Warmup
Squat -
45x5
95x5
135x3
185x3
225x1x3
275x1x6
315x1
225x1
Bench -
45x5x2
95x3
135x1x3
155x1x6
175x1
Deadlift -
135x5x2
185x5
225x3
275x1x3
315x1x3
365x1
I planned to do less than this, but singles don't tax me that much. I wasn't totally satisfied with my technique on the top reps, but I should be fine come Sunday.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
2014-05-27 Depletion
Warmup
Squat -
45x10x2
95x10
135x10x10
Bench -
45x5x3
95x10x5
Then various long sets on the pec deck, hammer row, some bicep curls, and some 45-degree back raises.
Next time I don't think I'll do this.
Squat -
45x10x2
95x10
135x10x10
Bench -
45x5x3
95x10x5
Then various long sets on the pec deck, hammer row, some bicep curls, and some 45-degree back raises.
Next time I don't think I'll do this.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
2014-05-26 Everything Deload
Warmup
Squat -
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x3x3
I didn't feel too good on these until the final set.
Bat Wings (7.5x5x5sec)
Bench -
45x5x3
95x5x2
135x3x3
I did feel a bit better on these.
Deadlift -
135x5x3
185x5
225x5
275x3x3
These felt heavier than they should have.
Lat rolling
Armbar and Armbar Press
HS Plank
Farmer Carry
Shoulder Tap
Bat Wings
Did the above for about half the usual reps or sets.
Squat -
45x5
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x3x3
I didn't feel too good on these until the final set.
Bat Wings (7.5x5x5sec)
Bench -
45x5x3
95x5x2
135x3x3
I did feel a bit better on these.
Deadlift -
135x5x3
185x5
225x5
275x3x3
These felt heavier than they should have.
Lat rolling
Armbar and Armbar Press
HS Plank
Farmer Carry
Shoulder Tap
Bat Wings
Did the above for about half the usual reps or sets.
Monday, May 26, 2014
2014-05-25 Squat Opener
Warmup
Squat -
45x5
85x5
125x5
165x5
205x3
245x3
275x3 (Belted here on out)
305x1
335x1
365x1
As with the bench, I didn't feel "with it" this time.
Press -
135x1
Armbar - 10lbs, 10 rotations each side, 2 presses
Hardstyle Plank - 2 set of 5x10 on, 5 off
Farmer Carry - 35s, 4 double-lengths of the annex
Shoulder Tap - some # for two sets
Squat -
45x5
85x5
125x5
165x5
205x3
245x3
275x3 (Belted here on out)
305x1
335x1
365x1
As with the bench, I didn't feel "with it" this time.
Press -
135x1
Armbar - 10lbs, 10 rotations each side, 2 presses
Hardstyle Plank - 2 set of 5x10 on, 5 off
Farmer Carry - 35s, 4 double-lengths of the annex
Shoulder Tap - some # for two sets
2014-05-24 Bench Opener
Warmup, including bat wings
Bench -
45x5
60x5
75x5
90x5
105x5
120x5
135x3
150x3
165x1
180x1
195x1
I wasn't thrilled with the technique here; things felt shaky and out of place. I suspect that a full day at Six Flags had something to do with this, though.
Bench -
45x5
60x5
75x5
90x5
105x5
120x5
135x3
150x3
165x1
180x1
195x1
I wasn't thrilled with the technique here; things felt shaky and out of place. I suspect that a full day at Six Flags had something to do with this, though.
Friday, May 23, 2014
2014-05-22 Deadlift Opener
Warmup
Deadlift -
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
255x3
285x3 (belted from here on out)
315x3
345x1
370x1
395x1
415x1
225x1x5
Video on the way via Josh.
415 felt slow, but I wasn't as mentally "there" as I have been previously, and it looked like a decent choice of opener.
Clean -
225x0
185x1
225x0x2
135x1
Squat -
135x1x5
Actually did a couple of doubles but whatever.
Bench -
45x5x3
Deadlift -
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
255x3
285x3 (belted from here on out)
315x3
345x1
370x1
395x1
415x1
225x1x5
Video on the way via Josh.
415 felt slow, but I wasn't as mentally "there" as I have been previously, and it looked like a decent choice of opener.
Clean -
225x0
185x1
225x0x2
135x1
Squat -
135x1x5
Actually did a couple of doubles but whatever.
Bench -
45x5x3
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Useful Tate Tidbits
For accessory movements:
1) Think of them as building the muscle; feel them there, don't worry about weight, slow the tempo, pick exercises you FEEL in the muscle, etc.
2) Failure with these is when you finish a rep and think "Hmmm...miiight not get the next one."
3) Get a vicious pump every single time
1) Think of them as building the muscle; feel them there, don't worry about weight, slow the tempo, pick exercises you FEEL in the muscle, etc.
2) Failure with these is when you finish a rep and think "Hmmm...miiight not get the next one."
3) Get a vicious pump every single time
More rehab stuff
Wall Walks - Walking hands up and down the wall with a band around forearms. Keep elbows in.
Arm Bars - Lie on side, bottom arm overhead as a pillow, bottom leg extended, front leg extended at 90. Hold KB overhead with straight arm and rotate hand. Bring down so elbow touches rib. Make sure lat engages.
Bodyblade - Various angles
I'll be integrating most of these into my program as prehab because I really, really need to keep the right shoulder healthy. Brian also suggested icing it after every workout.
Arm Bars - Lie on side, bottom arm overhead as a pillow, bottom leg extended, front leg extended at 90. Hold KB overhead with straight arm and rotate hand. Bring down so elbow touches rib. Make sure lat engages.
Bodyblade - Various angles
I'll be integrating most of these into my program as prehab because I really, really need to keep the right shoulder healthy. Brian also suggested icing it after every workout.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
2014-05-20 Bench (Slingshot)
Warmup
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
145x5
165x5
Slingshot -
185x5
205x5
215x5
225x3, 4 (5F)
235x3
245xNegative, 1
255xF
Didn't attempt the negative; shoulder fell out of place.
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
145x5
165x5
Slingshot -
185x5
205x5
215x5
225x3, 4 (5F)
235x3
245xNegative, 1
255xF
Didn't attempt the negative; shoulder fell out of place.
Post-Meet Program Plan
General thoughts -
1) I need to get a lot better at push-ups
http://hundredpushups.com/test.html
Using something like this, presumably.
2) Front Squats and Snatch-Grip Deads
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../the_snatch_grip_deadlift
3) Possibly/probably add intervals back in
Reading online suggests that Front Squat and Snatch-Grip Dead both tend to come in around 80% of the conventional versions.
To help keep my focus on life rather than lifting, I'm going to drop back to 3 days per week and do this initial run in the traditional abbreviated style.
So, on the Day A / Day B schedule, I'm guessing I'll have:
A:
Front Squat 5x3
Push-Ups (until 50 good reps)
Chin-Ups
Abs
Prehab - and this time I'll spell out an actual set for it
B:
Snatch-Grip Dead 5x3
Push-Ups (until 50 good reps)
Chin-Ups
Abs
Prehab (as above)
1) I need to get a lot better at push-ups
http://hundredpushups.com/test.html
Using something like this, presumably.
2) Front Squats and Snatch-Grip Deads
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most.../the_snatch_grip_deadlift
3) Possibly/probably add intervals back in
Reading online suggests that Front Squat and Snatch-Grip Dead both tend to come in around 80% of the conventional versions.
To help keep my focus on life rather than lifting, I'm going to drop back to 3 days per week and do this initial run in the traditional abbreviated style.
So, on the Day A / Day B schedule, I'm guessing I'll have:
A:
Front Squat 5x3
Push-Ups (until 50 good reps)
Chin-Ups
Abs
Prehab - and this time I'll spell out an actual set for it
B:
Snatch-Grip Dead 5x3
Push-Ups (until 50 good reps)
Chin-Ups
Abs
Prehab (as above)
Lamb Four Ways
Background -
Last week, I got a little freer with my spending and decided to buy a rack of lamb. Since I wanted to cook it for fun rather than nutrition or a party, I decided that one preparation wasn't sufficiently haute and that I wanted to do it at least 3 ways. I eventually upped that to four after some consideration.
The four I went with were English (for mint), Italian (Heston), Egyptian (Nomnompaleo), and Chinese. I decided against trying an Indian variant.
For the recipes I went with:
http://www.marthastewart.com/316902/roast-rack-of-lamb-with-mint
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Rack-of-Lamb-with-Hoisin-Orange-Glaze-and-Red-Onions-233711
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/recipes/appetizers/dukkah-egyptian-spice-mix-recipe/
And then the recipe I used at the final party of last year.
I decided against the Food Wishes minted lamb approach because it seemed too Italian. The Martha Stewart one basically sucked, though, so next time I'll probably either do the Food Wishes one or use Heston's with mint sauce and do a more traditional parmesan crust for the Italian.
I made the Dukka myself, but think I oversalted it, didn't get the power fine enough, and should have pan-toasted the nuts instead of/in addition to getting them pre-roasted. The aroma was very nice, but I layered it too thick. The crust texture mixed really badly with that of the meat, and I found it generally unpleasant.
Heston's worked like a charm again, and the Chinese one was amazing - I'm going to try that glaze as a barbecue sauce on pork ribs in the next few days.
I wanted to serve condiments for each one, going regionally. I went with minted mashed potato/pomme puree for English, Heston's tapenade for Italian, sweated red onions in the hoisin glaze for Chinese, and moussaka for the Egyptian. I'm not going to do that again; the dish is heavy enough as-is so I'd rather do a big central main side (probably the potatoes) and then sauce the others. The hoisin onions worked very well as a "sauce" (I pureed them with the hand blender), but I'm never bothering with the tapenade again. The moussaka didn't really work with the lamb (or couldn't save it from the terrible duqqa crust - though I remember forgetting to add the thyme) and the mashed potatoes didn't really add anything to the plate for the English one.
But, for this iteration:
For the Hoisin Glaze -
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
3/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder or ground aniseed
Whisk ingredients together in a bowl.
For the Dukka Crust -
30 grams (1 ounce, 1/4 cup) hazelnuts
30 grams (1 ounce, 1/4 cup) shelled pistachios (unsalted)
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper berries
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Toast the nuts in a pan; remove, then toast the seeds for 2 minutes. Add the salt and thyme, then grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to combine; you may need to work in two batches.
For the Mint Crust -
1 medium shallot, peeled, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves, (no stems)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add all ingredients to bowl of food processor; pulse until mixed.
For the Herb Crust -
2tbsp finely-minced rosemary
1tbsp finely-minced thyme
Olive Oil
Mix the herbs together with the olive oil.
For the Lamb -
1 Rack of Lamb, Frenched
Hoisin Orange Glaze
Dukka Crust
Mint Crust
Herb Crust
Cut the lamb into four portions of two ribs each; try to keep sizes equal. Crosshatch the fat on top and coat all sides generously with kosher salt. Refrigerate overnight, uncovered, on a wire rack.
Apply one crust to each segment, coating on all sides. Refrigerate another night to marinade, still uncovered.
Preheat oven to 150F convection roast. Cook the lamb elevated on a wire rack for 4-6 hours or until internal temperature reaches 130F. Remove from oven and raise temperature to max; prepare sides. Once oven has been at temperature for 30 minutes, return the lamb for 5-10 minutes to crisp.
Cut each pair of ribs apart, and spread on plate in a pinwheel. Serve sides between both ribs and to one side of each "section" (so Egyptian Rib - Moussaka - Egyptian Rib - Moussaka - English Rib - Potato - English Rib - Potato - Chinese Rib - Onions - Chinese Rib - Onions - Italian Rib - Tapenade - Italian Rib - Tapenade).
Change Ideas:
- Do the sides as sauces rather than sides. The onions worked really well with the Chinese one. Use a mint sauce for Heston's and call it English. Do a more traditional Italian one. Work out an Egyptian sauce to serve.
- Do them sous vide with the "crusts" as marinades, then sear and pack the crusts on afterwards. This also lends itself to pre-searing if we want to try the mutton flavor.
- Alternative plating idea - split them apart and do as }{ rather than {{.
- Presentation would also look better with more wasteful butchery - trim them down along the axis of the loin so they're all the same size.
- The Chinese one would work really well for a party - it's not much effort, it's delicious, and you could just carve up a ton of the racks and serve in circles around bowls of the onions.
I won't give the potato, tapenade, and moussaka recipes, but the onions were easy - just roughly dice red onion, sweat down in some olive oil, mix with some of the glaze and cook together for a few minutes, then remove to a pitcher and liquefy with a hand blender.
Last week, I got a little freer with my spending and decided to buy a rack of lamb. Since I wanted to cook it for fun rather than nutrition or a party, I decided that one preparation wasn't sufficiently haute and that I wanted to do it at least 3 ways. I eventually upped that to four after some consideration.
The four I went with were English (for mint), Italian (Heston), Egyptian (Nomnompaleo), and Chinese. I decided against trying an Indian variant.
For the recipes I went with:
http://www.marthastewart.com/316902/roast-rack-of-lamb-with-mint
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Rack-of-Lamb-with-Hoisin-Orange-Glaze-and-Red-Onions-233711
http://chocolateandzucchini.com/recipes/appetizers/dukkah-egyptian-spice-mix-recipe/
And then the recipe I used at the final party of last year.
I decided against the Food Wishes minted lamb approach because it seemed too Italian. The Martha Stewart one basically sucked, though, so next time I'll probably either do the Food Wishes one or use Heston's with mint sauce and do a more traditional parmesan crust for the Italian.
I made the Dukka myself, but think I oversalted it, didn't get the power fine enough, and should have pan-toasted the nuts instead of/in addition to getting them pre-roasted. The aroma was very nice, but I layered it too thick. The crust texture mixed really badly with that of the meat, and I found it generally unpleasant.
Heston's worked like a charm again, and the Chinese one was amazing - I'm going to try that glaze as a barbecue sauce on pork ribs in the next few days.
I wanted to serve condiments for each one, going regionally. I went with minted mashed potato/pomme puree for English, Heston's tapenade for Italian, sweated red onions in the hoisin glaze for Chinese, and moussaka for the Egyptian. I'm not going to do that again; the dish is heavy enough as-is so I'd rather do a big central main side (probably the potatoes) and then sauce the others. The hoisin onions worked very well as a "sauce" (I pureed them with the hand blender), but I'm never bothering with the tapenade again. The moussaka didn't really work with the lamb (or couldn't save it from the terrible duqqa crust - though I remember forgetting to add the thyme) and the mashed potatoes didn't really add anything to the plate for the English one.
But, for this iteration:
For the Hoisin Glaze -
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
3/4 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder or ground aniseed
Whisk ingredients together in a bowl.
For the Dukka Crust -
30 grams (1 ounce, 1/4 cup) hazelnuts
30 grams (1 ounce, 1/4 cup) shelled pistachios (unsalted)
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper berries
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
Toast the nuts in a pan; remove, then toast the seeds for 2 minutes. Add the salt and thyme, then grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to combine; you may need to work in two batches.
For the Mint Crust -
1 medium shallot, peeled, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves, (no stems)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Add all ingredients to bowl of food processor; pulse until mixed.
For the Herb Crust -
2tbsp finely-minced rosemary
1tbsp finely-minced thyme
Olive Oil
Mix the herbs together with the olive oil.
For the Lamb -
1 Rack of Lamb, Frenched
Hoisin Orange Glaze
Dukka Crust
Mint Crust
Herb Crust
Cut the lamb into four portions of two ribs each; try to keep sizes equal. Crosshatch the fat on top and coat all sides generously with kosher salt. Refrigerate overnight, uncovered, on a wire rack.
Apply one crust to each segment, coating on all sides. Refrigerate another night to marinade, still uncovered.
Preheat oven to 150F convection roast. Cook the lamb elevated on a wire rack for 4-6 hours or until internal temperature reaches 130F. Remove from oven and raise temperature to max; prepare sides. Once oven has been at temperature for 30 minutes, return the lamb for 5-10 minutes to crisp.
Cut each pair of ribs apart, and spread on plate in a pinwheel. Serve sides between both ribs and to one side of each "section" (so Egyptian Rib - Moussaka - Egyptian Rib - Moussaka - English Rib - Potato - English Rib - Potato - Chinese Rib - Onions - Chinese Rib - Onions - Italian Rib - Tapenade - Italian Rib - Tapenade).
Change Ideas:
- Do the sides as sauces rather than sides. The onions worked really well with the Chinese one. Use a mint sauce for Heston's and call it English. Do a more traditional Italian one. Work out an Egyptian sauce to serve.
- Do them sous vide with the "crusts" as marinades, then sear and pack the crusts on afterwards. This also lends itself to pre-searing if we want to try the mutton flavor.
- Alternative plating idea - split them apart and do as }{ rather than {{.
- Presentation would also look better with more wasteful butchery - trim them down along the axis of the loin so they're all the same size.
- The Chinese one would work really well for a party - it's not much effort, it's delicious, and you could just carve up a ton of the racks and serve in circles around bowls of the onions.
I won't give the potato, tapenade, and moussaka recipes, but the onions were easy - just roughly dice red onion, sweat down in some olive oil, mix with some of the glaze and cook together for a few minutes, then remove to a pitcher and liquefy with a hand blender.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
2014-05-17 Squat
Last heavy lower body workout before competition.
Warmup
Squat -
45x5
85x5
125x5
170x5
215x5
260x5 (added belt)
305x3
440 Walkout
350x5
450 Walkout
350x4
460 Walkout
350x1 (2F) (No Belt)
Took my shirt off for the last one and went without the belt. That didn't work out so well.
My back was shot enough from doing this that I've decided not to do a heavy dead session in the next few days; I'll pull my opener a little earlier and space things out.
Warmup
Squat -
45x5
85x5
125x5
170x5
215x5
260x5 (added belt)
305x3
440 Walkout
350x5
450 Walkout
350x4
460 Walkout
350x1 (2F) (No Belt)
Took my shirt off for the last one and went without the belt. That didn't work out so well.
My back was shot enough from doing this that I've decided not to do a heavy dead session in the next few days; I'll pull my opener a little earlier and space things out.
Friday, May 16, 2014
2014-05-15 Deadlift and Bench
Warmup
Deadlift -
135x5
170x5
205x5
240x5
275x5
315x5
355x4
397.5x4, 3x2
Second set with a fabric belt, third with the lever belt.
The last few days have been stressful, and the caffeine/ephedrine stack had worn off hours before I got in because I was waiting on Rich for the microplates and Henry for the belt.
Bench -
45x5
95x5
135x5
160x3
Add Reactive Slingshot
185x5
205x3
225x3x2
Might have had 5 in me on the first 225 set, but cut at 3. Second time did not have 5 in me.
Deadlift -
135x5
170x5
205x5
240x5
275x5
315x5
355x4
397.5x4, 3x2
Second set with a fabric belt, third with the lever belt.
The last few days have been stressful, and the caffeine/ephedrine stack had worn off hours before I got in because I was waiting on Rich for the microplates and Henry for the belt.
Bench -
45x5
95x5
135x5
160x3
Add Reactive Slingshot
185x5
205x3
225x3x2
Might have had 5 in me on the first 225 set, but cut at 3. Second time did not have 5 in me.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Further Diet
Stuff I found:
1) Prime sirloin is still at Costco, is cheaper than the strip, and runs lower in fat. Score.
2) Halibut is expensive but thick. I'll find the taste in about an hour.
3) I'm going to try a brief experiment in trying nothing but protein and calorie goals. If I keep dropping weight, I'll stick with that...life's meant to be enjoyed.
4) Also, Costco's pork tenderloins are still pretty nutritionally nice and I should be able to do them thick enough to make everything work. I'm satisfied with that idea.
1) Prime sirloin is still at Costco, is cheaper than the strip, and runs lower in fat. Score.
2) Halibut is expensive but thick. I'll find the taste in about an hour.
3) I'm going to try a brief experiment in trying nothing but protein and calorie goals. If I keep dropping weight, I'll stick with that...life's meant to be enjoyed.
4) Also, Costco's pork tenderloins are still pretty nutritionally nice and I should be able to do them thick enough to make everything work. I'm satisfied with that idea.
Some Notes from PT
Taping:
Rotator Cuff: Cut tape into a Y (go 2/3 of the length). The gap should start right at the base of the deltoid. No tension on the attachment; then reach back to stretch the front side, wrap one arm of the Y around the front of the deltoid. Then reach forward to stretch the back, wrap around the back of the delt. Tension should be about 50-60%.
Bicep Tendon Support: No cutting. Attach at no tension along the bicep; when you get close to the origin, stretch to about 50% tension and attach at the acromion.
"Reminder" for shoulder position - attach along the the shoulder joint. When you get to the acromion, draw to full tension and wrap back around to the tip of the scapula.
Rotator Cuff: Cut tape into a Y (go 2/3 of the length). The gap should start right at the base of the deltoid. No tension on the attachment; then reach back to stretch the front side, wrap one arm of the Y around the front of the deltoid. Then reach forward to stretch the back, wrap around the back of the delt. Tension should be about 50-60%.
Bicep Tendon Support: No cutting. Attach at no tension along the bicep; when you get close to the origin, stretch to about 50% tension and attach at the acromion.
"Reminder" for shoulder position - attach along the the shoulder joint. When you get to the acromion, draw to full tension and wrap back around to the tip of the scapula.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
2014-05-12 Slingshot Bench
Warmup
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
145x5
165x3
165x5 RSS
185x2
185x5 RSS
295x5 RSS
215x5 RSS
225x2 (3F) RSS
235x1 RSS
235x2 RSS
245F RSS
205x5, 5, 4 (5F) RSS
185x7+2(3F)+1
This shit is interesting. I can feel my shoulders pulling forward and trying to bring me out of position; lends a lot to the idea that my upper back strength is part of what's holding me back. The failure mode also supports the idea that my triceps are part of the issue.
Teaching Josh to give liftoffs.
Comp Squat -
45x10x3
Deadlift -
135x10x3
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
145x5
165x3
165x5 RSS
185x2
185x5 RSS
295x5 RSS
215x5 RSS
225x2 (3F) RSS
235x1 RSS
235x2 RSS
245F RSS
205x5, 5, 4 (5F) RSS
185x7+2(3F)+1
This shit is interesting. I can feel my shoulders pulling forward and trying to bring me out of position; lends a lot to the idea that my upper back strength is part of what's holding me back. The failure mode also supports the idea that my triceps are part of the issue.
Teaching Josh to give liftoffs.
Comp Squat -
45x10x3
Deadlift -
135x10x3
Monday, May 12, 2014
2014-05-11 Squat
Warmup
Competition Squat -
45x5
85x5
125x5
165x5
210x5
255x5 Add belt
300x3
425 Walkout
345x5
445 Walkout
345x5
465 Walkout
345x5
I wasn't fully "there" for these; I haven't slept well for the last few days, and work was pretty active today. I'll get a front angle so I can track knee position next time.
I have to wear Henry's belt (10mm) fairly low to avoid digging into my ribs. I tried the RSF's velcro belt for a few of these but didn't like the difficulty of adjusting it etc..
Chin-Up -
6, 5, 5, 4
I'm going to keep these strict to support shoulder health. The numbers drop dramatically.
Bench -
45x10, 5x2
95x5
Dead -
135x10x3
Pistol -
5 each
Doing the left (the one on which I have worse balance) seems to set off the tightness in the right.
Quad Roll w/ Rumble
Super Couch, medium band
XBand Squat, 5 5-second holds with Mini+Micro (both doubled). I may get a hip circle or something.
Quad Roll, Ham Roll, Adductor Roll w/ rumble and regular
Hamstring and Adductor stretches
Lat roll with rumble
Posterior smash with gemini
Hard Plank 3x20ct
Power Pull 10 each side
Farmers Walk, 3x3 lengths of the annex with 25s
Bat Wing 10 reps with 10s, 5 second hold
Upper back rolling with rumble
Competition Squat -
45x5
85x5
125x5
165x5
210x5
255x5 Add belt
300x3
425 Walkout
345x5
445 Walkout
345x5
465 Walkout
345x5
I wasn't fully "there" for these; I haven't slept well for the last few days, and work was pretty active today. I'll get a front angle so I can track knee position next time.
I have to wear Henry's belt (10mm) fairly low to avoid digging into my ribs. I tried the RSF's velcro belt for a few of these but didn't like the difficulty of adjusting it etc..
Chin-Up -
6, 5, 5, 4
I'm going to keep these strict to support shoulder health. The numbers drop dramatically.
Bench -
45x10, 5x2
95x5
Dead -
135x10x3
Pistol -
5 each
Doing the left (the one on which I have worse balance) seems to set off the tightness in the right.
Quad Roll w/ Rumble
Super Couch, medium band
XBand Squat, 5 5-second holds with Mini+Micro (both doubled). I may get a hip circle or something.
Quad Roll, Ham Roll, Adductor Roll w/ rumble and regular
Hamstring and Adductor stretches
Lat roll with rumble
Posterior smash with gemini
Hard Plank 3x20ct
Power Pull 10 each side
Farmers Walk, 3x3 lengths of the annex with 25s
Bat Wing 10 reps with 10s, 5 second hold
Upper back rolling with rumble
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Possible Dietary Changes
I'm considering switching off to more of a carb cycling-type approach, albeit handling things more on the context of the meals than any focus on high/med/low-type days. I'm also thinking of shifting some of the carbs over to breakfast via either cranberries/cherries (fresh or dried) or some form of starch (wheat berries?).
Carbs on waking just boils down to some nutrient timing stuff for preserving lean mass, and I don't know how much I really care about it. I'm interested in the carb cycling aspect for two reasons:
- Eating carbs today felt like something of a waste since I'm not exercising
- It gives me a couple of higher-fat days on which I can branch out without really interfering with existing meals (primarily thinking of eggs, salmon, and lamb here).
The big thing is mostly just that I miss eggs, to be honest. There's no way for me to integrate something that high in fat per unit protein without throwing out an entire salad, and I'm hesitant to discard one of the generically healthy parts of my day. Dramatically lowering carbs for an entire day opens up an entire meal to do that, with some bonus maneuvering on carbs, hormonal benefits, and extra protein.
I'll think about this more tomorrow. The overall IIFYM theme of my approach gives me some maneuvering on breakfast regardless (one run of eggs benedict is basically equivalent to the steak salad as-is), so working out recipes to fit with things and getting a little more flexible sooner rather than later has some merit.
Carbs on waking just boils down to some nutrient timing stuff for preserving lean mass, and I don't know how much I really care about it. I'm interested in the carb cycling aspect for two reasons:
- Eating carbs today felt like something of a waste since I'm not exercising
- It gives me a couple of higher-fat days on which I can branch out without really interfering with existing meals (primarily thinking of eggs, salmon, and lamb here).
The big thing is mostly just that I miss eggs, to be honest. There's no way for me to integrate something that high in fat per unit protein without throwing out an entire salad, and I'm hesitant to discard one of the generically healthy parts of my day. Dramatically lowering carbs for an entire day opens up an entire meal to do that, with some bonus maneuvering on carbs, hormonal benefits, and extra protein.
I'll think about this more tomorrow. The overall IIFYM theme of my approach gives me some maneuvering on breakfast regardless (one run of eggs benedict is basically equivalent to the steak salad as-is), so working out recipes to fit with things and getting a little more flexible sooner rather than later has some merit.
Friday, May 9, 2014
2014-05-09 Bench
Warmup
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
150x5
175x3
200x2 (3F)
200x1 pinkies
205x1
Fuck this.
Floor Press -
45x5
60x5
75x5
90x5
105x5
120x5
135x5
150x5
155x5x2
Still feeling heavy.
Close Grip -
45x10
75x10
105x5
135x5x3
I have a strong feeling that part of the issue is benching the day after deads. Beyond that, I also just have a really hard time getting emotionally invested in benching for 5s like this.
I was in a really bad mood for this and wound up doing a 315 squat single basically just to spite the guy "whoof"ing on 225 half-squats next to where I was CG benching. I think it's time for me to get out and be more social.
Slingshot's shipped, so integration's going to happen there.
What I notice thinking back is that I'm generally more excited for pressing movements if I'm working up to single sets and rep PRs. I'll see if that also pans out on the floor press, since I'm switching to that as my main movement. I may put Incline in as my strict press alternate and get rid of the push pressing (for now) and use the slingshot as a secondary exercise for building up some high-intensity volume. I haven't decided, but I do know that I need a plan now if I'm going to keep benching.
Incidentally, going into the meet I'll just be using the slingshot as a major exercise since I need more experience with heavy weights and see no other good way to get it. Rep PRs.
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
150x5
175x3
200x2 (3F)
200x1 pinkies
205x1
Fuck this.
Floor Press -
45x5
60x5
75x5
90x5
105x5
120x5
135x5
150x5
155x5x2
Still feeling heavy.
Close Grip -
45x10
75x10
105x5
135x5x3
I have a strong feeling that part of the issue is benching the day after deads. Beyond that, I also just have a really hard time getting emotionally invested in benching for 5s like this.
I was in a really bad mood for this and wound up doing a 315 squat single basically just to spite the guy "whoof"ing on 225 half-squats next to where I was CG benching. I think it's time for me to get out and be more social.
Slingshot's shipped, so integration's going to happen there.
What I notice thinking back is that I'm generally more excited for pressing movements if I'm working up to single sets and rep PRs. I'll see if that also pans out on the floor press, since I'm switching to that as my main movement. I may put Incline in as my strict press alternate and get rid of the push pressing (for now) and use the slingshot as a secondary exercise for building up some high-intensity volume. I haven't decided, but I do know that I need a plan now if I'm going to keep benching.
Incidentally, going into the meet I'll just be using the slingshot as a major exercise since I need more experience with heavy weights and see no other good way to get it. Rep PRs.
Diet Bits
I've switched off the beef; now it's 130g of Strip (Costco discontinued the sirloin), and it'll change to 130g of something cheaper once I've run out of that. Chicken's down to 130g as well. I've got the pork portioned out, and I'm set on fish for the time being but will probably switch to one that I can dole out in larger pieces.
Since I might still be losing weight at 2200kcal/day, I've upped the rice to 140g for dinner. That may have helped with deads yesterday (where I ran it as 130 for dinner and 50 for supper), and I'm interested to see what happens over the next few days. If I'm walking around at 160 when I start my cut I should be totally golden.
Since I might still be losing weight at 2200kcal/day, I've upped the rice to 140g for dinner. That may have helped with deads yesterday (where I ran it as 130 for dinner and 50 for supper), and I'm interested to see what happens over the next few days. If I'm walking around at 160 when I start my cut I should be totally golden.
2014-05-08 Deadlift
Warmup
Deadlift -
135x5
170x5
205x5
240x5
275x5 (added belt)
310x5
350x3
390x5x3
I did these with shorter rests than usual; I just felt ready sooner. I'll give 397.5 a whirl with no belt for the first set to see if I've just been recovering better, but I have a strong feeling that belting up contributed to how well I did here. Ejay took a video for set 3, and it honestly didn't look like anything maximal.
From this I'm confident that I'll hit 405x5x3 in two weeks (hence an extra 2.5lbs next time) and have a good shot at 500 come June.
Pull-Up -
10 (9 and 10 cheaty)
Chin-Up -
8 (straight bar)
8, 6 (V-bar)
My lats are not used to contracting to this position. I'll alternate the two or something.
Squat -
45x10x3
95x8x2
135x5
I found "my" stance - it's a bit wider than shoulder width.
Bench -
45x10x3
95x5
Focusing on the lat cues I've been learning in PT really helped on the 95 set.
45-Degree Back Raise -
10x20x3
Plate behind the head makes these brutally hard.
Hard Plank - 3 of 20sec
Bat Wings - 3 of 10 with 7.5lbs and 5-second holds. Use Saarni's old bench; it's higher.
Blast Strap Row - 10x3
Power Pull - 10, 5 (at this point I was really losing the ability to contract properly)
Plate Farmer's Walk - 3 trips with 25lbs each hand, each one from the decline to the wall x2
Pretzel Stretch - 10 breaths each side. I need to check on how to do these.
Lat Roll - Some using regular roller
Posterior Shoulder Smash - Used the gemini, had some good finds
Pec Smash - Tried with the lacrosse ball; not as good. Will work on this.
Super Couch - Tried to use a stronger band but the fitstaff couldn't hook it to anything. I'll ask Cyrus to hit my quads tomorrow to make up for this and the lack of quad rolling (ran out of time).
I'm going to order a (Reactive) Slingshot tomorrow, and a belt fairly soon. I'm guessing I'll go with the same Lever style that Henry has, but it might wind up being a different brand with finer hole spacing (if available). Bench training will now alternate benching and slingshot volume work.
Deadlift -
135x5
170x5
205x5
240x5
275x5 (added belt)
310x5
350x3
390x5x3
I did these with shorter rests than usual; I just felt ready sooner. I'll give 397.5 a whirl with no belt for the first set to see if I've just been recovering better, but I have a strong feeling that belting up contributed to how well I did here. Ejay took a video for set 3, and it honestly didn't look like anything maximal.
From this I'm confident that I'll hit 405x5x3 in two weeks (hence an extra 2.5lbs next time) and have a good shot at 500 come June.
Pull-Up -
10 (9 and 10 cheaty)
Chin-Up -
8 (straight bar)
8, 6 (V-bar)
My lats are not used to contracting to this position. I'll alternate the two or something.
Squat -
45x10x3
95x8x2
135x5
I found "my" stance - it's a bit wider than shoulder width.
Bench -
45x10x3
95x5
Focusing on the lat cues I've been learning in PT really helped on the 95 set.
45-Degree Back Raise -
10x20x3
Plate behind the head makes these brutally hard.
Hard Plank - 3 of 20sec
Bat Wings - 3 of 10 with 7.5lbs and 5-second holds. Use Saarni's old bench; it's higher.
Blast Strap Row - 10x3
Power Pull - 10, 5 (at this point I was really losing the ability to contract properly)
Plate Farmer's Walk - 3 trips with 25lbs each hand, each one from the decline to the wall x2
Pretzel Stretch - 10 breaths each side. I need to check on how to do these.
Lat Roll - Some using regular roller
Posterior Shoulder Smash - Used the gemini, had some good finds
Pec Smash - Tried with the lacrosse ball; not as good. Will work on this.
Super Couch - Tried to use a stronger band but the fitstaff couldn't hook it to anything. I'll ask Cyrus to hit my quads tomorrow to make up for this and the lack of quad rolling (ran out of time).
I'm going to order a (Reactive) Slingshot tomorrow, and a belt fairly soon. I'm guessing I'll go with the same Lever style that Henry has, but it might wind up being a different brand with finer hole spacing (if available). Bench training will now alternate benching and slingshot volume work.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
2014-05-05 Squat
Warmup
Squat -
45x5
85x5
125x5
145x5
205x5
250x5 (Belt)
290x3 (Belt)
410 Walkout (Belt)
340x5 (Belt)
430 Walkout (Belt)
340x5 (Belt)
450 Walkout
340x5
I borrowed Henry's lever belt and adjusted it in by one notch; that actually wound up making the lifts and walkouts a lot harder. Pushing out against the belt distracted me from keeping an upright torso (or biased my brain towards letting my back take the weight), so I leaned forward a lot more than usual. The last set actually looked better than the others, and the 450 walkout was easy without the belt.
Deadlift -
135x10x3
Squat Walkout -
405, 2 times
I loosened the belt one notch to go for this one; it worked a lot better. Being able to breath helps.
45-Degree Back Raise -
20x3, hands on head
Adding these for a deadlift accessory.
Pull-Up -
8x4
Fairly strict
Super Couch for 1m/position
I met Cyrus in the parking lot and he gave me a card; I've got a free massage credit, and I'll set up with him for Friday. Today's main focus from now on will be on abs; I have a feeling the rear laterals were actually hurting me shoulder-wise.
Squat -
45x5
85x5
125x5
145x5
205x5
250x5 (Belt)
290x3 (Belt)
410 Walkout (Belt)
340x5 (Belt)
430 Walkout (Belt)
340x5 (Belt)
450 Walkout
340x5
I borrowed Henry's lever belt and adjusted it in by one notch; that actually wound up making the lifts and walkouts a lot harder. Pushing out against the belt distracted me from keeping an upright torso (or biased my brain towards letting my back take the weight), so I leaned forward a lot more than usual. The last set actually looked better than the others, and the 450 walkout was easy without the belt.
Deadlift -
135x10x3
Squat Walkout -
405, 2 times
I loosened the belt one notch to go for this one; it worked a lot better. Being able to breath helps.
45-Degree Back Raise -
20x3, hands on head
Adding these for a deadlift accessory.
Pull-Up -
8x4
Fairly strict
Super Couch for 1m/position
I met Cyrus in the parking lot and he gave me a card; I've got a free massage credit, and I'll set up with him for Friday. Today's main focus from now on will be on abs; I have a feeling the rear laterals were actually hurting me shoulder-wise.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
2014-05-04 Arms and Prehab
Warmup
Overhead EZ Extension -
30x12
40x12
50x12
60x7
That external rotation "slip" during the 235 unrack seems to have set my left shoulder worse; it didn't like these (which makes sense, since I cheat the later reps by throwing my elbows out).
Preacher Curl -
50x13, 9, 10
Rope Pressdown -
40x20
Aggravated shoulder.
V-Bar Pressdown -
40x20x2
Didn't aggravate shoulder.
Face Pull - 5x15x3
BER - Micro*15x3
Super couch with twist
Quad rolling
Upper back rolling
This is the last two-a-day workout; it was nice for a while but I think I'll benefit psychologically (and progress-wise) from moving back to the evenings.
Overhead EZ Extension -
30x12
40x12
50x12
60x7
That external rotation "slip" during the 235 unrack seems to have set my left shoulder worse; it didn't like these (which makes sense, since I cheat the later reps by throwing my elbows out).
Preacher Curl -
50x13, 9, 10
Rope Pressdown -
40x20
Aggravated shoulder.
V-Bar Pressdown -
40x20x2
Didn't aggravate shoulder.
Face Pull - 5x15x3
BER - Micro*15x3
Super couch with twist
Quad rolling
Upper back rolling
This is the last two-a-day workout; it was nice for a while but I think I'll benefit psychologically (and progress-wise) from moving back to the evenings.
2014-05-04 Bench (and some bonus)
Warmup
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
145x5
170x3
235 Unrack - tweaked my left shoulder; it felt like it pretty much slipped backwards out of the socket
195x3 (4F)x2
190x4
CG -
155x5
160x5
165x4 (5F)
165x0, 1 (pin press)
155x5x3
Bench (ring finger) -
155x5
Feels weird
I'm going to try benching in the annex again and doing everything in the evenings. I guess we're back to one workout per day. It's also time to put the prehab back in, since the limiter here may just be shoulder stability.
Looking back over my logs, the common element in my progress here seems to be the floor press. I want to do some higher-intensity work on the bench itself, so I'll throw floor press where Push Press was and switch bench down to triples. I'll also try throwing in strict press and close grip for 5x5s after those movements...I'm really just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks at this point. After the meet I'll rotate bench out for floor press and go back to the push/strict pressing cycle on the other day.
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
145x5
170x3
235 Unrack - tweaked my left shoulder; it felt like it pretty much slipped backwards out of the socket
195x3 (4F)x2
190x4
CG -
155x5
160x5
165x4 (5F)
165x0, 1 (pin press)
155x5x3
Bench (ring finger) -
155x5
Feels weird
I'm going to try benching in the annex again and doing everything in the evenings. I guess we're back to one workout per day. It's also time to put the prehab back in, since the limiter here may just be shoulder stability.
Looking back over my logs, the common element in my progress here seems to be the floor press. I want to do some higher-intensity work on the bench itself, so I'll throw floor press where Push Press was and switch bench down to triples. I'll also try throwing in strict press and close grip for 5x5s after those movements...I'm really just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks at this point. After the meet I'll rotate bench out for floor press and go back to the push/strict pressing cycle on the other day.
Friday, May 2, 2014
2014-05-02 Deadlift
Warmup, with some lat pulldowns
Deadlift -
135x5
170x5
205x5
240x5
275x5
310x5
345x5
385x5, 5, 4 (5F)
315x1
Technique is king here - I lost my lat engagement on the later reps. The bar swung out a bit later on set 3, and that plus resting the bar fully on the ground probably cost me the 5th rep.
I went scared cat/Bob Youngs style on that one; I got it past my knees, but the total loss of back position made it impossible to lock out.
I'm going to push my workouts back an extra day or so for extra recovery, do some recovery deads over the next few days, eat a bit more today, and probably take deadlift days off work so I can pull in the evenings next time.
Deadlift -
135x5
170x5
205x5
240x5
275x5
310x5
345x5
385x5, 5, 4 (5F)
315x1
Technique is king here - I lost my lat engagement on the later reps. The bar swung out a bit later on set 3, and that plus resting the bar fully on the ground probably cost me the 5th rep.
I went scared cat/Bob Youngs style on that one; I got it past my knees, but the total loss of back position made it impossible to lock out.
I'm going to push my workouts back an extra day or so for extra recovery, do some recovery deads over the next few days, eat a bit more today, and probably take deadlift days off work so I can pull in the evenings next time.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
2014-05-01 Light Bench
Warmup, mildly
Some slight rolling for upper back
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
145x5x3
Didn't focus on form until the last set; these wound up being pretty sloppy.
Side Raise -
20x12
Felt like these were aggravating the shoulder so I stopped and went home.
I'm getting depressed over this. Not doing upper body prehab seems to have cost me.
Some slight rolling for upper back
Bench -
45x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
145x5x3
Didn't focus on form until the last set; these wound up being pretty sloppy.
Side Raise -
20x12
Felt like these were aggravating the shoulder so I stopped and went home.
I'm getting depressed over this. Not doing upper body prehab seems to have cost me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)