EB68's workout journal

[EB68]

Impressive session after feeling ill ... that 405 looked very easy for you. As always, I love the way you just walk up to the bar and rip it form the floor. The 365 reps were very smooth ... I could see you get slightly forward on your toes but you pulled it back quickly. Weighted pulls +50lbs looked great!

Thanks Andrew. That slight slip up on the 365 set pulled something pretty good in my lower back. It has started to hurt worse as the day goes on. I will Ice it down tonight, and have been taking Ibuprofin. Hopefully it will be short lived.

Vid worked for me today Eric and has music- crazy Youtube moment I assume for the other day
that rep looked pretty easy, no wonder you seemed well pleased with it

great deadlift session today also -405 went up really nicely and the 365 looked easy on 1st rep, but I saw what you mean about the bar moving forward for the 2nd one

I bet that pendlay rowing felt harder than it needed to with a complaining lower back from the deadlift
hopefully the back and the stomach issue clear quickly for you

Thanks Steve. The Pendlay's didn't really hurt much, just leaning over and standing back up causes pain, doesn't really hurt once I am bent over. The stomach issue is over today, I am thinking it was something I ate yesterday. Once my system was cleared of everything I had consumed in the last month I felt great.

I decided to skip out on an extra session tonight, my back pain has progressed as the day has went on and I figured some rest would be much wiser.
Today's food

[Plateauplower]

Excellent a new page. My iPad kept crashing when I tried to open your journal on page 121. I think the vids were too much data or something. Anyway, sorry to hear about the back, mine took almost a month so far, and felt good today but I'm proceeding with caution. I tried commenting on that chest session sevral days ago with the million reps of DB flyes seemed like a punishing end to a great session. Hope you feel better and take care of the back. I iced mine regularly the first 3 days, but then would stand in the shower and let the hot water blast it after that, that seemed to help me stretch it out and try moving things around.

[raynerd]

Awesome work Eric! 3 big pulls at 405 are more than impressive! They looked great to me (says the guy on his way to snap city )
Going to have to live through your big deads for a while as I go back to the drawing board! Awesome work on the chins and Pendlays!

[EB68]

Excellent a new page. My iPad kept crashing when I tried to open your journal on page 121. I think the vids were too much data or something. Anyway, sorry to hear about the back, mine took almost a month so far, and felt good today but I'm proceeding with caution. I tried commenting on that chest session sevral days ago with the million reps of DB flyes seemed like a punishing end to a great session. Hope you feel better and take care of the back. I iced mine regularly the first 3 days, but then would stand in the shower and let the hot water blast it after that, that seemed to help me stretch it out and try moving things around.

Thanks Tim. I like the heavy volume with the Flyes. Really pumps my chest up good. My back is feeling pretty good today. Still a little finicky, but not hurting much at all. I have been sleeping on a couple of ice packs, then standing in the shower with the water as hot as I can stand running on it once I wake up. That seems to help mine too.

Awesome work Eric! 3 big pulls at 405 are more than impressive! They looked great to me (says the guy on his way to snap city )
Going to have to live through your big deads for a while as I go back to the drawing board! Awesome work on the chins and Pendlays!

Thanks Shawn. Not likely going to be pulling many heavy Deads for the next week or two.
I know I will be having some of Andrew's mindfuks with the deads for a while after last week.

[EB68]

Today was Arm/Shoulder day and here it is.
Skull Crusher/Olympic Bar Curl supersets
Barx15/Barx15
65x12/55x12
75x12/65x12
85x10/75x10
85x10/75x10
85x10/75x10

Military press/BB Shrug supersets
BARX10/135X20
65x10/135x20
85x8/135x20
95x5/135x20
105x5/135x20
115x1

EZ-bar Tricep press/concentration curl supersets
55x20/25x20
55x20/25x18
55x20/25x16
55x17/25x15 (video below)
55x15/25x12

That was it for today. Felt really weak on the OHP's, my Triceps were burning like crazy and made it hard to get it up on the OHP. Traps are pumped like crazy after 100 reps with 135. Arms were about to blow through the skin after the last run of supersets.
My Back is feeling pretty good, just get a slight pain once in a while when bending over or raising my left leg.
Today's food

[fittofattofit]

Thanks Shawn. Not likely going to be pulling many heavy Deads for the next week or two.
I know I will be having some of Andrew's mindfuks with the deads for a while after last week.

i'm glad to hear that the back is settling ..... you don't want dem mindfcuks on the deadlifts

Session looked good today and the 115 looked strong once you tuned in. Biceps looked like they were tearing through the skin during this last few reps on the curls!

[SteveWright1]

good news on the rows not affecting your back more Eric

nice work with 105 x 5 OHP and then single with 115 to follow
never tried supersetting with shrugs, but I imagine it made those OHP feel much heavier due to accumulated shoulder fatigue

[Plateauplower]

Nice work, looks like another pump inducing volume monster. I went in for some bonus deads today, I was apprehensive but got some good work in. I think tweaking my back and having it heal (as in nothing too serious) was almost a blessing in disguise, I was starting to develope some minor issues with not focusing on the importance of maintaining strict form. I was just lifting the weight a lot of times. Could have turned out much worse. The good thing is when I keep my form very tight there is no pain. Have a good weekend.

[raynerd]

Huge arm and shoulder day Eric! Those OHP have to be tough after all that Tri and bi work beforehand. Glad the back is getting better. Awesome work!

[EB68]

Today was Leg day and here it is.

Squats
Barx12
135x10
225x10
275x5
275x5
275x4
225x8

SLDL
135x10
185x8
225x8
225x8
225x8

Goblet Squats
40x12
70x10
70x10
70x10
70x10

Leg Extensions
90x15
115x12
135x10
135x10
135x10

That was it for today. Long day at work and several things to get done afterward so workout was Late. I almost skipped out today, but glad I didn't.
Back is tight but no pain today. Today's food

[raynerd]

Lots of work for almost skipping Eric. I like your squat vids, you keep very tight in the back and make them look effortless.
Great to see the goblet vids, you get real deep with them and all that volume today was killer. Hard work bud!

[fittofattofit]

I agree with Shawn ... you are making those squats look easy and that was a load of volume. Really consistent with your form and nice and deep with those goblets. All that volume you did with GVT looks to be paying off with the stamina today

[EB68]

i'm glad to hear that the back is settling ..... you don't want dem mindfcuks on the deadlifts

Session looked good today and the 115 looked strong once you tuned in. Biceps looked like they were tearing through the skin during this last few reps on the curls!

Thanks Andrew. I know I will be a little weary on the deadlifts for a while, but hopefully I c an keep the weight moving up on them. The biceps and triceps were pumped really well after that session. I wish they would stay that size for a few days instead of a few minutes though.

good news on the rows not affecting your back more Eric

nice work with 105 x 5 OHP and then single with 115 to follow
never tried supersetting with shrugs, but I imagine it made those OHP feel much heavier due to accumulated shoulder fatigue

Thanks Steve. The rows felt good and as long as I keep my back tight they have no affect on the tweak. The OHP felt really heavy and I should have settled for the 105x5, but it made me feel good to get the 115 even with a little cheating.

Nice work, looks like another pump inducing volume monster. I went in for some bonus deads today, I was apprehensive but got some good work in. I think tweaking my back and having it heal (as in nothing too serious) was almost a blessing in disguise, I was starting to develope some minor issues with not focusing on the importance of maintaining strict form. I was just lifting the weight a lot of times. Could have turned out much worse. The good thing is when I keep my form very tight there is no pain. Have a good weekend.

Thanks Tim. I feel the same way, having a minor ache here and there to remind me of my form is much better than a major issue. I too tend to get in the zone where I just move the weight and call it done with little regard to form. Thankfully we both have minor issues that will clear up over time.

Huge arm and shoulder day Eric! Those OHP have to be tough after all that Tri and bi work beforehand. Glad the back is getting better. Awesome work!

Thanks Shawn. I always plan to swap out the shoulder/Arm exercises and start with shoulders every other time, but never seem to do it. I would love to do them on separate days, but just haven't managed to have a week without some derailment yet. Back is feeling pretty good, hope it stays that way.

Lots of work for almost skipping Eric. I like your squat vids, you keep very tight in the back and make them look effortless.
Great to see the goblet vids, you get real deep with them and all that volume today was killer. Hard work bud!

Thanks Shawn. I am going to try and keep my ego in check for a while and not get hung up on chasing numbers each week. Yesterday was just about getting some work done and trying to build some strength. After a few weeks I will give the 345 another try and if it doesn't go, then I will go back to some heavy volume. The 275x5 sets were very tough even if they didn't look like it. I would like to work up to some 315x3 sets, or even 315x5 but that will take some time.

I agree with Shawn ... you are making those squats look easy and that was a load of volume. Really consistent with your form and nice and deep with those goblets. All that volume you did with GVT looks to be paying off with the stamina today

Thanks Andrew. I may have went too deep on the goblets, you can see a lot of buttwink on them, not sure if that is bad or not. They sure set my Quads on fire though.

Sorry I didn't get back with everyone yesterday, I was worn out after the Leg session and had been up for 23 hours. I had a quick shake and hit the bed.

[fittofattofit]

Sorry I didn't get back with everyone yesterday, I was worn out after the Leg session and had been up for 23 hours. I had a quick shake and hit the bed.

Soft!
Should've forced yourself into a deadlift session after an hour's sleep to wake up

[EB68]

Soft!
Should've forced yourself into a deadlift session after an hour's sleep to wake up

Thanks Andrew. I feel like such a sissy lately


I have been out of commission for the last several days. I have the Flu and a sinus infection and haven't been out of bed for more than a few minutes at a time since Sunday.
I finally got up enough strength to go to the doctor yesterday and got some treatment. They wanted to put me in the hospital, but I refused. My temperature was 103, and I was severely dehydrated. They kept me for a few hours until my fever got down to 100 and I had consumed a couple of bottles of pedialyte before they would let me go home. 3 shots and four prescriptions later I am able to get up today and walk around briefly. My joints and muscles are so sore I can barely move though. I took the week off work and from lifting too. I haven't ate hardly anything and have lost 9 pounds since Saturday morning.
Hopefully I will be over this crap in a few days and can get back to life as usual.
Looks like I can skip the upcoming cut and just continue the lean bulk now.

[raynerd]

Holy crap Eric! Sounds like you are sick as faaak! Hope you feel better soon bud. Take care.

[Plateauplower]

That's awful man, hope you feel better soon. Keep the fluids up, can really screw yourself up getting severely dehydrated like that. Hope you bounce back quickly, been a long time since I had a fever like that, that's rough.

[Plateauplower]

Hope your on the mend. Volume squats will break a fever...

[mirroroferised]

Missed that update on you being sick. Sorry to hear man, hope you're better soon.

[trickyB]

Dang that sucks, take care of yourself. The iron will be there waiting.

[EB68]

Holy crap Eric! Sounds like you are sick as faaak! Hope you feel better soon bud. Take care.

Thanks Shawn. I have been crazy sick for sure. Hopefully I am on the mend now.

That's awful man, hope you feel better soon. Keep the fluids up, can really screw yourself up getting severely dehydrated like that. Hope you bounce back quickly, been a long time since I had a fever like that, that's rough.

Thanks Tim. I really got screwed up with the Flu and a sinus infection, followed by a stomach virus. Things are much better now though.

Hope your on the mend. Volume squats will break a fever...

Thanks Tim. No volume squats for now, hopefully by Friday I will be ready for them.

Missed that update on you being sick. Sorry to hear man, hope you're better soon.

Thanks Dave I am feeling much better now.

Dang that sucks, take care of yourself. The iron will be there waiting.

Thanks. I think I am ready to get back after it now.

[EB68]

Today was Chest day and here it is.

BB Benchpress
Barx12
95x10
135x10
155x5 (video below)
185x0 (video below)
175x2 (video below)
135x8 (video below)
135x8

Reverse Grip Benchpress
95x10
95x10
95x10

Incline Flyes
25'sx15
30'sx12
35'sx10
35'sx10
35'sx10

That was it for today. The past two weeks have been terrible. I had the Flu along with a sinus infection, and just as I was about past that I got a stomach virus. I lost 12 or 13 pounds over two weeks, pretty much everything I had gained in the last 5 or 6 months.
I have lost a lot of size and strength, along with a load of endurance. Fortunately other than a touch of diarrhea I am pretty much over it all now. My appetite is coming back and I have some energy now so all I can do is eat good and lift heavy to try and get it all back. I failed at 185 today and quickly threw 175 on there for 2 afterward. I had just worked up to 205 before the sickness.
Today's food

[SteveWright1]

12- 13 lbs lost over 2 weeks sounds serious Eric
hope you are now firmly on the way to full recovery
good bench session today under the circumstances, just getting yourself in the gym at times like this is a credit to you in my opinion

175 x 2 looked so easy , and the 155 and 135s looked like you were throwing up an empty bar
it will not take you long once fully recovered to be back to and then exceeding the pre established numbers
so rest, recover, and eat

[raynerd]

So happy you are on the mend Eric. Your absence had me worried. I ran myself down a few years back and almost died from simple strep throat.

Back on the horse! Good to see, the weight and strength will be back in a couple weeks and the road to gainsville will be paved. Good session back man, and happy you are getting better

[EB68]

12- 13 lbs lost over 2 weeks sounds serious Eric
hope you are now firmly on the way to full recovery
good bench session today under the circumstances, just getting yourself in the gym at times like this is a credit to you in my opinion

175 x 2 looked so easy , and the 155 and 135s looked like you were throwing up an empty bar
it will not take you long once fully recovered to be back to and then exceeding the pre established numbers
so rest, recover, and eat

Thanks Steve. It is unreal how easy it is to lose size and strength, compared to how hard it is to gain it. Hopefully it won't take me too long to get back to where I was and then proceed forward from there.

So happy you are on the mend Eric. Your absence had me worried. I ran myself down a few years back and almost died from simple strep throat.

Back on the horse! Good to see, the weight and strength will be back in a couple weeks and the road to gainsville will be paved. Good session back man, and happy you are getting better

Thanks Shawn. I think I was pretty ran down and must have had a compromised Immune system allowing me to catch everything at once. Maybe I got enough sickness over with to last me a year or two.

I had planned to lift today, but got home early and started some yard work. I got carried away and didn't realize how long I was out there. I will just try to get some sleep this evening and get on the back session tomorrow.

[mirroroferised]

That's brutal how much weight you lost Eric. Hopefully you can put a good chunk of that back on fairly quickly.

[trickyB]

Glad to hear you are feeling better. Sounds familiar. I think we don't realize how much we ask of our bodies living this lifestyle. I think the muscle will come back in time.

[fittofattofit]

I'm glad to see you back Eric and I wouldn't worry too much about the 12lbs you lost ... your body will be ready to soak up the nutrients and you'll regain that size and strength in a few weeks. You're still looking big and lean in the vids even if you've been feeling like sh!te the last two weeks

[EB68]

That's brutal how much weight you lost Eric. Hopefully you can put a good chunk of that back on fairly quickly.

Thanks Dave. It took a lot out of me but I am getting it back fairly quick. Back up to 161 this morning.

Glad to hear you are feeling better. Sounds familiar. I think we don't realize how much we ask of our bodies living this lifestyle. I think the muscle will come back in time.

Thanks. Hopefully the strength will come back quick.

I'm glad to see you back Eric and I wouldn't worry too much about the 12lbs you lost ... your body will be ready to soak up the nutrients and you'll regain that size and strength in a few weeks. You're still looking big and lean in the vids even if you've been feeling like sh!te the last two weeks

Thanks Andrew. I hope you are right. I feel tiny and weak right now.

[EB68]

Today was Back day and here it is.

Deadlifts
135x12
225x10
315x6
365x1
405x0
315x8
315x7
315x6

Chin-ups
BWx12
BWx10
BWx10
BWx10
BWx9

Pendlay Rows
135x10
135x10
135x10
135x10

That was it for today. 365 felt really heavy and I had already convinced myself 405 wouldn't happen. I worked outside all afternoon yesterday and most of the day today, so I missed this session yesterday, but will still get them all in this week.
I weighed 161 this morning, hopefully I can get back to 170 soon.
Today's food