JohnB's Journey

[jshaw5]

Hey man, I didn't realize you revived your log. Good to see you're back. Other than Macenko for bench, what's your programming like these days?

[johnblythe]

Hey man, I didn't realize you revived your log. Good to see you're back. Other than Macenko for bench, what's your programming like these days?

yerp. trying to, at least.

i'm seriously tempted to do TM, but i think i'm going to wait a bit longer. two reasons for that: 1) i don't want the caloric surplus that comes along with it, i'm close to my cutting goal but still not there yet (currently taking more of a recomp approach instead), 2) RPT has worked really well for all my lifts the past 4 or so months so no need to 'fix' it if it's not currently broken

all that to say, i've been doing RPT. taper down from a top set while adding 1-2 reps each set. 3-4 weeks later add 5 (bench) or 10 (dl/sq) pounds, rinse, repeat. if all continues to go well w/ that then i'll be at 325-335 for reps on squat and 465+x1 on deads while macenko gets me to 205-225 on bench for my 1k goal.

[johnblythe]

[size=3]RPT

Barbell Squat:
45 lb x 10 reps (+42 pts)
135 lb x 6 reps (+70 pts)
225 lb x 4 reps (+110 pts)
295 lb x 1 reps (+106 pts)
325 lb x 2 reps (+160 pts)
295 lb x 4 reps (+177 pts)
265 lb x 6 reps (+168 pts)

Felt real weak on these. Everything felt heavy. I was thinking through 315x5 last night and was getting anxious since I've been off for over a week, decided to man up and rep out 325. Crappy half squats ftl :\ will get'm next time. may drop back to 305 or 315 next week, will judge by the last warm-up single.

Chin-Up:
5 reps (+32 pts)
5 reps || weighted || 25 lb (+47 pts)
5 reps || weighted || 25 lb (+47 pts)
5 reps || weighted || 25 lb (+47 pts)
10 reps || weighted || 10 lb (+92 pts)

nothing much here, just a lil' rawr.

notes: thought i'd do better than i did cause i was feeling good yesterday. probably a mixture of terrible nutrition last week and nothing physical besides two quick runs. muscle/body control was certainly rusty as the weight went up. should be (hopefully!) back to a better groove next week.

[jshaw5]

Nice "weak" squats man. Strong weighted chins too, I need to start doing those again.

What's your diet like now? How much more are you trying to lose?

I'd definitely recommend TM once you end your cut. I think it's the best program out there for progressing squats.

[johnblythe]

Nice "weak" squats man. Strong weighted chins too, I need to start doing those again.

What's your diet like now? How much more are you trying to lose?

I'd definitely recommend TM once you end your cut. I think it's the best program out there for progressing squats.

ha, they felt super weak and uncontrolled, and were pretty shallow feeling as well

diet is eyeballing, actually. i've been toying w/ going back to weighing. i stopped about 1.5-2 months ago cause for 3 or so weeks i saw no more weight loss and just got weary of weighing, logging, etc., and, since we have a few stock meals i can eyeball it pretty well now. i have fluctuated up and down about 1-2 pounds from 187, so 186-189'ish on any given day.

would like to push through to another 5-10 lost, probably, though i'm just guesstimating at this point. good news is that despite no actual loss i've had 3 or 4 people mention me losing weight the past two weeks, so the recomping seems to be working overall and strength has progressed fairly well all the while, too.

once i'm done/satisfied, i'll def be moving to TM to join all my strongbrahs like yourself

[johnblythe]

so.freaking.sore.

my butt. my quads. my gawd. everything hurts. o. and the abz from chins. the few times i've sneezed today i about died.

taking a week+ off is no fun to come off of.

in other news, second macenko workout tomorrow. hoorah!

[wick]

do some foam rolling! Painful but youll feel heaps better afterwards

[johnblythe]

do some foam rolling! Painful but youll feel heaps better afterwards

meh, i probably should. didn't think about it cause it's been packed away. gah, this is gonna suck

[MatTheCur]

meh, i probably should. didn't think about it cause it's been packed away. gah, this is gonna suck

Completely agreed... But SOOOOOO worth it!

Wait. I hope it sucks... "Weak" squats @ 325? Pfft. You butt.

[Woody-5]

Nice squats mate!
and for the record, 3+ plates for reps is not weak

[johnblythe]

Completely agreed... But SOOOOOO worth it!

Wait. I hope it sucks... "Weak" squats @ 325? Pfft. You butt.

gonna do it probably. benching right now and getting into position suuuuucked, but has gotten better every set. about to walk the dogs after i'm done, too.

ha. didn't think about the assery of my saying that. funny how things change. few months ago i drooled at 315 for reps. they felt weak b/c of terrible body control, ultra intensity, and depth was more than subpar.

Nice squats mate!
and for the record, 3+ plates for reps is not weak

thanks man. you and mattie are right, but i still need them to be stronger next week elsewise i'll never catch up w/ you!

[johnblythe]

Macenko 1.2

Barbell Bench Press:
45 lb x 15 reps (+45 pts)
95 lb x 10 reps (+59 pts)
115 lb x 8 reps (+65 pts)
145 lb x 6 reps (+75 pts)
150 lb x 5 reps (+73 pts)
150 lb x 5 reps (+73 pts)
150 lb x 5 reps (+73 pts)
145 lb x 5 reps (+70 pts)
145 lb x 5 reps (+70 pts)

not too bad. still getting in the groove. biggest issue was joints. wrists tried to fold two or three times, elbow area felt semi tendinitis'ish. thankfully never got real bad. gotta get back into habit of fish oil.

Barbell Shrug:
135 lb x 15 reps (+30 pts)
185 lb x 10 reps (+40 pts)
245 lb x 10 reps (+61 pts)
185 lb x 10 reps (+40 pts)

didn't have a chance for these after squats the other day

Walking:
0:45:00 (+26 pts)
chilling out with the wife, kid, and dogs

notes: good sesh. actually took a while cause i was jumping on my laptop in between sets to browse, work, etc.

[johnblythe]

RPT - Deadlifts
Stiff-Legged Barbell Deadlift:
45 lb x 15 reps (+45 pts)
135 lb x 10 reps (+77 pts)

couldn't go all the way down cause i was so sore and stiff still from thursday's squat session. started cramping pretty bad midway through first warm up set.

Barbell Deadlift:

225 lb x 8 reps (+137 pts)
315 lb x 4 reps (+202 pts)
375 lb x 3 reps (+266 pts)

was planning on working 415x5 but 225 even felt somewhat heavy, terribly sore, real difficult to do much here so i went light.

notes: soooooo sore. omg. ridonkulous. my right hammie cramped in mid of 45 warm up and left butt cheek during 135. almost called it quits then but didn't want to give up. even 225 felt heavy which is stupid. 375 (or 385 actually) is a warm up set usually, but x3 was tough and heavy cause of lack of hamstring usage i guess.

sucks. was wanting progress today, but whatever, gotta take what you're given. that week off really jacked me w/ DOMs after the squat sesh the other day.

onward.

[Woody-5]

Smart move not to push it. Start attempting PRs when things are too tight is a good recipe for injury
375x3 is still some respectable pulling!

[johnblythe]

Smart move not to push it. Start attempting PRs when things are too tight is a good recipe for injury
375x3 is still some respectable pulling!

ya, had to fight my pride and be wise. well, only somewhat. the fight wasn't too hard since my legs were actually cramping up and making the work near impossible

meh, 375 is warm up weights and i was really wanting to get myself primed to start moving forward again next week. 415x3 would've been just that. i've done x4 or maybe x5 on it, so x3 was going to get me back in the groove to hit 425x3 and onward to get ready for my max pull in a month. extra annoying cause of having missed last week's session being out of town.

oh well. will work extra hard next week to make up for lost time.

thanks dude

[mstatefan91]

Points????

[johnblythe]

Points????

ya mang. i use fitocracy.com to track my stuff. great social app for fitness tracking and all. keeps things fun and social, but also aids me in quickly referencing PRs, previous performance of the movement i'm tracking, etc.

if you're interested sign up here: http://ftcy.me/6uwGZd

it's easier to just copy and paste over here, throw bold on the movement names, and then be done with it.

[MatTheCur]

Two words... Foam Roller.

[johnblythe]

Two words... Foam Roller.

i used it for a few minutes on saturday and went for a walk to get some good blood flow and stretch. going full blast after a week off was just too much. and, remember, squatting once a week with a week off = two actual weeks between the sessions. paaaaaain!

[johnblythe]

and, for the record, i'm still sore today, though it feels more like normal doms at this point. i'm able to get around w/o hobbling and groaning, ha.

[MatTheCur]

i used it for a few minutes on saturday and went for a walk to get some good blood flow and stretch. going full blast after a week off was just too much. and, remember, squatting once a week with a week off = two actual weeks between the sessions. paaaaaain!

>50 rolls in either direction or bust

I was off for 7 weeks, then again for two weeks... Your point bein'? SUCK IT UP JOHNNY B! <3

[johnblythe]

>50 rolls in either direction or bust

I was off for 7 weeks, then again for two weeks... Your point bein'? SUCK IT UP JOHNNY B! <3

you didn't jump straight back in mang. i was stupid and went for a PR, ha. operative word "stupid"

[mstatefan91]

ya mang. i use fitocracy.com to track my stuff. great social app for fitness tracking and all. keeps things fun and social, but also aids me in quickly referencing PRs, previous performance of the movement i'm tracking, etc.

if you're interested sign up here: http://ftcy.me/6uwGZd

it's easier to just copy and paste over here, throw bold on the movement names, and then be done with it.

Interdasting. I spend enough time keeping up with my stuff on here and excel without adding in something new. lol

I think I'll just stick with looking at pounds and reps.

[johnblythe]

Interdasting. I spend enough time keeping up with my stuff on here and excel without adding in something new. lol

I think I'll just stick with looking at pounds and reps.

i feel ya. that's why i disappeared, actually. was spending soooo much time on here and in my little logging mechanisms. fito allowed me to just enter the data and let them do the heavy lifting of things. the points/leveling/social aspect is all just icing. it saved me a ton of time compared to being on here, especially since i didn't get have 6-12 reall good logs to follow obsessively anymore.

i'm trying to bridge the two worlds now. the motivation on here is great. the ease of fito is awesome. living in the middle now

[johnblythe]

Macenko 2.1

Barbell Bench Press:
45 lb x 15 reps (+45 pts)
95 lb x 10 reps (+59 pts)
115 lb x 8 reps (+65 pts)
145 lb x 6 reps (+75 pts)
(150x5) <--whoops
160 lb x 4 reps (+71 pts)
160 lb x 4 reps (+71 pts)
160 lb x 4 reps (+71 pts)
150 lb x 10 reps (+86 pts)

macenko 2.1. went well. i botched it, though. thought it jumped from 145 to working sets, so i missed out on that 150x5 in between :\ oh well, will get it next go'round

Barbell Squat:
45 lb x 10 reps (+42 pts)
135 lb x 10 reps (+77 pts)
225 lb x 5 reps (+121 pts)

some lighter work to stretch out, work on form, etc., especially after last week destroyed my legs. felt the same area of my right hammie start to be tender/tighten-up after that 225 set so i bailed on doing one or two more like i had planned.

hopefully will start making time for some form work and experimenting on one of these macenko days.

cliffs: nothing important or impressive. only issue was me missing that one set :\ o, and in other news, i'm down a little in weight. that's great considering i eyeball everything now and have been eating pretty liberally as of late (not to mention terribly during that week out of town). sounds good to me

[mstatefan91]

I've been eyeballing my food lately too. I think I'm just a little burned out on keeping up with calories and such at the moment. I've made sure to get enough protein in the day and have pretty much let everything else slide.

[jshaw5]

Nice work man. I wouldn't worry about the missed set, you made up for it banging out 10 reps on that last set

[johnblythe]

I've been eyeballing my food lately too. I think I'm just a little burned out on keeping up with calories and such at the moment. I've made sure to get enough protein in the day and have pretty much let everything else slide.

yup. i did it for so long that i now know my ball park. two chicken dense meals and 1-2 scoops of whey alongside each of those meals = plenty of protein. add in beans for carbs and protein, some potatoes or quinoa and some delicious guilty pleasure (currently in a Lucky Charms phase ) and i will hit my carb intake more or less whilst keeping fats low. all that on training days, of course, since i do the carb cycling deal.

it's a nice mental break for sure. may start dialing in on the scale again next week until christmas week just to double check what i'm doing and help get the fat loss moving a bit faster again so i can get to bulk/strength routine sooner than later.

Nice work man. I wouldn't worry about the missed set, you made up for it banging out 10 reps on that last set

seems to be the consensus on gangbang thread, too. thanks man!

[moshvr]

Subbed. Looks like good work going on in here!

[johnblythe]

Subbed. Looks like good work going on in here!

thanks man, glad to have you!