My Log - SS, etc. [Archive] - Starting Strength Forums

jacob cloud

10-16-2008, 01:16 PM

Alllllllrighty then. I was keeping my log elsewhere but not getting much feedback and got bored. I think a lot of you are like-minded so this place might be a better location to keep it. I'll enter this week's info and keep it updated going forward.

First, a bit of boring history: I'm 28, 6'1", no major athletic background other than high school football, but did a Super Squats (+milk) routine in college and loved it. I sporadically worked out for about a month per year until last summer, when I got serious and did a few months of SS, and made huge strength improvements. Had shoulder surgery in Dec 07 after tearing it up wakeboarding, got depressed, sat around, and got fat. Started off this year at about 270. Worked back into the major lifts, did some running, some crossfit, and got back to about 250. I love to eat. And drink. I moved from Austin to Seattle recently and still haven't found "the right" job, so I have more free time than I should - used mostly in the gym and online.

Currently using a lot of the SS template and a low carb diet during the week. Weekend cheating has slowed down weight loss to a crawl, and is what I need to get under control. I'm down to the low 240's and strength is pretty much at an all-time high. Still need some form work and my upper body strength is seriously lacking. Physically, I look pretty "Average."

Current PR's:
DL 485 (a couple months ago, got to pull it in front of Rip, which was cool. had bad form, which was not cool)
Squat 425 (last week, no vid, depth might be questionable, last year's PR was 415)
Bench 225x3 (couple weeks ago...235x5 before surgery)
Press 150x5 (couple weeks ago)
Pull-Ups 3-4 max
Power Clean 225 (last week)
Push Press 225 (last week)

Strength 1RM Goals:
500lb DL, 500lb Squat, 315lb Bench, 200lb OHP, 10+ Pull-Ups (at least)

Body Goals:
Ultimately I want to be about 225 and sub 15% body fat. I'm not overly concerned with looks, but am man enough to admit that I'm girly enough to care a little bit. I also want my arms (and back) to be bigger. Sue me. At least I'm not shaving odd body parts and flexing in the mirror.

Some vids:
405 Squat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hHjGOGrwMM
Knees sliding forward, leg pressing, yadda yadda. Working on it.
220kg DL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2s_nCOZ12Y
Ugggggly. Eat me. Working on it!

jacob cloud

10-16-2008, 01:26 PM

Mon 10/13
Weight: Very bloated 248.0
Diet Grade for the day: 5/5

AM Workout:

Warm-Up: 1 mile bike

Back Squat: 45x8,8 / 135x5 / 225x5 / 315x5,5

Standing Overhead Press: 45x8,8 / 95x5 / 135x5,5,5

DL: Too sore

Last Friday I "maxed out" on squats and did way too much volume working on form - including a oh-so-close-455 attempt. I was still *very* sore Monday, and it really screwed up this workout. Lots of lower back soreness and shoulder pain. I reset my press to 135, as it seems to have stalled at 150 recently.

PM Workout:

Treadmill, about 30 minutes @ 4mph and 4.0 incline

jacob cloud

10-16-2008, 01:35 PM

Tues 10/14
Weight: 245.0
Diet: 4/5

AM Workout:

WU: 1m bike, barbell complex

PC: 135x5 / 175x3 / 185x3,3,3,3

Rows: 135x5 / 155x5 / 175x5

Curlzz: 45x8 / 95x8,6

C2 Rower: 1000m (1:52.4, 1:55.8 500m splits, 26spm) / 100m sprints 16.1, 17.0 (30 sec rest between)

Stretch: 10 minutes

I'm just starting to power clean, and it's rough on the shoulders, especially lowering the weight (no bumpers in my globo gym). Worked with 185 to grease the groove, and it's feeling better already. Never done much BB rowing, but felt like it today. Ditto curlz. Was planning on a 2000m row but pussed out - legs exhausted. Stretching shows that my hip flexors are tight. Need to work on hip mobility big time.

jacob cloud

10-16-2008, 02:37 PM

Wed 10/15
Weight: 242.5
Diet: 4/5

PM Workout:

WU: .75m bike

BS: 315x5,5,5

Bench: 210x5,5,5

Back Extensions: +25 x6,6,6

Chins: 3,3

Decline Situps

I felt like an old man in the gym. Sore back, tight legs, iffy shoulders, and my left bicep screaming at me for doing isolation work. Reset bench to 205 last week after stalling at 225, but 210 felt hard. I hate bench! It didn't help that my girlfriend and I were bitching at each other the whole workout. Skipped my last set of chins. I'm a wuss. During my "ab work," I got to witness a guy warming up doing very loud obnoxious FLOPS on the stretching mat at the gym. At least laughter cures bitching workout partners.

Dinner was a chicken breast stuffed with pepperjack cheese and rolled in my own taco seasoning. Damn good stuff.

jacob cloud

10-17-2008, 01:06 PM

Fri 10/17
Weight: 242.0
Diet (yesterday) 4/5

AM Workout:

BS: 315x2 / 365x1-2 / 385x1 / 405x3 (PR)

OHP: 140x5,5,5

DL: 405x1 / 455x1

Curlzzzz: 95x6

Chins: 3,3

aBzzzz: Hanging Leg Raises x 6,6,6

Not a bad gym outing. 405x3 is a big PR for me, I was only shooting for a double, but it felt good so I pounded out another rep. Form is improving, but I need to video myself to make sure. Was shooting for a 455 triple on DL, but the single was all I had. Very disappointed - I've lost a lot of my DL strength. Not good. Hanging leg raises help my shoulder mobility. Goofed around with some curls and chins but was pretty tanked by this point.

Diet has been good this week - made spaghetti squash (like mashed potatoes) and cubed steak w/ gravy last night. Not perfectly in line with "no carb" but damn tasty. Split a bottle of wine with the gf, too. Doh. Friday cheat day is here...gonna try and not go too crazy so I can break through the 240.0 barrier ASAP!

jacob cloud

10-20-2008, 09:37 PM

Mon 10/20
Weight: 244.0
Diet (weekend) 2/5

PM Workout:

BS: 365x5,5,5

Bench: 215x5,5,5

Chins: "Some"

Gym was crazy packed, and squats beat me up so I didn't quite get to finish up the rest of my workout. Squats were ugly, form was iffy, and I think my hams were cramping up (dehydration? lots of caffeine today). Pushed through and got my 3 planned sets, at least. Bench wasn't too tough (+5lbs from last workout). Hoping to bust through the 225 sticking point this time.

Diet was crap over the weekend - all beer and football. Did make some great chili, though, and will be smoking a turkey tomorrow.

Tor

10-21-2008, 12:49 AM

Hey Jacob,

I just checked out your DL video and wanted to pass something on that's worked really well for me. I should note that I use a belt, and it might be a part of why this works.

I've found that if I try and grab the bar, breath in, and then set my back and pull, I have a really hard time a) taking a huge breath and b) actually getting and holding my back in the correct position.

What I do instead, now, is inhale while standing up, and then lower myself down to the bar with my back locked in place. This lowering process looks just like a deadlift in reverse, my hips go back and then my knees bend.

As soon as I've locked on to the bar with my hands I pull.

This process makes me feel much stronger because I'm able to breath deeper at the top and lock my back in while I'm not bending over, and got me from a 390 pound deadlift to 425 in just a couple weeks with no noticeable increase in effort.

Tor

jacob cloud

10-22-2008, 01:49 PM

Tor - Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a shot. I kinda did today during PC's but DL's are a different beast. I'm thinking I might need to get a belt, too. I need to get an updated DL vid - my form has improved since then for sure, though my strength hasn't. :-/

Wed 10/22
Weight: 242.0
Diet (Tues): 3/5 (GD MF Cinnamon Rolls!)

AM Workout:

FS: 225x3,3,3

OHP: 145 (+5) x 5,4,4

PC: 185x3,3,3,3,3

Thrusters: 95x9,9,10

Knee Raises: 6,6,6

So, I'm obviously trying the "intermediate" squat action, with Wednesdays being "light/recovery" day. Haven't done front squats in awhile, and racking the bar was really the toughest part. Stupid shoulders. Speaking of which, I hate my shoulders. Press was painful, this time in the right AC joint. Stalled onn my 2nd and 3rd sets right about my head. Might be pushing the bar a little forward. Need to re-read the OHP section of SS.

PC's felt light except for my left bicep, which is still mad at me. I'm also not racking the bar correctly up top - elbows not pointing forward enough. Plenty of room to improve on form here, but I at least focused on finishing the pull, stomping, and the hook grip. Got lots of stupid looks, especially from the douche next to me doing 95lb power reverse curls. Sorta. Ugh. I hate my gym. Did the thrusters for fun with about 30s rest between sets. They were pretty easy, but I was winded by the end. Conditioning sucks.

Anyway, not a bad workout considering I had a headache. I drank a bit last night. Which led to the cinnamon rolls. Damn they were good. Luckily the freezer is now empty of delicious carbs, and all I have left to fight is the bag of chocolate chips and a little bit of Vodka.

Tor

10-22-2008, 07:56 PM

I'm shooting for a 435 PR deadlift on Friday (up ten pounds from last week), and I'll video tape how I get set and post it.

jacob cloud

10-25-2008, 11:40 PM

I'm shooting for a 435 PR deadlift on Friday (up ten pounds from last week), and I'll video tape how I get set and post it.

So, how'd it go??

Missed last night's workout but made it up this morning.

Sat 10/25
Weight: 245
Diet: Crap

AM Workout:

Squat: 315x2, 365x1, 405x1, 435x1 (PR)

Bench: 205x1

Treadmill: 3 400m sprints @ 8 & 9 mph w/ 400m walks between

Ate like crap Thurs and Fri, and was bloated this morning. Set a new all-time 1RM PR on squat...and my left bicep felt torn in half. No bueno. Couldn't bench worth a crap, skipped the rest of the planned workout. Did some running to try and kill some carb stores, but it was to no avail as I ate a bunch anyway watching foozball today. Go UT and Bama!

Looks like I'll be focusing on running for the next week or so? Not sure how bad this bicep injury is just yet, but for such a "beach muscle" it sure as hell hurts doing every single functional exercise. Ugh.

Tor

10-26-2008, 08:30 PM

Ah, well, shit. Tried 430 twice, and missed it both times, but should illustrate what I was talking about as far as setting your back.
<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0m971_9bJNE"> </param> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0m971_9bJNE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object>

Locutus

10-26-2008, 11:35 PM

Ah, well, shit. Tried 430 twice, and missed it both times, but should illustrate what I was talking about as far as setting your back.

Maybe it's just me, but it looks like you're still not setting your lower back fully even with the improved setup. Have you tried loosening the belt one notch?

Tor

10-27-2008, 10:47 AM

Yeah, I know what you mean, my back rounds as I drop those last few inches. I will say, though, that being able to take that big breath at the top makes me FEEL much more rigid.

I'd be inclined to think the back rounding was more of a flexibility issue than a belt one, but I'll try loosening the belt anyway and see what happens.

Tor

jacob cloud

10-28-2008, 11:05 AM

Was actually planning on DL yesterday but forgot to take my chalk to the gym. I was pretty pissed but got over it. I hear what you're saying, but agree that maybe the vid doesn't quite show it. 1RM efforts are typically sorta ugly anyway. I need to get a vid of mine, just to check and make sure my form has improved. I know I don't have a "pretty" back arch, but I just want to get it decent.

Anyway, since I set a squat PR last week and am feeling pretty beat up, I'm going to lay off most weights this week. I'm also going to stop being a slave to the scale, and will probably not weigh myself til Friday. I was *bad* on the diet this weekend but am committed this week. I say that every week.

So I'll be running a bit and working on metcon this week and doing a little bit of upper body stuff, but not much. My left bicep is still killing me.

So anyway, went yesterday morning and did 3x5 Push Press w/ 185 and ran some 400m intervals at 8mph and 1.0 incline. Did some stretching. Later in the day, played around at the park on the chin bar and rings. Working on shoulder ROM still so I can do kipping pullups without intense pain.

jacob cloud

10-30-2008, 03:29 PM

This "deload/recovery" week is freaking boring. The strange thing is that the little bit of work I've been doing is different enough from my normal routine that I'm actually pretty damn sore, especially in the upper back - which is great, since that's probably my weakest link.

Hit the gym yesterday morning for a quickie.

PC: 185x3, 195x3/3/3/3
Dips: 5,5,5,5,5

c2 Rower: 1000m, 3:48.7

stretch

I love me some power cleans. Form is slowly improving but I'm having a very hard time swinging my elbows forward. This needs to improve, quickly. My dips suck - I have had a very hard time doing them since my shoulder surgery. Before that, I was doing heavy weighted dips w/o issues. Now, I don't even have a decent ROM unweighted. Need to get lower, so I'll be throwing dips in more often.

I never really row over 500m, so I paced myself on this 1000m and it was fine, considering I'm in keto. Short term goal is to run a sub 8 minute mile, this is a low-impact way to work on that.

Been good on the diet this week. Snuck a peak at the scale this morning: 240.2 Sweet. I haven't seen 230's in a LONG time. 2 years, maybe? Unfortunately my girlfriend is making cupcakes and sweets tonight for a Halloween party at her work tomorrow...she's going to make this tough on me. This, after she made a statement that she could see a lot of improved definition in my shoulders last night. Women.

Also, I am thinking about switching up the routine next week for a little more intermediate-style (TX Method), vs. the classic SS format that I've basically been following with some minor mods.

jacob cloud

10-31-2008, 07:13 PM

Fri 10/31
Weight: 240.2 (yesterday morning, so close to hitting 239.x!)
Diet: Decent

AM Workout:

OHP 1RM: 165, 175 (PR) - very, very slow, but got it
PP: 205x2, 185x3,5 - triceps 100% beat after OHP)
Elliptical: 30 min, 385 cal
HR: Avg 137/Peak 159 over 1 hour workout

Been relatively good on the diet the past couple days. GF baked a bunch of goodies for her office but I only nibbled on a bit. Otherwise, great. Big cheat for dinner tonight and tomorrow, though.

So, I've put a lot of thought this "off week" into my workout regimen, and I'm going to change it up from a basic SS style to a more intermediate TX Method, with a few distinct focuses. Here's the plan for the next 6 weeks:

Mon: (Volume Day)
Squat 5x3 - start @ 375, +10/wk
Bench 5x5 - start @ 200, +5/wk
PC 6-8x3 - start @ 185, +5/wk

Wed: (Recovery Day)
Thrusters 3x10(?) - start @ 95, +10/wk
Pullups/Dips 25 reps - superset each until I get to 25, add reps once I can do 5x5 cleanly
Back Ext 3x5-8

Fri: (PR day)
Squat 1x2 - start at 405, +10/wk
Bench 1x3 - start @ 215, +5/wk
PC 1x2 - start @ 210, +5/wk

The end goal is to get a new all-time 1RM PR of 455 on the back squat in the 6th week, to add some pounds on my crappy bench, and to work on power cleans.
Notes/Reasoning:
* The first couple weeks will be relatively easy, in continuation of this week's rest theme, since I've been feeling pretty beat up. It will get pretty hard around week 3-4.
* I'm leaving out "real" overhead work. Though my press, at 175, isn't great, it's still a lot better than my shitty bench. I think I can live w/o it for 6 weeks.
* Wed is something of a mild metcon. Also, my chins/dips suck, this should help.
* The volume is low. I will also be trying to continue cutting weight, in keto during the week. 225 or bust!
* I'll be tossing in some mild running/rowing/elliptical work if I feel good. Usually 400m sprints Mon, 800m runs Wed, 1mi jog Fri. Intensity decreases as keto increases. Not a bunch, but enough to work on my 8 min mile goal (IMO the minimum standard of running fitness), and/or to at least maintain current conditioning and burn some calories.
* Post-workout stretching/core work will focus on hip stability/mobility. My hip flexors are way too tight and I think this is the cause of my daily back pain. I sit on my ass all day so I need to work on this.
* Deadlifts are out. They beat the crap out of me and I don't see how they'll drop below 455 if I'm squatting that much. I'd rather get my PC up anyway and then work on DL again. It shoots up quickly, and considering my all-time PR is 485, I should kill that in a matter of weeks when I start DLing again, especially if my back is feeling better by then.
* After the 6 weeks, I'm hoping on going on a 4-6 week calorie surplus over the holidays with more volume, higher reps, etc. to pack on a couple pounds of LBM, especially in my upper body.

If anyone sees anything absolutely stupid about this, feel free to chime in. I'm no pro, but I think this will work for me. It gives me something to shoot for, and a very solid plan of attack for the next 6 weeks. It works on my weak spots and sets me up for a good mass-gaining phase, I think. Hopefully the strength gains will be doable while losing some major fat. I've been in keto 3-4 days/wk for a month or two and am pretty used to it. I am hoping to dial in the diet a little more in line with the Anabolic Diet rules as well.

jacob cloud

11-04-2008, 02:47 PM

Mon 11.3
Weight: 239.0 (this morning)
Diet: 5/5
TX Method, Day 1

AM Workout:

WU: Bike 1m
BS: 375x3,3,3,3,3
Bench: 200x5,5,5,5,5
PC: 185x3,3,3,3,3,3,3,3

OK, I had planned on this being relatively easy. It was not. I was good on the diet Sunday and Monday and was 100% in keto. Every movement was tough, but I done good. I skipped my planned PM workout of some medium intensity 400m sprints and stretching. It was dark by about 5pm and I just got lazy and didn't want to leave the house. Gonna have to get over that.

Today, I am sore. My recent switch to a wider squat stance and better knee control has my hams screaming. I also widened my bench grip yesterday and...wow. I better grow some chesticles out of this. I think the narrowness of my grip has been limiting me. Hopefully in 6 weeks I can set new PRs on bench and squat. The lack of upper body strength is especially embarassing.

Also, a fellow fatty friend of mine is on track to get down from 210 to 190. He's hardcore when it comes to this sorta thing, so the competition is in my mind every time I think about cheating on the diet, and it's working. 239 is the lowest I've been in like, 3 years. 225, here I come!

Robert Callahan

11-04-2008, 05:41 PM

* I'm leaving out "real" overhead work. Though my press, at 175, isn't great, it's still a lot better than my shitty bench. I think I can live w/o it for 6 weeks.

Hey! I didn't even know this area of the forums existed, i typically just stick to the Rip section... anyways I was going to say that your thrusters constitute some overhead work and that you could potentially break the thrusters up into front squats and presses or even push presses? I don't know if that would slow the workout down and reduce the "metcon" effect of it, but it is an idea. :)

-Robert

jacob cloud

11-04-2008, 06:01 PM

Hey! I didn't even know this area of the forums existed, i typically just stick to the Rip section... anyways I was going to say that your thrusters constitute some overhead work and that you could potentially break the thrusters up into front squats and presses or even push presses? I don't know if that would slow the workout down and reduce the "metcon" effect of it, but it is an idea. :)

-Robert

Thanks for visiting. ;) I like this forum, so I figure what better way to see it take off than to contribute a bit, right?

When I asked on his forum (http://www.strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2467), Rip suggested a 65% press/bench ratio. My press 1RM last week was 175 - on bench...I dunno if I could get up 235 today. Maybe 245 if I was lucky. So I might be as bad as a 75% ratio right now, which is a definite imbalance, and might help explain the incredible pain the shoulders been giving me lately. I need to get that bench up quite a bit, and I don't think my press will suffer much if I lay off it for 6 weeks (notice I did hit PP quite a bit last week as a last hurrah). Thrusters suck so bad that I want to be decent at them. Plus the metcon nature of 'em should help me burn some calories and get rid of these damn love handles. When I first did SS, I was adding 2 sets of dips after every bench workout, and I made great gains. This is another reason I want to add dips on Wed.

If I get my bench 1RM up to 275 soon I'll be ecstatic. Ultimately, my goal is to press 200, then 225/BW, and bench 315, maybe 1.5BW. But I really think keeping the strength ratio is going to be key for shoulder survival, for me, considering my pansy-ass AC joints, so I'm keeping an eye on it.

Not exactly decided on how I'll do the reps/weight yet though. There's talk on the CF forum about a 21-15-9 challenge - I'm leaning towards this, with, say, 2 minutes of rest between sets. But man...even reps of 5 are tough on keto. Not sure about 21-15-9. Not even sure about 3x10! We'll see, I might play around with it. It might not even matter all that much since I'm really just trying to get the blood flowing on Wed to help recovery and to build up for a nice heavy Fri.

Tor

11-04-2008, 07:09 PM

Hey Jacob,

Just a comment that came to mind when you mentioned that you were expecting day 1 of Texas Method to be relatively easy and then surprised to find it wasn't...

My first day on TM I went from 340x3x5 Squat to a 295x5x5. I thought this would be a fucking breeze. Imagine my sense of child-like wonder as I started to puke after my fourth wobbly set. I was sweating, shaking, and felt about as strong as a ten-year old with polio. Could have been an off-day, could have been a result of the previous week's lay-off, but it hasn't got much easier since.

Now on to 325x5x5, and squated 400x1 last Friday, a 25 pound increase in 1RM over the past five weeks.

Tor

jacob cloud

11-05-2008, 01:32 PM

Tor - thanks for that. I'm really glad I'm not the only one. I don't mind tough workouts (usually prefer em), but usually I have an idea going into it what to expect, so when it surprises me, I feel extra pussyish. Now I know what to expect going in...did I mention I am Crazy Sore today?! Jesus. Maybe I am turning into a pussy, and I need to put in some 20 rep squats after this 6 week experiment. Hmm. That sounds like a good idea.

Wed 11.5
Weight: 237.8
Diet: 5/5
TX Method, Day 2

AM Workout:

WU: Bike 1.5m
Thrusters: 95x10,10,10,10
Dips/Chins: 5 sets
Back Ext: +25x5,5,5

Jury's out on this one. It was fast and dirty. I spent most of the time in the gym helping a guy with his DLs, but my workout itself was "meh." Not really used to a recovery day, I suppose. Too embarassed to talk about dips and chins. Pretty stoked to see more weight loss...another 400 pounds and I'll be downright purdy.

Robert Callahan

11-05-2008, 08:27 PM

So I might be as bad as a 75% ratio right now, which is a definite imbalance, and might help explain the incredible pain the shoulders been giving me lately. I need to get that bench up quite a bit

You need to be worried about the bench being too strong, not the press. The press, as a function of the movement, stabilizes muscles on both sides of the shoulder. So as you get strong at press you balance the shoulder and therefore cannot become "imbalanced" while pressing. The bench press on the other hand only works the anterior shoulder and thus sets people up for an imbalanced strengthening of the shoulder leading to issues. Perhaps improper form could lead to pain in the shoulders from pressing, but if done correctly they should not be causing pain. This is why for people with bad shoulders Rip recommends eliminating the bench entirely and only doing the Press.

Either way if you want to get the bench up that is fine, but I would still keep some pressing just to make sure you do not develop an imbalance. The Thrusters will act as some overhead work, just make sure you are not cheating the overhead part of the thruster :)

jacob cloud

11-07-2008, 03:42 PM

Callahan - I'll get back to OHP soon enough, don't worry. Putting 50 pounds on my bench will make me a happy, happy man. Then I can eat some calories and really get some movement on the press. A couple pounds of LBM will really help my press I think. And it's a great excuse to add some milk to the diet! Don't worry, I don't cheat my thrusters. Ears through the window every rep.

Fri 11.7
Weight: 241
Diet: 2/5
TX Method, Day 3

AM Workout:

WU: .5m bike
BS: 405x2
Bench: 215x5
PC: 205x2
Chins: 5
Elliptical: 10min @5/5

OK, this was odd. It was...easy. And short. Weird. Gonna have to get used to this schedule. Did a couple extra reps than planned on bench because it was pretty easy. Dropped 5 pounds under what I had planned on PC because my form just wasn't there today. Added a set of chins, and got about 4.9, which is a recent (sad) PR.

Diet was decent until last night, when I got conned into a Happy Hour. 18 wings, several vodka/diets, some beer, a cookie, and half a pizza later, I put on some weight. Doh, go figure. Pigged out on Mexican food at lunch today, too, so it looks like I'll have to be strict Sat&Sun and count today and yesterday as my carb up days.

Now, excuse me, I have some cake to kill.

jacob cloud

11-10-2008, 01:58 PM

Mon 11.10
Weight: 240.2
Diet: Poop/5
TX Method, Week 2/6 Day 1

AM Workout:

WU: 1m bike
BS: 385 (+10) x 3,3,3,3,3
Bench: 205 (+5) x 5,5,5,5,5
PC: 190 (+5) x 3,3,3,3,3,3,3

C2 intervals, 100m/40sec, increasing effort until failure: 20.5, 19.5, 19.0, 18.1, 18.0, 17.6, 17.3, 19.9
8 rounds, 2:29.9/800m work

I ate and drank like a fat bastard this weekend, so it's no surprise I gained a pound over last Monday's weigh-in. I'm disguested with myself over that. Really gonna have to be strict the next few days to hit 235 on Friday, to keep up my 2.5lbs/week goal.

Workout was good. I timed my rest intervals (5 min squat, 4 min bench, 2-3 min PC), which helps to keep from rushing through everything. This was much easier than last Monday, so I guess I'm getting used to it(?). Don't get me wrong, I was heaving and sweating, but I wasn't surprised by it. Stopped 1 set short (7 instead of 8) on PC because I felt a twinge on my left bicept yet again. I'm sure it's a form issue.

Row intervals were tough. I tried to start at a medium pace (see that shampoo bottle over there?...) and slowly increase the intensity until I couldn't. I didn't get anywhere near a PR on any of the 100m sprints obviously, but it was a good workout, hopefully to burn any leftover carbs and kick my ass into keto a little more quickly. Followed that up with lots of good stretching.

jacob cloud

11-12-2008, 03:02 PM

Wed 11.12
Weight: 236.8
Diet: 4/5
TX Method, Week 2/6 Day 2

AM Workout:

WU: Bike .5m
Thrusters: 105 (+5) x10,10,10
Dips/Chins: 5 sets
Back Ext: +30 (+5) x5,5,5

Elliptical: 15 min, pretty easy pace

Stretch

Minimal rest between thruster sets = high pulse. Legs are feeling a little tired from so much "cardio" but not too bad. I need to keep an eye on 'em. Some slight improvement on chins/dips. Down a bit on bodyweight, lookin' good to hit 235 this week.

Tor

11-12-2008, 04:11 PM

Ah, good old Adam Sandler. Pretty sure he was at his funniest even before he started to make movies.

I'll be following your log with interest as we're at similar places in our training, say, the early days of the Texas Method. I'll particularly be watching as your "Heavy" days start to get really heavy and you're in a position to be setting PRs every week. Twice so far I've failed to make any progress in Squat or Deadlift on Friday (out of about 6 weeks) and I'm trying to work out why that is. Working on a couple of theories...

Anyway, today is volume day, oh joy.

jacob cloud

11-12-2008, 09:26 PM

Tor - you and me both. I'm really interested to see if I can nail a little progress while shedding 15+ pounds. If so, I'll be very happy. But doing this shit while in keto has been tough. I'm a carb-aholic, always have been. Oh well. It'll be a couple more weeks til I hit new PRs, but man...I have the date circled when I'm planning on the 455 squat. Afterwards I'm hoping to go on a bit of a vanity program to try and pack some size on my little arms and back - going from mostly triples to sets of 8 or 10 should be an experience.

Also hit the gym tonight with my girlfriend for 30 min on the treadmill. Mostly walking with an 800, 400, and 200 sprinkled in, which spiked my HR up to 176. Lotsa sweat. Good times while listening to old school Beastie Boys and Dropkick Murphies.

Robert Callahan

11-13-2008, 12:19 AM

Good times while listening to old school Beastie Boys and Dropkick Murphies.

Can I just say you have excelent taste in music :) I listen to Dropkick Murphys every time I go for Squat PRs :D

Tor

11-13-2008, 03:35 PM

Do they do that one 'Face down in the gutter won't admit defeat...'?

Good stuff.

Robert Callahan

11-13-2008, 03:50 PM

They sure do Tor, I believe the name of the song is Barroom Hero?

jacob cloud

11-14-2008, 01:49 PM

Fri 11.14
Weight: 234.8
Diet: 4/5
TX Method, Week 2/6 Day 3

AM Workout:

WU: 1m bike
BS: 415 (+10)x2
Bench: 220 (+5)x5
PC: 210 (+5)x2
Chins: 5
Elliptical: 15min @5/1
Stretch
Some hanging ab stuff, shoulders pretty sore so I didn't push it.

Diet: I am unbelievably stoked about getting below 235. After having been stuck at 240+ for a couple years, I was weary that this would be the next sticking point. No way, jose. I'm confident that this diet is working well and that progress will continue as long as I want it to. I drank too much wine this week and still made progress. This weekend will be a gorgefest - I have 2 dinner parties with excellent food and drink, but I'm still not too worried.

Workout: Today was effing hard. 415 for a double is, I believe, a new PR. Didn't have a ton of energy or confidence, but I got 'em. Slow, though. 425 is going to haunt me until next week. Tor, I think your post psyched me out a bit. Doh! Bench was good, did 5 reps instead of 3 w/ no spotter assistance - thankfully, since I had to ask some random dude wearing an extra-medium tank top that probably doesn't know how to spot, even though I explained it. I'll continue 5 reps if I can, but will continue bumping up 5 pounds as long as I get 3. PC was good. Fast. Shoulder flexibility wasn't great, but it's noticeably better.

Etc:
Music - hell yeah, guys. I hate, hate, hate LSD cardio, but listening to my zune and zoning out of all the stupid shit in my gym helps a ton. I need to get more music on there, so feel free to throw out some suggestions.

Body - Huge improvements, very noticeable body fat decrease, my girlfriend comments daily. 38" jeans are falling off, and I'm 4 notches shorter in the belt than I was at my...uhh...peak? Made the stupid mistake of measuring my arms, and they're pathetic at <17", whereas when I did SS last year before surgery the right arm was about 17.5, at about 255lbs. Bah. I am not ashamed to admit I want them bigger and will be doing stupid shit in December to try and hit them up a bit along with more calories.

jacob cloud

11-17-2008, 04:09 PM

Mon 11.17
Weight: 242
Diet: -200/5
TX Method, Week 3/6 Day 1

AM Workout:

WU: .5m bike
BS: 395 (+10) x 3,3,3,3,3
Bench: 210 (+5) x 5,5,5,5,5
PC: 195 (+5) x 3,3,3,3,3,3 (6 sets)

Elliptical: 15 min w/ some easy intervals

Well, after hitting <235 last week, I went apeshit on food this weekend. I ate everything I could find. No excuses for cravings this week! I'll have to hit the cardio hard to recover and try to get to 232.5 by Friday or Saturday. No cheating, either.

The workout this morning was tough, even with a system full of carbs. Squats felt like a million pounds. Got a call from a recruiter after my first set giving me bad news about a potential job and couldn't even funnel my frustration into the squats. Next week, adding 10 might be a bit ambitious. Hmm. Left bicep is still whining on bench and PC, so I stopped after 6 sets on PC. Had a couple near-missed reps when I wasn't paying attention to my form, which woke me up a bit. Still, adding 5 on bench and PC should be OK next week.

jacob cloud

11-18-2008, 12:36 PM

Back down to 237.2 this morning. Gogo water weight!

Hit the gym for a little extra cardio, 30 min on the elliptical at a pretty good clip. Got the HR up above 140 and kept it there, a little bit of time over 150. Nothing crazy. About 10-15 min of solid stretching afterwards. My hip flexors have been *very* sore. Need some ice today.

jacob cloud

11-19-2008, 12:03 PM

Wed 11.19
Weight: 236.6
Diet: 4/5
TX Method, Week 3/6 Day 2

AM Workout:

WU: 1m bike
Thruster: 115 (+10) x10,10,10
Chins: Skip
Dips: 5 sets
Back Ext: Skip

KETOWNED. I felt like complete crap today. Nothing in the tank for this workout, and during the thrusters, my left bicep felt like it was going to pop. So I skipped chins, did 5 painful sets of crappy dips, and went home. Blah.

Diet was great yesterday, with the sole exception of a couple cups of pickle juice late at night to satisfy some funky craving. I blame that sodium on why I didn't get down to 235.9ish this morning. I have a job interview this afternoon and considered eating some carbs so that I'd have a little more energy, but I'm leaning towards sticking to the diet. We'll see.