Tallest Person on This Site at 6'9''

Alright so I didn’t have chronic fatigue syndrome, merely burnout from the weights and post viral fatigue all february.

My flatmate roped me in to coming down to an open day at her fitness gym on sunday gone (13.3.11).

I just had to hit the weights and see where I was. All of these were maxes/rep maxes

BW 108/240

DL 182/4001
Clean 87/195
1
Fr Sq 82/1851
Mil Pr 52/115
2
Db Bench 26s/586
DB Row 40/90
6
BB Curl 42/95*6

Did chins and push ups through January but nothing for lower body since 13th Dec (so exactly 3months).

Been thinking about the weights all week and am thinking about returning and doing the 2 day 5-3-1 split from 5-3-1 reloaded.

I’m not doing the fucking eating again though! I’m gonna get stronger at this bodyweight if I do it …

22.3.11

Following Wendler’s 2 day program from 5-3-1 reloaded. See if I can tolerate it without getting buried by fatigue. I’m also gonna log my alcohol consumption - get some measure of how that interferes with my recovery.

Back Squat 5-3-1
85/190*10

Leg Extension
Up to Whole stack*10

Stiff Leg DL from a rack set 3 inches below knee
140/31510, 160/3605 (grip was failing - could have got 10)

few Planks

23.3.11
350ml vodka w lime soda mixer across circa 3hrs. Minimal hangover.

24.3.11

Sprints on grass - 40 yards? * 10? 45-60s rest between sets

25.3.11

Bench 5-3-1
55/122*10 - felt heavy

Db Row
25/55410 - felt heavy

Db Bench
12.5/27.5510

BB Curl
30/666, 20/455*10 - felt heavy

I have a cold.

It is what it is.

From a Thibs livespill:

The more I’m around in the strength training/personal training field the more I notice one thing: there are mainly two kind of people in the gym - those who are training to get results and those who are training because they love it. Ironically over the long run, only the later normally get results!
Oh, some people who train merely to get results will sometimes get short term results (more often than not beginner gains), but they never achieve long term success.
Why?
Because once you are past your beginner gains, progressing physique and strength-wise can become a heartbreaker!
If are in it only for the results, these will never come fast enough. It’s even truer once your beginner gains are passed.
So when you are passed that stage and you have to work hard for your gains, if you don’t love the process you wont make it!
I’ll be honest with you, if somebody gave me a pill that would stop my strength and body comp progress forever I’D STILL TRAIN AS OFTEN AND AS HARD AS I DO NOW. Because there is nothing I’d rather do.

Progression is never linear. ? The only thing you can control is to keep training hard.

Because of the non-linear aspect of progression people who are in it only for the results open themselves to “solutions” that are actually counterproductive:
a) they change their program too often thinking that it’s the program that doesn’t work. I once wrote a livespill on that, look it up! Changing your program too often only gives you an illusion of progression because of quick neural adaptations, it doesn’t give you more actual muscle gain. And it could very well limit the amount of growth you are getting in the long run.

26.3.11 c.700ml vodka over 10 hrs

28.3.11

Dead 5

Dead 135/300*10

FR Sq 40/88 5*10

GM 40/88 3-5*10

Plank 3*30s

30.3.11

Hill Sprints 8*?yds in 8 minutes. Work 10-12s / Rest 45-75s

31.3.11

Military 5 day

Standing Military
37.5/83*10

Chins
3,3,2,3,2,2 (BW 112.5)

Db Flyes
7,10,12,15,17.5/3910, 122*10

BB Curl
20/45 *10,10,10,10,22

BB Row
40/88215

Plank
3*35s

Thu 31.3.11
250-300ml vodka

Sat 2.4.11
Hill Sprints 8-9 w 60-70s rest

500-700ml vodka

Mon 4.4.11

Squat 3

Power Clean
up to 80/180*3 felt v.heavy

Back Squat
90/200*10 Tough - core weakness

RDL
60,80,100,120,140/315*8 (can’t count) very hard to balance, core and grip weakness

Rack Pull from lower knee cap
160/380*7-8 (can’t count) pointless

Plank 3*40s

V V Tired too much work?

Tue 5.4.11
20 units alcohol

Wed 6.4.11
Hill Sprints*8 w strict 60s rest - v v tough
10 units alcohol

Thu 7.4.11

Bench 5-3-1 day
Close-ish grip bench
60/135*10 tough

Db Bench supported row
up to 25/55*10

BB Row up to
55/120*10

Db Flye
up to 20/44*10 not strict form

BB Curl
22.5/50410, 1*23

Plank 3*45s 90s rest

Thurs 7.4.11
15 units vodka

Friday 8.4.11
Hill Sprints*9 w 70s rest
10 units vodka

Sat 9.4.11
Circuit 3 rounds 90s rest
Squat Jump10
Push Up Iso * 20s
Lateral Hop
6ea
Side Bridge 10s ea
Walk Lunge/Alternating Lateral Lunge * 8ea
Bent Row w Light Stone

25 units vodka

Mon 11.4.11

Dead 3 day

High Hang Snatch
20,23,30,35, 40/88*3

Sumo Dead
142/315*10 could feel core weakness and poor form

Fr Sq
42.5/92510 w 60s rest

Contra-Lateral Deficit Reverse Lunge
10,15,20, 25/55*8ea

Cable Anti-Rotation Chop
sets of 10

Face Pulls
sets of 10

Tue 12.4.11

4 minute Tumminello BW Circuit
2 planks for 50s w 90s rest then couldnt finish 3rd!
8 units booze

Wed 13.4.11
Military 3 day

Military
40/88*10 racked too soon, came back and did another 4
40, 45/100, 50/110 *3
Superset w

Chins
8*2 @ 116/260bw

Pallof Press for Reps Superset w Cable Rowing

BB Curl
30/6610, 25/55410,115

Wed 13.4.11
5 units booze

Thu 14.4.11
10 units booze

Fri 15.4.11
Sprints 8*12s w 60s rest Knackered my calves - no more sprints for me for a long while. Time to break out the tire methinks.

3 units booze

Sat 16.4.11
25units booze — zero hangover after only 6hrs sleep

Sun 17.4.11
Squat 5-3-1

Squat
95/210*10 Felt really heavy on back but lifting went well with quite a bit left in the tank

Cable Chop superset w face pull

Felt real good to do so little work at the gym on lower body day - If only I can stick to this.

Later in day - 2 hr walk because got stranded in countryside with no money for bus (only had cash card)— not pleased.

Tue 18.4.11

Bench 1 day

Close Grip
62.5/140*8 tough!

Few batwings

Incline Chest Supported Db Row w squeeze at top
up to 27.5/60*6

Wide Grip Supinated Cable Row superset w Long Lever Plank (30,30,20s)

BB Curls
25/55*10,10,10,10,14

Went to DIY shop to get sand for canvas tool bag, put 25kg sand on handlebars, set off home. Stopped at traffic lights, sand pulled me over = one sprained ankle = no conditioning tomorow.

That evening: 17 units alcohol

Wed 19.4.11

Dead 1 day

Dead 150/335*8-10 (lost count for some reason)

Pallof Press w overhead tweak

I have a swollen ankle and can’t walk but can still deadlift!

12 units booze

Fri 21.4.11

Military 1 day

Military 42.5/95*9

Chins 3,3,2,3,3,2,2, Total 18 BW 118/260

Cable Row and Cable chop

Various Db carries/walks superset w
BB Curl 25/55512

Deload next week

On Holiday in Wales:

Sat 23/4/11 - heavy sled drags * 6 in 10 mins. Each drag 20-25s
Sun - Circuit3 ---- Broad Jump, Push Up Iso hold, Walk Lunge, Band One Arm Row, Bear Crawl
Mon - OFF
Tue - Bear Hug 50kg/110lb sandbag carries - some as long as 45s. 60s rest. Done in 10 mins. (took a lot out of me - felt it next day?)
Band Pallof Press
Wed - Long lever plank - just about managed 4
30s
25kg/55lb sandbag complex. Snatch5, Fr Sq8, Bent Row10, Push Press8. 3 Rounds.
THEN Tabata Sandbag back squat. Reps varied between 13-8. So probably got 80 reps in during the 4 minutes [compare to 7 minutes to perform 220 jump squats back when doing endurance sport]
Thu - Some stuff with sandbags. Finished with 3-4 sets of 30s overhead standing holds with 25kg/55lb sandbag— TOUGH on core.
Fri - OFF.

Sat 30.4.11

Giving beginner 5*5 a run. See if I can get things moving a bit quicker. See how quickly it burns me out.

Squat
90/200 55
Superset w
Cl Gr Bench
55/122 5
5

Dead
140/310 1*5

Wide Grip Cable ROW w 2s iso hold
59kg or something 3*10

Stability Ball Rollouts
4 sets *10

Tue 3.5.11

Squat
92.5/205 5*5

Cl Gr Bench
57.5/130 5*5

Chins
3,3,3,3,3,2,2 Total of 19 at 120bw

Wide Grip Pronated Cable Row with hold at contraction
Sets of 10 Up to 52kg

Cable Chop
Up to 80kg

Thurs 5/5/11

Squat
95/210 5*5

Military
35/77 5*5

Dead
145/315 1*5

Cable Row with hold at contraction
Up to 52kg

Long-ish Lever Plank
3*35s

Sat 7.5.11

Cl Bench
60/133 5*5

Chins
3,3,3,3,3,3, (3?) = total 18-21

Squat
97.5/215 5*5

Pallof Press up to 14.7kg! ( light one arm rowing)

May-Aug 2011

Bw stayed at 113kg the whole time. I ate about 50g or less of protein a day (no access to decent nutrition).
Followed 5*5 programs and generally whatever I felt like.
May 20th 2011 hit
Squat 130
Bench 75
Dead 200
Military 60

By Aug 2011
I hit 85kg bench
I had already hit 110kg front squat
I hit 9-10 chins and *1 with 135kg total weight
Squat 140
Dead 200
Also hit 105-110 clean.
Military 65

Aug 25-Oct 23rd = no weights just push ups and chins. Following Henriques for chins and Waterbury for push ups.
BW 113
Hit 29 full Rom push ups
Hit 14-15 kip chins. 8 strict chins.
Also hit 7 pistols on left leg. None w full rom on right. Single leg squats off box much higher than pistols - at least 10.

All of this is very disappointing and piecemeal. I re-entered the gym 23rd Oct. Following Joe Gaglione’s Westside style program published here, although I’m also trying to mix it with the Henriques chin up program, and am maxing out on push ups periodically to check my relative strength. I started eating again on the same day as returning to the gym. Let’s see where I get to. I need to get back to where I was in Nov 2010.