Some new pics. I hesitate to call them progress pics, because I haven’t really been able to hit the weights that much this week, but if nothing else they are in better light, and can serve as a benchmark for future progress. I’m struggling to get a representative leg shot, so I won’t have leg pics till tomorrow.
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Front
Training for June 20, 2008
“All the girls I’ve known are crying
And all the clouds have silver linings”
-Cut Copy
So the silver lining of this injury to my arm has been great focus on leg training. Counting today, I’ve hit heavy deads and squats three times in the past seven days. I’m gonna lay off until monday, but the improvement has already been great.
Deadlift-
10 x 135
10 x 185
5 x 225
4 x 275
2 x 295
1 x 315
0 x 335
Squats-
10 x 135
10 x 155
8 x 205
2 x 225
1 x 245 (sketchy form)
1 x 245 (good form)
What we see hear is that I’ve brought up my former deadlift “PR” 40 pounds and my squat “PR” 20 pounds in less than two weeks. What this tells me is that these numbers weren’t really my PR. That is they weren’t close to the best I could do. Writing this log and being held accountable for my numbers has definitely forced me to kick up my game a notch.
I do have one question about deadlifts if anyone is reading this. When I’m pulling at lower weights with higher reps, I’m definitely feeling the movement most in my hamstrings and glutes. At higher weights, I begin to feel the most exertion from my lower back. Is this fine, or does it indicate bad form at higher loads. If I don’t get an answer here, I’ll ask in the BB forum.
Food Intake for June 20, 2008:
Breakfast-
1/2 Cup Oatmeal with 1 protein scoop
Lunch-
12 oz Egg Salad
2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
PWO Shake-
1/2 Cup 2% Lactaid
1 Scoop Whey Protein Powder
1 Banana
Dinner 1-
Bowl of Chili
Dinner 2-
8 oz Grilled Mahi Mahi
1 Cup Salad with Carrots and Broccoli
2 Teaspoons Champagne Light Dressing
Dinner 3-
1/2 Large Chinese Chicken Salad
1/2 Large Tuna Sandwich on Whole Wheat
Night-Time Shake-
Met-RX Meal Replacement Shake
Alright so I’ve been reporting some extreme nausea over the past couple of days. The worst was definitely last night during “The Incredible Hulk” (terrible movie) when I felt there was a 50% chance I would die in the theater.
Well, I found the culprit. LACTAID. I ate really light this morning, and that PWO shake hit me on a pretty empty stomach. It was ugly, I felt general nausea coupled with some sharp digestive pains. Of the ingredients in the shake, nothing else has ever given me problems, so I’m placing all the blame on Lactaid, aka the Devil’s milk. That stuff is going straight into the trash.
How hard is your warmup on deadlift day? Are you straining on 185x12/225x5? I’ve recently come to the realization that warmups are not work sets, as simple as that is, and makes no sense to tire yourself out with them like I was doing. If youre looking for more volume you could trydoing a more minimalist workout, then building down.
Example
Deadlifts
135x10
185x5
225x3
245x3
275x1
295x1
315x1
320xfail
275x3
245x4
225x4
done
[quote]Defekt wrote:
How hard is your warmup on deadlift day? Are you straining on 185x12/225x5? I’ve recently come to the realization that warmups are not work sets, as simple as that is, and makes no sense to tire yourself out with them like I was doing. If youre looking for more volume you could trydoing a more minimalist workout, then building down.
Example
Deadlifts
135x10
185x5
225x3
245x3
275x1
295x1
315x1
320xfail
275x3
245x4
225x4
done [/quote]
I’ve flirted with the idea of doing something like this, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t be getting enough work in. Throwing on the extra sets after you hit your max lift seems like a good way around it. I’ll try this next time.
Yesterday was a rest day, and so is today. I ate pretty light.
Diet for June 21, 2008:
Breakfast-
3/4 Cup Oatmeal with One Scoop Whey
1 Orange
Lunch-
6 oz Grilled Chicken
2 oz Spinach
2 oz Goat Cheese
Dinner-
1 Bowl Chili
That was it honestly. I’m going to make an effort to eat much bigger today.
Don’t sweat it if youre off one day, just come back the next day much stronger. Everyone fucks up occasionally, doesnt feel like eating for a day or two, or cheats on their diet. Its the majority of the time that matters. You’re going to have to eat bigger than that to gain weight, and you know that, which is half the battle.
Diet for June 22, 2008:
Breakfast-
1/2 Cup Oatmeal w/1 Scoop Whey
3 Omega-3 Eggs
1 Chicken Sausage Link
1 Orange
1 Cup Berries (Blue, Rasp, and Black)
Lunch-
1 Bowl Chili
1 Advantage Protein Bar
Lunch 2-
6 oz Chicken
1 Sauteed Green Pepper
1/2 Onion
Dinner-
8 Oz Marinated Chicken Breast
2 Cups Salad with Carrots and Broccoli
Late Night Snack-
1 Bowl Chili
Protein Shake:
1 Scoop Whey
1 Banana
I was able to eat a lot more today. I took a nap right after dinner and when I woke up I was famished, which helped me get that second bowl of chili down.
I’ve been dreading updating this log, because my workouts have been dreadful. My arm/elbow is still hurting, so I’m going to take a full four days off. I’m going to eat pretty average during these days and come back to the log and training next Tuesday. I’m also considering trying out A.R.T. If anyone has any input on this one way or the other let me know.