[polar]

Three-fifteen, nice work
Keep lifting those heavy weights
This is a haiku

[General Stalin]

You're lifts are going up fast. Great work!

[Plus Oultre]

Great to hear you made the three plates dead lift, keep up the great work.

I bundled the overhead and chest presses day into one. I can do this because I am not going very heavy and I know myself.

Routine: 5/3/1
Cycle: 1
Week: 3
Day: Overhead Press and Chest Press
Date: 10/23/2017

Overhead Press:
80 x 5
90 x 3
100 x 1, +4 extra reps

Chest Press:
115 x 5
130 x 3
145 x 1, +2 extra reps


Accessory:
Bent Over Row
95 x 14
95 x 12
95 x 11


The extra reps on the last set of the last week of the cycle tells me what I already knew, that I picked a starting point where I down played the 1RM. However, it's been on purpose so I can progress slowly and steady, getting back to regular workouts without killing my body. My goal is to get through my 40s and into my 50s as healthy, strong, body confident, and injure free as possible.

[The Man w/ the Golden Gun]

10/23/17

OHP:
95 lbs 1 x 6, 1 x 5
115 lbs 2 x 2
120 lbs 2 x 1
125 lbs 1 x 1

Chinups 8/8/9/10/10

Bench
Empty bar 1 x 50
135 lbs 1 x 13
165 lbs 1 x 5
185 lbs 1 x 1
195 lbs 1 x 1

EZ Bar Curls, made a change from my normal Hammer Curls
70 lbs: 1 x 12, 2 x 11

Lat Raises:
10 lbs: 2 x 13, 1 x 11

Kroc Rows
50 lbs 1 x 35, 1 x 37. Theory: working out to get round numbers ending in 0 or 5 indicates NOT ENOUGH EFFORT GIVEN.

[General Stalin]

Noticing any physical changes in your body? Any more mass in your muscles?

[The Man w/ the Golden Gun]

10/24/2017

Today's workout rushed as I only budgeted enough time to do squats:
Squat:
135 lbs 1 x 25
185 lbs 1 x 12 Here, I started to think that I may not have gotten enough rest (last squat day was 2 days ago 10/22/2017). 2 days ago I hit 185 lbs 1 x 20
225 lbs 1 x 10
285 lbs 1 x nope

20 minutes steady state cardio on the treadmill finished my workout.

[The Man w/ the Golden Gun]

(10-24-2017 04:35 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  

Noticing any physical changes in your body? Any more mass in your muscles?

Stalin, when we met 2 months ago I was about 160 lbs. I am now 174 lbs, got bigger just about everywhere-chest, biceps, quads, back.

[YoungBlade]

^
'Everywhere'

[Steelex]

How are those Kroc rows working out for you?

[The Man w/ the Golden Gun]

(10-24-2017 07:43 PM)Steelex Wrote:  

How are those Kroc rows working out for you?

Noticed my lats and back are a little bigger. I'm lifting heavier and probably will shift to 55 lbs soon.

Seems like they are working out for me.

[The Man w/ the Golden Gun]

I'm planning on taking November off to do a mini cut for two reasons:
1. Lose fat:When bulking, I gained strength, muscle, and fat. Never been a fat man in my life and don't plan on becoming one.
2. Lay groundwork for future cut This will be my first ever cut, so I'll develop a guideline of cutting with which I have experience.

I'll be starting workouts with cardio, expect to lift for maintenance (I'll still try to push heavy), start IF (thanks polar), and eat for maintenance or less too.

Food for thought I'm wondering about:
I'm not entirely sure whether I'm done with or even going through noob gains. GS tells me its when I can't stack on 5 lbs consistently on my lifts. Sounds reasonable.

I believe the SS metrics for completing the noob program are: 225 5 x 5 bench, 315 5x5 squat, and 405 1 x 5 deadlift

Before I ever touched a weight I was 130 something lbs, went to 160. Noob gains.
This summer I focused on gaining mass and strength and went from 160 to 175. How much of this would be noob gains?

[Plus Oultre]

Routine: 5/3/1
Cycle: 2
Week: 1 of 3
Day: Squat
1RM: 225 lbs
Date: 10/24/2017

Squat
170 x 5
180 x 5
190 x 10

Accessory Deadlift
185 x 12
185 x 11
185 x 12

work out around 9 PM. Felt good overall but I can tell my body is still adjusting to working out again, because the dealifts felt really good up until the 9th or 10th rep, then quickly run out of gas. I do the intermittent fasting and have for years now, just the way I function. I am good with coffee, water, tea until 4 PM or 6 PM depending on the day. I full my belly good before going to bed, was 157.5 lbs right before bed, woke up at 152 lbs. That is 5 lbs difference overnight; it is very common for me when trying to gain weight.

[Plus Oultre]

What do you exactly mean with taking November off? What is your exact plan? I recommend going along with the plan and simply changing to IF, too many changes at the same time are harder to assimilate. Also, there is no reason to slow down now. You can recomp your body with IF and gain strength at the same time, but you must do it right. Have you informed yourself well about IF? http://www.leangains.com/

[The Man w/ the Golden Gun]

(10-25-2017 05:45 PM)Plus Oultre Wrote:  

What do you exactly mean with taking November off? What is your exact plan? I recommend going along with the plan and simply changing to IF, too many changes at the same time are harder to assimilate. Also, there is no reason to slow down now. You can recomp your body with IF and gain strength at the same time, but you must do it right. Have you informed yourself well about IF? http://www.leangains.com/

Looked at my old post and I can see that the "taking November off" sounds funny. Nah man I'm still lifting the same lifts, still pushing for strength; the major difference is will be in my diet.
Specifically: 8 hour feeding window (currently from 12p-8p)
Editing protein shake from Protein + Milk + Peanut Butter + Frozen Berries to just Protein + Water + Berries.
Prefacing workouts with cardio

Thank you for the link. I checked my knowledge of IF against it and I'll be more conscious of adding slower-acting protein towards my last meal (on/off with that currently)

As for the decision to cut, I've been going off advice from friends + Lyle McDonald: https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle...gain.html/
He recommends stopping a mass-gain phase at 15% bf for men. I'm not fat, but I'm definitely above 15%

[Plus Oultre]

(10-25-2017 07:44 PM)The Man w/ the Golden Gun Wrote:  

(10-25-2017 05:45 PM)Plus Oultre Wrote:  

What do you exactly mean with taking November off? What is your exact plan? I recommend going along with the plan and simply changing to IF, too many changes at the same time are harder to assimilate. Also, there is no reason to slow down now. You can recomp your body with IF and gain strength at the same time, but you must do it right. Have you informed yourself well about IF? http://www.leangains.com/

Looked at my old post and I can see that the "taking November off" sounds funny. Nah man I'm still lifting the same lifts, still pushing for strength; the major difference is will be in my diet.
Specifically: 8 hour feeding window (currently from 12p-8p)
Editing protein shake from Protein + Milk + Peanut Butter + Frozen Berries to just Protein + Water + Berries.
Prefacing workouts with cardio

Thank you for the link. I checked my knowledge of IF against it and I'll be more conscious of adding slower-acting protein towards my last meal (on/off with that currently)

As for the decision to cut, I've been going off advice from friends + Lyle McDonald: https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle...gain.html/
He recommends stopping a mass-gain phase at 15% bf for men. I'm not fat, but I'm definitely above 15%

I will say this from personal experience. The Key in body recomp IF, other than the basic fasting window, is carbs cycling and total calories consumed. In its most basic form is as follows:

Work out Day:
High Carbs .... above 250 grams
Low Fat .... below 50 grams

Non Work Out Day:
Low Carbs .... below 100 grams
High Fats .... Above 100 grams

Proteins everyday above 200 grams

Start by trying to hit those macros and see how your body reacts, test for two or three weeks, then adjust accordingly.

[Plus Oultre]

Routine: 5/3/1
Cycle: 2
Week: 1 of 3
Day: Deadlift
1RM: 295 lbs
Date: 10/26/2017

Deadlift
220 x 5
235 x 5
250 x 8


Accessory Squat
155 x 14
155 x 14
155 x 12

[The Man w/ the Golden Gun]

30 min cardio

Squats
135 lbs 1 x 22
185 lbs 2 x 10
225 lbs 1 x 8
275 lbs 1 x 2

Deads
135 lbs 1 x 10, 1 x 15
225 lbs 1 x 5, 1 x 6
275 lbs 1 x 3

I reversed my grip for deads (usually do left hand over, right hand under) today, doing left hand under and right hand over. I noticed that my lats were unequal and right was bigger, and intuited that maybe my deadlift grip had something to do with it, hence the change. My grip was sub par and I nearly dropped the barbell at 275. Reversed grip = weaker deads?

Neck Curls
35 lbs 2 x 15, 1 x 21 front and back

Shrugs + 5 s at apex
50 lbs 1 x 15, 2 x 11

[polar]

Stalin previously suggested that I change my deadlift over under grip every rep for my grip issues. Kroc rows are also great for grip strength, especially if you're working with wider grips, but that's not quite your issue by the sounds of it.

If you have a disbalance you might want to work the other side for a little while, then move to switching every rep. I've also heard guys say do an extra set for the disbalanced side.

[Steelex]

Ok personally I'm against using mixed grip or double underhand. It increases the risk of a bicep tear when you move on to heavier weights.

Ask anybody who ever tore their biceps while deadlifting and i guarantee you it was a mixed grip pull.

I'm gonna go way left field here and say that there is an internal link between your grip strength and your lower back strength... I.e during a pull your lower back and spinal erectors communicate with your hands and limit your grip strength. Pretty much most all of us can pull a lot more than we can hold bare handed.

I don't have proof but I've noticed every time I tweak my back doing deads it's because I was using straps or mixed grip. I think the body has a protective mechanism to prevent us from royally fucking our lower backs, but when we override it by using other grip mechanisms we are more likely to get hurt.

[Plus Oultre]

(10-30-2017 07:25 PM)The Man w/ the Golden Gun Wrote:  

30 min cardio

Squats
135 lbs 1 x 22
185 lbs 2 x 10
225 lbs 1 x 8
275 lbs 1 x 2

Deads
135 lbs 1 x 10, 1 x 15
225 lbs 1 x 5, 1 x 6
275 lbs 1 x 3

You are getting very close to a 315 squat; great job. Keep it up. I know you just hit the 315 in the deadlift, but I think there is no reason why your deadlifts are not up to 350 yet, and what I mean exactly is that you do have the strength to do it; it must be something to do with the technique. If you, I would carefully review technique, video yourself doing the lift and work to improve the technique.

[The Man w/ the Golden Gun]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Let's see what double overhand grip for deads and another form check with video will do.

[Plus Oultre]

Check this out:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do...eadlifting
https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/get-a...p-stronger
I will try it as well

[redbeard]

(10-31-2017 10:46 AM)Steelex Wrote:  

Ok personally I'm against using mixed grip or double underhand. It increases the risk of a bicep tear when you move on to heavier weights.

Ask anybody who ever tore their biceps while deadlifting and i guarantee you it was a mixed grip pull.

I'm gonna go way left field here and say that there is an internal link between your grip strength and your lower back strength... I.e during a pull your lower back and spinal erectors communicate with your hands and limit your grip strength. Pretty much most all of us can pull a lot more than we can hold bare handed.

I don't have proof but I've noticed every time I tweak my back doing deads it's because I was using straps or mixed grip. I think the body has a protective mechanism to prevent us from royally fucking our lower backs, but when we override it by using other grip mechanisms we are more likely to get hurt.

This is really insightful.

Do you think other pain is the same way?

I know for me, when I'm abusing forearms, my elbows start to ache. It's nothing wild but it's enough for me to say "hmmm maybe I should slow down..."

I could put on a sleeve and push through it, but I don't, for the same reason you mention above.

[Steelex]

I don't know exactly how and why, but I think it'd be wild to assume there isn't a connection.

However if you think about it from an evolutionary standpoint it makes sense. The guy who tried to lift the rock his back couldn't handle probably tore a spinal erector. In a pre historic time, this would probably mean you were dead meat and wouldn't pass on your DNA. The guy who didn't hurt himself lived on to procreate.

Granted, this is just speculation, but I think pulling heavy weight off the floor you can't hold without tricks is a recipe for injury.

[Plus Oultre]

(10-31-2017 04:26 PM)Steelex Wrote:  

I don't know exactly how and why, but I think it'd be wild to assume there isn't a connection.

However if you think about it from an evolutionary standpoint it makes sense. The guy who tried to lift the rock his back couldn't handle probably tore a spinal erector. In a pre historic time, this would probably mean you were dead meat and wouldn't pass on your DNA. The guy who didn't hurt himself lived on to procreate.

Granted, this is just speculation, but I think pulling heavy weight off the floor you can't hold without tricks is a recipe for injury.

With all due respect, from an evolutionary point it doesn't makes sense. It makes sense to lift a rock -or a heavy tree branch- using a mixed grip. This is not to defend the mixed grip but rather to point out that the injury comes from a different source.

The weakest link in the exercise is the grip, this is why you must hack it in order to lift more. A mixed grip makes you stronger, and a hook grip makes you stronger, and chalk makes you stronger. The stronger grip is probably the hook grip, but it takes thousands of repetitions to master. In my particular case, I learnt with the mixed grip and personally it is what I knew at the time and all I know. This is not to say that I will not try the hook grip. An advantage of the hook grip is that it makes your grip stronger, for what I am reading.

In my personal experience, I have always used a mixed grip and never suffered an injury. Lifting 435 lbs at a 170 lbs body weight is 2.55 body weight, after years of performing the deadlift. So the source of the injury must be something else.

So back to the weakest link, the next weakest link is your shoulders and the bicep tendon attaches in that area. I am going to guess that in order to make a heavy lift - and to make it easier on the shoulders-, you slightly bent your elbows and incidentally put the entire weight of barbell on your biceps and tore the bicep in the process. What the overhand grip does is to prevent the elbows to bend. If you use a mixed grip and you don't bend your elbow, you have nothing to worry about.

Lifting with barbells is not natural, and it is not the most efficient way to exercise, nor to build strength. It is the best we have available? For most of us, probably yes. Is the most fun? For most of us, probably yes. This is the main reason why it is extremely important to learn and stick to perfect form to avoid injury.