticed I can’t lift hard more than two days in a row. I can lift more often, but that third day has to be fluff stuff.
I want to do more athletic stuff: cleans, jumps, throws, sprints. That stuff can be a part of any program, I believe, but I have to plan for it or it won’t happen.
I still really love the Meadows stuff because I like being flexible (since I travel), I like the constant change to not get bored, and I like how deep I can go into some sets.
I have definitely made no progress the last 6 months or so; it’s time to do something different. How much to change is a question. Like is it a total change in goals or just tweaking methods. Periodization is a tenet I tend to allow myself to neglect.
I tend to not program for myself and I don’t really know why. I’m capable, but don’t want to; half the threads on here are people that aren’t capable and do want to. Thats not a judgement, just an observation.
At the end of all this I’m likely to let the dice decide for me anyway. I have like a billion CT programs from his sale a few months ago, so I’ve got the choices ready.
I like lifting heavy, I like variation, I like movement, and I tend to do well with a relatively high frequency but not insanely high volume. Basically I like pretending it’s 20 years ago.
I “enjoyed” the V-Diet. I like just trusting a plan. Maybe I’ll experiment with Mag-10 pulsing after @Matthew_Weeldreyer was posting about it.
There’s no real introspection or ah-ha’s in any of this… I’m just waiting for volleyball to end!
Ah 5 years older than me then, I’ve not noticed any major changes from my younger days, maybe I’m not particularly mindful in this regard, or maybe the next 5 years are going to be rougher… On the flip side my hormones and diet are better now than in my younger days!
You know I am only pulling your chain. Heck there are guys on here like Harry who are 10 years older than me and still kick my arse. I agree that it gets harder as we age. We have way busier lives and training is simply just not as much a priority as it once was. I still think though that late 30’s and 40’s is a great place to be physically especially if you want to be strong. Maybe its time to just grow up a little (I don’t mean that as a dig) and program some periodisation and chase a different goal.
My feelings aren’t hurt and I think we’re more or less saying the same thing. The priorities piece is as big a variable as anything.
You’re likely right about growing up, which is essentially what I’m getting at - just coming more from effect to cause to solution in my ramblings. I’m not recovering that well > I used to do so better and handle these specific programs > therefore I probably should change up the training a bit.
Either that or I’ve just been doing this so long it’s not a stimulus anymore anyway. Either way - similar next steps!
Legit question for you, or anyone that cares to offer a thought: I’m looking at my travel through the first quarter and it’s about 50%, basically home a week, gone a week. This trips tend to see me just in hotel gyms, because that’s how scheduling works out.
My thought is to spend this period getting jumps, throws, and aerobic work back into my life in a real way because I can do that anywhere. For lifting, it’s easy to just have a bodypart split with a volume cap because I can do that anywhere (like legs can be anything from squats at home, to bodyweight lunges in a hotel room).
Genuinely curious how you’d approach after we just had the periodization talk.