I want to add some GHRs into my program they seem good.
As far as sleep, and coming from someone who has the shittiest sleep sched in the world, I think a few things would help make it better, first being wake up at the same time each day. Try not to get anxious when you cant fall asleep. That is usually what keeps me up, not being able to sleep and then getting angry. If I feel like that I just wake up, read some magazines and try getting back to bed. I try my hardest to trick myself into caring as little as possible about sleep. Meaning if I can’t fall asleep I say to myself “fuck it, I really don’t care if I only get 3 hours of sleep tonight”…it makes me relax and not worry. Also telling yourself you can just nap the next day if you don’t sleep that well that night is also relaxing.
Finally I function pretty well on 5-6 hours of sleep although 7-8 would be optimal but I notice my attitude really helps…When I don’t sleep well I still try to push it during the next day, it has more of mental negatives than strength, I still feel strong on little sleep I just can get more cranky. I try to hop out of bed and start the day happy, sometimes doesn’t work, but doesn’t hurt to say to yourself each morning that you are going to be productive, kill it and be someone you’re going to be proud of that day, I have to remind myself what a privilege it is to be alive and well, I’m always thankful for that blessing…
Anyways this got long…but my point is try to avoid those sleeping pills at all cost…Few times I have used sleep meds I have gotten a good nights rest and felt groggy and sleepy the entire next day, even more so than if I got less sleep than usual without meds.
I want to add some GHRs into my program they seem good.
As far as sleep, and coming from someone who has the shittiest sleep sched in the world, I think a few things would help make it better, first being wake up at the same time each day. Try not to get anxious when you cant fall asleep. That is usually what keeps me up, not being able to sleep and then getting angry. If I feel like that I just wake up, read some magazines and try getting back to bed. I try my hardest to trick myself into caring as little as possible about sleep. Meaning if I can’t fall asleep I say to myself “fuck it, I really don’t care if I only get 3 hours of sleep tonight”…it makes me relax and not worry. Also telling yourself you can just nap the next day if you don’t sleep that well that night is also relaxing.
Finally I function pretty well on 5-6 hours of sleep although 7-8 would be optimal but I notice my attitude really helps…When I don’t sleep well I still try to push it during the next day, it has more of mental negatives than strength, I still feel strong on little sleep I just can get more cranky. I try to hop out of bed and start the day happy, sometimes doesn’t work, but doesn’t hurt to say to yourself each morning that you are going to be productive, kill it and be someone you’re going to be proud of that day, I have to remind myself what a privilege it is to be alive and well, I’m always thankful for that blessing…
Anyways this got long…but my point is try to avoid those sleeping pills at all cost…Few times I have used sleep meds I have gotten a good nights rest and felt groggy and sleepy the entire next day, even more so than if I got less sleep than usual without meds. [/quote]
Good post on the sleep. Agreed with all of it.
I get 5hrs most nights not by choice just because i dont sleep well. Relaxing is the key. I have litterally flipped out at times because i cant sleep but you know what that does makes it worse. SO now i just focusing on relaxing. I have many nights were i get 2-3hrs. I still can kill in the weight room. Sometimes it sucks getting my ass there but once their i get in the zone. Sleeping pills dont do shit. You dont even get to the most beneifical sleep cycles with them thats why you wont feel rested on them.
Z12 from here actualy dose work and i thnk is a good product. I just cant afford to take it anymore.
Winding down before trying to sleep. Read a book and relax. Blackout curtains/no light in your room. Use your room/bed only for sleeping and sex. If you wake up and cannot fall back asleep in 15min get up and read/relax but do not lay awake in bed it will start bad associations and can negatively affect sleep. These are some sleep hygeine things i have read about over the years of my insomnia
BigMac: Haha yeah, with arms as long as mine, a 400+ Sumo isn’t all that impressive. I’ll trade you for schmexy Bench Press?
Austin & Ryan: Thanks for the lengthy write-ups, guys. Amount of sleep isn’t a huge issue, as I can function fine on about 6-7 hours when it’s good sleep. The quality of my sleep is what’s the issue. The getting angry from waking up, just thinking, not going back to sleep, ect, is definitely an issue right now. So I guess I need just do what ya’ll suggest (and what I use to do but got away from for whatever reason), and just read something until I go back to sleep.
I really don’t want to do the sleeping pills, as there’s only one type I can even take. The doctor gave them to me years ago to help go to sleep, because I have strange reactions to most sleeping pills. ‘Regular’ stuff like Nyquil causes me to literally stay up for like 48 hrs straigh (totally serious, happened 3 times when I was younger) and other types make me sleep up to 12+ hours and cause me to wake up without me having full control of like motor skills. lol. SO even though the stuff I take now doesn’t do that, I’m still leery of it. lol I’ve just gotten so frustrated with the situation, because I know the lack of sleep is due to stress, but then the lack of sleep is making the stress worse, so it’s a never ending cycle.
I think this is 95% mental though, so I’m going to take ya’ll’s advice, and try to just nip this in the bud in the next few days without the meds. Thanks again, both of ya’ll have been great in talking some since into me. lol
Close to what others have said, but I’ve had similar sleeping problems too (getting angry/upset that I’m not sleeping, etc), and what helped me most was focusing on how nice and relaxing it is to just lay there. Stop thinking “damnit when am I gonna get to sleep” and force yourself to start thinking “this feels great, I could lie here forever, so relaxing after working all day” etc. Again, similar to what Austin and Ryan said, but slightly different mental process. Enjoy the rest you’re getting from lying in bed, instead of thinking about it as wasted time.
[quote]Gmoore17 wrote:
Close to what others have said, but I’ve had similar sleeping problems too (getting angry/upset that I’m not sleeping, etc), and what helped me most was focusing on how nice and relaxing it is to just lay there. Stop thinking “damnit when am I gonna get to sleep” and force yourself to start thinking “this feels great, I could lie here forever, so relaxing after working all day” etc. Again, similar to what Austin and Ryan said, but slightly different mental process. Enjoy the rest you’re getting from lying in bed, instead of thinking about it as wasted time.[/quote]
Wow, I’ve really never looked at it like that. I’m still getting rest even when I’m not sleeping. That’s a much better outlook then where I was at. lol
I’m glad I’m not the only guy that this happens too, and not the only one that gets pissed about it. lol. Plus, the progress all ya’ll make while dealing with it, shows me I shouldn’t allow this to really hinder my gains.
Yea I feel the same way man about it being 95% mental, I know it is for me…
It won’t be fixed overnight, but it feels good reassuring yourself the current situation isn’t forever and like with all good things, it’ll take some time to fix it.
Speed Bench: Pretty solid. First set paused with explosive eccentric, second set touch and go for speed.
130x2x10
Pec Deck: Felt great
100x10
115x10
130x20
OH Pin Press: Idk why, I just wanted to try big boy plates today. I think I’m just tired of being small and weak. And yes my strain face doubles as my sex face.
95x5
115x5
135x2
125x3.5
Dips: Once again, just wanted to try the 45’s. This turned out better. Causes a little bit of collar bone pain if I go to low, though.
BWx5
+25x5
+45x5
BWx11
Shrugs: some x thing x another
So workout was good. I probably should have not pushed it with the Pin Presses, but oh well. I saw my ex/future/something GF yesterday, who I haven’t seen in a few months. She was def mirin’ a good deal. lol. So I know I’m doing something right. Any who, I’m really working hard to get to that 315/405/495 strength level right now, because I wasted so much time not concentrating on building that base. I just wish it would happen faster. lol
[quote]ryanbCXG wrote:
Use your room/bed only for sleeping and SEX.
[/quote]
Yeah!!! x10.
Also like GMoore said, enjoy your rest, think of happy and pretty things. Also incoorperate belly breathing as you rest in your bed. That is breathe by using your lower abdominal muscles; do this by raising your lower abdominals(breathe in), and then relax the muscles(breathe out).
[quote]ryanbCXG wrote:
Use your room/bed only for sleeping and SEX.
[/quote]
Yeah!!! x10.
Also like GMoore said, enjoy your rest, think of happy and pretty things. Also incoorperate belly breathing as you rest in your bed. That is breathe by using your lower abdominal muscles; do this by raising your lower abdominals(breathe in), and then relax the muscles(breathe out).
Bird-style.
tweet[/quote]
Yeah man, I’ve been doing stuff like that. Sleep has actually been really great lately!
Worked out a tad bit earlier today. Started Coan routine for Squats
Coan Squats/Legs
Back Squats: Felt good. Really concentrating on keeping knees out. These were A LOT easier then the Widowmaker last week. First set beltless. Second set filmed.
225x2x10
Paused Front Squats: These were tough, felt good though
135x5
155x5
175x6
Bulgarian Split Squat: Form was better this week, and increase in reps
95x5
115x5
135x15
Speed Deadlifts: Fast
275x5x2
Good workout. Felt strong. Quads and glutes are going to ache tmrw. Still not eating carbs until later in the day though.
Bird: Thanks buddy. Yeah, BSS use to be the only exercise I could do for legs when all I had was a crappy bench and weights at home. I stopped doing them because they made my ass huge, but I think the carryover they will have to Back Squat is worth it. lol
Maazer: Glad you stopped by. I appreciate the lurking, but I’d set my sights MUCH higher then me. I bullshitted for most of my training career, so hopefully you can learn from my mistakes. lol
Meadows Rows: Wow, I really don’t know what it is, but this is the ONLY movement that whether I use strict form, or get a little loose, that I feel my ENTIRE lat contract. I’m talking from under the armpit, all the way down to my lower back. If you haven’t given these a shot, you’re missing out
90x8
115x8
135x8
160x8 ← little jerking, but really controlled eccentric = rape
Pulldowns: Felt ok. Reps weren’t smooth, but got my lats pumped
85x10
100x10 <–Facing away
140x10
160x14
Cable Rows: Leaned back, and let these pull my shoulders forward on each rep
110x10
130x10
150x12
Stretchers: John Meadows is a BB’ing God
120x12
140x12
Nautilus Pullover: Idk, lost a lot of reps on this for some reason. Maybe just a fluke, or tired. mehh
140x8
155x8
Decided to do my regular Bicep movements, but JM’s Crazy 8 style. So did all 3 in circuit fashion, with 60 sec rest between ‘rounds’.
VICIOUS pump from the arm circuit. Didn’t lose much strength on the movements, and it definitely hit my biceps harder. Will probably do this for Triceps as well. I got the idea from STB, who says long arms need to be bigger for a bigger bench, and uses little circuits and supersets for extra arm growth. I think Meat does as well. So if awesome PL’ers do it, and BB’ers do it, must be a good idea.
Rear Delt Flyes: Ohh lord, these are killing me
25’sx35,22,15
40’sx(swings)x15
Laterals: No real rest with these, Bug Victory for lightest set
25’sx12
15’sx12
10’sx12
40’sx13
Great workout. Coan Bench routine does a great job waving the intensity. Hope it helps my Squats as well. Took a video of my crappy posing. Literally want to fast for 12 days when I see my lower back. lol. Will post video. Also, for some reason, legs look small in video, probably due to the angle. But you can look at other pics to see that, if anything, they dominate my upper body. lol
Here’s the video. Sorry I still suck at posing. This was post-workout, so sadly I’m a little pumped and still look small. Honestly though, I’d say my physique looks mildly athletic if not for my crappy love handles. Continue to consider RFL even though I’m probably too weak and small to do anything but make it worse lol