When I grow up, I want to be an Alicorn

Training Training Logs
2184

Wednesday 12/10
Glute-Mass-tastic W6D3

Pendulum Squat
12, 12, 11, 10 x m+40

Leg curl
15, 15, 13, 13 x 70

Leg Press
12, 13, 11 x 225

Hip Thrust (machine)
13, 12, 12 x m+135

Hip Adductor
12 x 90, 13, 12 x 80

Well, at least the leg curls went well! Added a few reps to those. Everything else matched last week.
Did not want to be in the gym today. Had a couple hundred extra calories. It took the edge of hunger and sleepiness off, but didn’t leave me feeling ready to go. I was a bad influence and talked my hubby out of half his cardio too. Which meant leaving the gym earlier, dinner earlier and time for a movie. That, was awesome.

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2185

Thursday 12/11
Pace Run

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1000002668993×949 35.9 KB

Done first thing in the morning again. Paces were hit and then some, surprising with the energy levels this week.

Did this with the intent of taking Friday as a rest day. Then when hubby and I got home, we just looked at each other and we want to NOT train. So we flopped on the couch instead. Appithe week is catching up to both of us. Might get in upper day 2 later today, or it might get skipped. TBD!

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2186

Based on how your body has been feeling, a couple days off may be exactly what you need to come back swingin’! Rest is your friend. Listen to your body!!

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2187

I always get excited when I see you comment in my log!
I did rest, it was glorious. I didn’t restrict food either! I’m still trying to cope with the sudden scale increase. It helps that I feel less crappy physically.

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2188

Weekend training catch up:

Saturday 12/13
Long, easy trail run
6.4mi, 1:06.45

Breezy, but warmish and sunny. Winter is forgetting to winter here, but I am not about to correct it.
Didn’t see another soul until I reached a trailhead. It’s bizarre to see the trails empty week after week. Goes to show how much the population of my town increases in the summer. Right now, it’s locals only.
Run felt great, set into a nice pace. It’s a mileage decrease week, and the timing was perfect for how I was feeling. I skipped the second upper lift day and didn’t feel bad about it.

Sunday 12/14
Glute-Mass-tastic W7D1

Roger Squat
6, 6, 6 x m+170
SS
Standing Calf Raise
20, 20, 18 x135

RDL
8, 6, 6 x 195

SM BSS
10, 8, 8 x m+40

Leg Extension
18, 14 x 100

45 Hypers
15x30+4BW
15x30+2BW
12x30+4BW

+30 minutes LISS Spin Bike

Squeaked out a few more reps across the board. Didn’t go till failure on anything. I woke up still feeling sore, tired and under recovered. It’s getting better, but not back to being peppy yet.

I realize when I write my own programs I don’t program deloads. I keep thinking life will provide them, but my schedule is simply not that surprising currently.
That said, I’m going to run a few more weeks of my program, through the new year. Travel will make for some inconsistency and I am overdue for a few days off.
After the New Year, I’m thinking two cycles of 531 for Bodybuilding. I really liked that template. Happy blend of strength, hypertrophy and reigning in my “more is better” attitude. Going to run it with the standard 5x10 BBB sets for accessories. Should be plenty of volume for my bulk.

6 Likes
2189

Monday 12/15
Morning Interval Run
10:00 easy
4 x 4:00, 3:00 Rec
5:00 Cool Down

Most of this was hilly. Held a pretty dent pace on all of them, less than 8:00/mi. Happy with that.

Later:
Glute-Mass-tastic W7D2
Incline Bench Press
8, 7, 7, 6 x 95

Close Grip Lat Pulldown
10, 9, 8 x 105
SS
Incline Bicep Curls
13, 11 x 15

Seated Machine Row
10, 9, 8, 8 x 105

Cable Lateral Raise
15, 15, 13 x 7.5

Rear Delt Fly
14, 13, 12 x 13

Cable Crunches
3 x 15 x 80

Conditioning, 13 min AMRAP, add rep each round, 60lb BB
200m Row
4 Hang clean
4 Push Press
4 Front squat
Made it through rep 8 + Row (1200m total) in 13:31
Then: 10:00 easy spin bike

Finally added one rep on the bench, it moved! Everything else held steady.

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2190

Woohoo! :tada::tada:

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2191

Tuesday 12/16
Recovery Run

5 miles, 50:46
137 Ave HR

Such a nice morning. 45F, no wind. I don’t need to wear a hat, gloves, etc. just cold enough to keep my jacket on.
Run felt pretty good, surprised at the pace with the HR given how hilly my route was. I’ll take it.

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2192

I am definitely not that cool. There are probably some folks in here that wish I wouldn’t comment in their logs. Lol. Also, you know how to get a hold of me offline if you ever need or want to talk.

I LOVE this!! Your body also LOVES this!!

FACT: This is not “real” weight. You can’t gain a significant amount of weight in a couple days unless you’re trying really hard or eating like a complete @$$ hat. I promise. :heart:

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2193

I am that last word, but at least I don’t eat like one. Working on increasing carbs and not overshooting protein (more than 1g/lb bw). It’s actually hard. I’m so used to eating a ton of meat, it’s weird to stop at 3oz and fill the rest of the container with rice or potatoes.

I beg to differ.

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2194

Wednesday 12/17
Glute-Mass-tastic W7D3

Pendulum Squat
12, 12, 11, 11 x m+40

Leg curl
15, 15, 14, 12 x 70

Leg Press
13, 13, 11 x 225

Hip Thrust (machine)
13, 13, 12 x m+135

Hip Adductor
15, 12, 12 x 80

I got one more rep on pendulum, everything else was a fight to match last week.
Hubby wanted to skip cardio, and I was happy about that. I use that time for bonus cross training cardio. Which I really don’t need.

Trying a low dose of Melatonin to help with my sleep. One night so far. I don’t feel like it helped me stay asleep, I had a normal amount of wake ups. However, my sleep between wake ups was deeper. Also feeling less like I got hit by a truck today. All good things so far.

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2195

However, my sleep between wake ups was deeper.

This was my experience with many sleep interventions. Melatonin and magnesium had similar effects: sleep quantity remained the same, but sleep QUALITY improved significantly. Which, in itself, is a victory.

We tend to wake up as a result of cortisol elevating. It’s the “wake up hormone”, and it makes sense: cortisol elevates, wakes us up, compels us to go find something to eat, which drops the cortisol. In turn, one of the simplest interventions for night time wake ups is some sort of carbohydrate before sleep, as they tend to naturally depress cortisol. It’s also why folks on ketogenic diets can experience sleep issues.

Since you’ve commented on how you’ve elevated carbs in your diet, pre-sleep carbs might be a great avenue to include some more.

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2196

Any suggestions on quantity or timing? I feel like this is also a great @QuadQueen question.

I have some sort of treat about 90 minutes before bed. Yogurt/berries or mug cake made with oat flour, cocoa powder, etc. Lately the mug cake has been the go to, since it’s warm and gooey.

2197

I’m now operating PURELY in the world of theorycraft (because of my relationship with carbs), but @Brant_Drake pointed this out to be in the subject of weight gain, so here’s my thoughts.

A treat may be going in the opposite direction. The issue with a simple carbohydrate is that it creates a bigger blood sugar spike, which results in a crash, which THEN results in hunger. That, in itself, can cause us to wake up. I would imagine a slower digesting carb would be a better solution, which is to say a complex one, possible even paired with fat.

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2198

Just chiming in, since I was tagged.

I usually avoid eating a couple of hours before bed because I noticed a huge difference in sleep quality when I go to bed at 75% full, vs 101% full, even though falling asleep is easier with an insulin spike.

I was going to do a strongman competition earlier this year, but due to circumstances, I had to switch to home workouts with a limited schedule, but the coach did point out some interesting stuff about sleep and the glymphatic system that I hadn’t heard about before that I’ve been having luck with.

As far as supplements go, Elitepro is a mainstay for sleep quality, but I’ve never found a melatonin supplement that didn’t leave me groggy in the morning, and my main complaint is that I never feel tired after taking it. (RIP Z-12)

My current bedtime snack is Wonderful Honey Roasted pistachios (fun fact, pistachios contain melatonin, which my hippy brain thinks works better even in smaller quantities than a supplement since foods are magic at providing all sorts of complimentary substances that increase effectiveness), and a metabolic drive shake.

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2199

Thanks for chiming in!

I haven’t experienced this yet, but I am two days into taking it, so TBD. I’ll have to give Elitepro a try when my current supplement runs out.

Couldn’t agree more! I much prefer to have food than supplements.
Pistachios and an MD shake (specifically chocolate) sounds like a bodybuilder’s Dubai chocolate. So, amazing. Thanks for the idea!

2200

Thursday 12/19
Tempo Run

10:00 easy
3 miles @ tempo - 7:48/mi target
(7:50/mi actual)
5:00

When I looked at this day on my training plan I got nervous. 3 miles.. how fast?!? Not only did I nail the pace (counting it at 2 sec above, rounding error) but my Garmin let me know it was a 5k PR at 24:36. Hell. Yes. That is 1:30 off my last PR from only a month ago. I think I am back to times from high school XC days.

Posting will be intermittent for the next two weeks. Big road trip adventure on the docket for the holidays!

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2201

Melatonin doesn’t do anything for staying asleep. It tells your body to go asleep so is more a circadian rhythm shifter than a sleep supplement

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2202

Coming in late, per usual. I am team magnesium also on the best supplement for sleep. I use Mag Glycinate and I “think” it helps and honestly, that’s all that really matters. lol.

On the pre-bed food, I’d say 60-90 minutes prior is fine, but maybe experiment a little with that. I’d recommend a carb/protein/fat mix to prevent the blood sugar spike/crash. I love the mug cake, but maybe add some protein/fat to it. The yogurt/berries combo is good too. Do you notice that you sleep better after one of those more than the other? Also, I need your mug cake recipe…

I’d also like to throw a couple other things out there that might be messing with your sleep. There’s always the female hormone stuff. Do you notice certain times/weeks that it’s better or worse every month?

And… the touchy one… your training load - it’s pretty high with the lifting/running/WODs and at a certain point regardless of what time you’re working out, overall volume can really mess with sleep and sleep quality. Back in my glory days (running/biking, lifting, CF all at the same time), this was the #1 factor that when I backed off, REALLY improved both my ability to fall and stay asleep. It most certainly has to do with cortisol levels, and it may take some longer-term, permanent changes to training to see noticeable and lasting improvement. #sorrynotsorry

I just want to save you from making the same mistakes I did. Let me tell you, your body will tell you what you did wrong when you get older… lol

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2203

I found it helps too.

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