The Journey Of A Lifetime: MikeWines' Relentless Pursuit

[ThousandEyes]

Well the larger issue is I don't like a lot of fattier foods, so I tend to just put cheese on meats and I just do it to make sure I get micros and macros in check and not worry so much about it.

Let's me keep it off my mind which is a step in the right direction for me.

As for the gym, ironically people are more helpful at the rough and tumbled gyms since it kinda shows you're there to lift lol

[MikeWines]

O hey now more red blinding text

Eh, it's red but it's still on that poverty level, gotta get em up!

Well the larger issue is I don't like a lot of fattier foods, so I tend to just put cheese on meats and I just do it to make sure I get micros and macros in check and not worry so much about it.

Let's me keep it off my mind which is a step in the right direction for me.

As for the gym, ironically people are more helpful at the rough and tumbled gyms since it kinda shows you're there to lift lol

Been on dat cheese/egg/pb train today. Can't complain, it feels good so far.

Yeah I've noticed the same thing. Also, the quiet guys in the gym are usually the ones who are throwing around the most weight, not the ones in the bro tanks benching 4 days/wk.






























Macros for the day:

[determined4000]

I tend to just put cheese on meats

[Strength93]

Nahh I don't have a log. I tried once, but it takes too much of my time - school, work, gym and social gatherings you know.

[MikeWines]

Pull #1 (3x8-10)
(weight x reps x sets)

RED=PR
GREEN=Rep/Volume PR

A1: RDL +2 sets
175x10
175x10
175x10

A2: PULLUPS
BWx5
BWx5
BWx5
BWx5
BWx5
BWx5

A3: BB GOOD MORNING
85x12
95x12
105x12

DB ROW +5lbs
65sx12
65sx12
65sx12

B1: ROUNDED BACK EXTENSION +10lbs
BW+10x12
BW+10x15
BW+10x20



B2: HS HIGH ROW +1 set
2ppsx10
2ppsx10
2ppsx10

C1: INCLINE DB CURL
22.5sx10
22.5sx10
22.5sx10

C2: REVERSE DELT FLY
65x20
50x25
50x25

Thoughts - MW: 167.4
-Glutes are forever sore lately, gotta keep up with my mobility work or else I end up walking funny all the time. haha Was lacking intensity and drive today. Gotta start getting a little more sleep to help my recovery but I keep staying up late to chill with people. Wasn't exactly the most enjoyable session but I got through it none the less. Thanks for following everybody.

DAILY READS:
http://bretcontreras.com/three-tips-...ore-effective/
http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/...-pain-no-gain/

[determined4000]

articles directed at me?

[MikeWines]

articles directed at me?

No, not at all. Just a couple new ones that came out today so I posted em up.

[determined4000]

No, not at all. Just a couple new ones that came out today so I posted em up.

well they were timely

[ErikTheElectric]

Sorry to hear about the lack of intensity. However, it's still good that you got a workout in. I'm liking the daily reads dude. Thanks for including them!

Hope things are going well dude.
Take it easy.

[Bronzzi]

I also feel extra sluggish/foggy daily. Except at the gym and straight after eating. I sleep 7-8 hours a night. I think it could be my fats being low around 30-40g a day although I'm bulking. Should I up my fats?

[MikeWines]

well they were timely

Sorry to hear about the lack of intensity. However, it's still good that you got a workout in. I'm liking the daily reads dude. Thanks for including them!

Hope things are going well dude.
Take it easy.

Glad they were helpful for both of ya'll! I was hoping someone was actually reading them once in a while. ha

I also feel extra sluggish/foggy daily. Except at the gym and straight after eating. I sleep 7-8 hours a night. I think it could be my fats being low around 30-40g a day although I'm bulking. Should I up my fats?

You eat that little EVERY day?!?

[Bronzzi]

On training days, on rest days around 80g, averaging daily around 50g

[jgreenhaus]

On training days, on rest days around 80g, averaging daily around 50g

Too low son.
I would suggest at the verrry least 60f a day. That stuff is important for healthy testosterone function. 100g a day crew checking in

[Crucifist]

Too low son.
I would suggest at the verrry least 60f a day. That stuff is important for healthy testosterone function. 100g a day crew checking in

Depends on how often he is training. A couple of lower fat days in the week isn't going to wreck his hormonal profile if he's still making his "quota" the rest of the time. Having said that, my personal preferences are more along the lines of your recommendations for days when I want more carbs. I also don't much care for the idea of a fat intake that low for anything more than three workouts a week, frankly. Even averaging 50 grams, that is a bit low.

[MikeWines]

On training days, on rest days around 80g, averaging daily around 50g

Hmm well you could try more, that's what I'm doing personally. I was at 70-80g/day but now it's 90+. Not only is fat important for hormones, it also helps to low certain inflammatory factors and responses generated by training so you may find it more conducive to tissue and joint health. Depends on the person though. Try it out and experiment, what have you got to lose honestly? If you end up feeling better in the end, wouldn't it be worth it to just face your fears and actually do it?

Too low son.
I would suggest at the verrry least 60f a day. That stuff is important for healthy testosterone function. 100g a day crew checking in

65 is my bare minimum for my weight but I like to be above that by a bit even on my low days. I would say fat sources and ratios (Omege 3:6) are even more important than the actual number at the end of the day.

Depends on how often he is training. A couple of lower fat days in the week isn't going to wreck his hormonal profile if he's still making his "quota" the rest of the time. Having said that, my personal preferences are more along the lines of your recommendations for days when I want more carbs. I also don't much care for the idea of a fat intake that low for anything more than three workouts a week, frankly. Even averaging 50 grams, that is a bit low.

Kind of like leangains protocol huh? I've thought about doing this type of cyclical intake but never tried it out. I would imagine it might help with recompositioning as Martin has said?

[MikeWines]

Recovery
Rumble Rolling/Lax Ball Work - 60min
Dynamic Mobility/Banded Stretching - 30min
Rowing - 10min

Misc. - MW: 167.4
Dang, so many distractions late at night, I need some more sleep. Me and my roommate were blasting some jams last night and all of a sudden 6 girls popped up in our room and started dancing. I mean I wasn't gonna kick em out...hahah O well, just decided to take the day off and move HIIT to friday or saturday and shuffle around my training sessions. I could tell as soon as I woke up that my CNS wasn't ready to train so it all worked out anyways. Thinking about raising cals but I kind of want to focus on the weight on the bar even more than the weight on the scale. I realize that eventually I'll have to put on more weight if I want more muscle but there's some guys who are pulling 450 and squatting 350 @ 167 so I've got quite a long ways to go. That and the fact that I still feel like a little kid when I'm in the weight room. Yeah I've got alot of knowledge and experience but I'm still weak as an 8th grader. /rant.

DAILY READS:
http://www.jtsstrength.com/articles/.../04/squat-101/
http://deansomerset.com/2013/09/04/d...lute-strength/
http://www.tonygentilcore.com/blog/t...your-deadlift/
http://jasonferruggia.com/5-killer-conditioning-drills/

[Bronzzi]

Yep, leangains protocol, I just love my carbs too much I started doing it because lean gains protocol says that when eating in surplus fats tend to put easier fat mass on than carbs.. Sounds pretty bro, I know, but I thought it was cool. Gotta up my fats a bit 10g more on training days and 20-30g more on rest days. That makes me averaging around 60g.

Btw, just ate 5 whole eggs

[Crucifist]

Yep, leangains protocol, I just love my carbs too much I started doing it because lean gains protocol says that when eating in surplus fats tend to put easier fat mass on than carbs..

It is true that the body is far more inclined to store dietary fat in fat stores than lean protein or carbohydrate. It's not the be-all end-all though. Some people do very poorly with this type of set-up.

Kind of like leangains protocol huh? I've thought about doing this type of cyclical intake but never tried it out. I would imagine it might help with recompositioning as Martin has said?

See above. In theory the idea is to minimize fat storage through cyclical dieting, which is indeed the premise behind the "recomposition" (rough maintenance) idea. It may also help to minimize fat gains on an overall bulking protocol. Additionally, it indirectly places a subtle cap on the amount of junk you can eat since most "junk food" contains a very noticeable fat content. It's just as much to promote better food choices for people who like to abuse the idea of DCA/IIFYM.

The real problem I see is that someone with a history of disordered habits could fall into a bit of a trap with such a protocol (re: noez I cannot haz cheeseburger tonight with family 'cause low fat macros!1!!11one). I'd only attempt it if you're very sure that you are past that point. The other thing to mention is that you personally would want to take very careful stock of energy levels on such a protocol. You mentioned little "spikes" that seem to have been alleviated by a higher fat intake, so you would want to monitor your bodily reaction very closely during this period.

I personally like the idea of having more carbs on days I am lifting simply because I feel like it helps restore my energy levels after strenuous exercise. I usually don't have as many on rest days because I simply don't need them as much, and I really enjoy my cheese, PB and J's, etc. Of course, my idea of a truly great PB and J averages about four tablespoons of PB and about the same amount of jelly. Served on french toasted bread, of course.

[MikeWines]

Yep, leangains protocol, I just love my carbs too much I started doing it because lean gains protocol says that when eating in surplus fats tend to put easier fat mass on than carbs.. Sounds pretty bro, I know, but I thought it was cool. Gotta up my fats a bit 10g more on training days and 20-30g more on rest days. That makes me averaging around 60g.

Btw, just ate 5 whole eggs

I might try out a cyclical approach given the fact that I respond very well to carbs post training but they seem to make me sluggish on rest days...6 eggs/day crew checking in. Still gotta hit that dozen egg omelet soon, it's calling my name.

It is true that the body is far more inclined to store dietary fat in fat stores than lean protein or carbohydrate. It's not the be-all end-all though. Some people do very poorly with this type of set-up.



See above. In theory the idea is to minimize fat storage through cyclical dieting, which is indeed the premise behind the "recomposition" (rough maintenance) idea. It may also help to minimize fat gains on an overall bulking protocol. Additionally, it indirectly places a subtle cap on the amount of junk you can eat since most "junk food" contains a very noticeable fat content. It's just as much to promote better food choices for people who like to abuse the idea of DCA/IIFYM.

The real problem I see is that someone with a history of disordered habits could fall into a bit of a trap with such a protocol (re: noez I cannot haz cheeseburger tonight with family 'cause low fat macros!1!!11one). I'd only attempt it if you're very sure that you are past that point. The other thing to mention is that you personally would want to take very careful stock of energy levels on such a protocol. You mentioned little "spikes" that seem to have been alleviated by a higher fat intake, so you would want to monitor your bodily reaction very closely during this period.

I personally like the idea of having more carbs on days I am lifting simply because I feel like it helps restore my energy levels after strenuous exercise. I usually don't have as many on rest days because I simply don't need them as much, and I really enjoy my cheese, PB and J's, etc. Of course, my idea of a truly great PB and J averages about four tablespoons of PB and about the same amount of jelly. Served on french toasted bread, of course.

Yeah, I see where that could lead to alterations in your food with family and such. However, I think that many of my prior fear and insecurities surrounding food have dissipated as I've forced myself to just do something I used to be scared about. I think if I did something of a cyclical nature it would still have alot of carbs though given my very high cal requirements. Something like:
Train - 500c/65f/225p
Rest - 425c/100f/225p
?
Or for rest days, would fat be even higher, cals lower, and less carbs? and training days, fat would lower, cals higher, and higher carbs? Maybe like 3600 training/3400 rest?

[Crucifist]

I might try out a cyclical approach given the fact that I respond very well to carbs post training but they seem to make me sluggish on rest days...6 eggs/day crew checking in. Still gotta hit that dozen egg omelet soon, it's calling my name.



Yeah, I see where that could lead to alterations in your food with family and such. However, I think that many of my prior fear and insecurities surrounding food have dissipated as I've forced myself to just do something I used to be scared about. I think if I did something of a cyclical nature it would still have alot of carbs though given my very high cal requirements. Something like:
Train - 500c/65f/225p 3485
Rest - 425c/100f/225p 3500
?
Or for rest days, would fat be even higher, cals lower, and less carbs? and training days, fat would lower, cals higher, and higher carbs? Maybe like 3600 training/3400 rest?

Good. As far as macro split, fats are generally kept a bit higher for hormonal reasons, taste, etc. You can vary how much depending on your preference, but generally it's set so that your weekly average works out to the recommended minimums at the very least. You may consider higher fat intake if you are training more frequently for these reasons.

As far as overall calories, the general idea is to have slightly higher intake on training days. LG protocol itself calls for a larger amount of calories on training days than rest days, again with the idea that on those days you are consuming less dietary fat and so your weekly surplus ends up being mostly carbohydrate-based.

I have seen people do +10% on rest days and 20% on training days, maintenance on rest and +20% on training, etc. Some people even run a small deficit on off days (maybe 10%) with their training days being the surplus.

I personally shoot for around maintenance on off days most of the time and a bit extra on training days, because I find that I'm quite a bit hungrier after heavy lifting and don't want to eat under my maintenance even on rest days 'cause that's just no fun. I have, however, followed a -10%/+20% before, along with a +10%/+20%. Maintenance/+20% just happens to be a good fit for my personal tastes.

https://blu172.mail.live.com/default...15ad8015c&fv=1

http://rippedbody.jp/2011/10/23/how-...ngains-macros/

Just so you get an idea of how some people have set it up. I don't feel there is any compelling evidence to suggest that dietary fat is "burned off" during rest days as suggested in the second link, but perhaps I simply haven't read the right study yet. As you know, the best way of eating and training is ultimately going to be the one that works for you.

[MikeWines]

Good. As far as macro split, fats are generally kept a bit higher for hormonal reasons, taste, etc. You can vary how much depending on your preference, but generally it's set so that your weekly average works out to the recommended minimums at the very least. You may consider higher fat intake if you are training more frequently for these reasons.

As far as overall calories, the general idea is to have slightly higher intake on training days. LG protocol itself calls for a larger amount of calories on training days than rest days, again with the idea that on those days you are consuming less dietary fat and so your weekly surplus ends up being mostly carbohydrate-based.

I have seen people do +10% on rest days and 20% on training days, maintenance on rest and +20% on training, etc. Some people even run a small deficit on off days (maybe 10%) with their training days being the surplus.

I personally shoot for around maintenance on off days most of the time and a bit extra on training days, because I find that I'm quite a bit hungrier after heavy lifting and don't want to eat under my maintenance even on rest days 'cause that's just no fun. I have, however, followed a -10%/+20% before, along with a +10%/+20%. Maintenance/+20% just happens to be a good fit for my personal tastes.

https://blu172.mail.live.com/default...15ad8015c&fv=1

http://rippedbody.jp/2011/10/23/how-...ngains-macros/

Just so you get an idea of how some people have set it up. I don't feel there is any compelling evidence to suggest that dietary fat is "burned off" during rest days as suggested in the second link, but perhaps I simply haven't read the right study yet. As you know, the best way of eating and training is ultimately going to be the one that works for you.

The first link asked me for a log in email? But the second one was helpful. I've read alot on Martin's blog so I know the basic ideas. I think I'll try it out and see how my body responds given the fact that I'm looking quite average and mediocre atm. Given the fact that I'm currently slowly gaining on 3500/day I was thinking something along these lines.

Training Day x4 (+20%) ~3600 540c/60f/225p
Rest Day x3 (+10%) ~3300 375c/100f/225p

Which averages to ~77g of fat.day for the week and 0.45g/lb for my BW = 75g.



inb4calculatorsareworthless.

[determined4000]

I hate that friggin thing^^^^^^^

My issues with intentionally cycling
1. Being obsessive/restrictive as Crucuifst mentioned
2. When are you really needing/using the macro
If you train at 10am and eat a large Carb meal that night vs eating it the night before
Which is really more beneficial? Eating higher carb on the off day or the WO day?
I mean I guess if you wanted to really do it, you would define your 24 hour day as 12hours pre WO and 12 hours post and structure your macros based on that rather than the actual day


OR
you could just go daily by what you feel like you need or want to eat

[ErikTheElectric]

OR
you could just go daily by what you feel like you need or want to eat

This.

Sorry mike, Just offering my 0.02$. But I kind of had to /facepalm at how much overthinking that I read on this page. Whatever happened with just being intuitive/mindful of your eating? There's no doubt that based on the amount of progress that you've made you know what works best for you. All of these calculators, dietary protocols, etc.. are just a disaster waiting to happen IMO. I'm probably going to get flak for this post, I just don't want things to go south for you dude.

All the best.

[Crucifist]

I hate that friggin thing^^^^^^^

My issues with intentionally cycling
1. Being obsessive/restrictive as Crucuifst mentioned
2. When are you really needing/using the macro
If you train at 10am and eat a large Carb meal that night vs eating it the night before
Which is really more beneficial? Eating higher carb on the off day or the WO day?
I mean I guess if you wanted to really do it, you would define your 24 hour day as 12hours pre WO and 12 hours post and structure your macros based on that rather than the actual day


OR
you could just go daily by what you feel like you need or want to eat

I'm not a fan of that calculator either.

The bolded bit is basically what you need to think about. I do not know what your eating schedule is like right now.

The first link asked me for a log in email?

Derp.

http://www.reddit.com/r/leangains/co...an_client_ama/

Again, just for informational purposes. You are doing well right now, and the last thing you want to do is derail that. Take into account what determined and Erik have said. There's nothing wrong with trying out new things, but don't buy into the magic bullet mythology that seems to follow cycling. The reddit link above actually has a low "b.s. marketing" factor.

[MikeWines]

Push #2 (5x5)

Green=Rep PR
Red=Weight PR

(Concentric:Isometric:Eccentric)

Flat BB Bench: - +5lbs
WU:
Barx10
95x5
140x5
140x5
140x5
140x5
140x5

Box Squat:
135x8
135x8
135x8
135x8

A1. Incline DB Press - +1set
60sx8
60sx8
60sx7

A2. DB Walking Lunges - +4reps/set
30sx20steps
30sx20steps
30sx20steps

B1. Cable Flies +1set
40x12
40x12
40x12

B2. HS Seated Dips +1set
1pps+10x15
1pps+10x12
1pps+10x12

C1: Leg Raise/RKC Plank
BWx15,12,12/1:00x3

Thoughts - MW: 167.4
-Bench was solid but box squats felt like crap. Been reading alot of articles and watching some videos trying to improve it. Thinking about going for a bare minimum of 3600 today or maybe more given that weight hasn't moved in a while. Dunno, we'll see.

I hate that friggin thing^^^^^^^

My issues with intentionally cycling
1. Being obsessive/restrictive as Crucuifst mentioned
2. When are you really needing/using the macro
If you train at 10am and eat a large Carb meal that night vs eating it the night before
Which is really more beneficial? Eating higher carb on the off day or the WO day?
I mean I guess if you wanted to really do it, you would define your 24 hour day as 12hours pre WO and 12 hours post and structure your macros based on that rather than the actual day


OR
you could just go daily by what you feel like you need or want to eat

Those are all very valid points and things which I should keep in mind the whole time when doing any sort of macro manipulation. I need to make sure to look at my reasoning before anything else. I just want to try it out and see how my body responds given that I tend to get sluggish sometimes. I mean worse comes to worst, I switch back in a week or two if I don't notice a difference or feel the same. Can't hurt to try, you know?

This.

Sorry mike, Just offering my 0.02$. But I kind of had to /facepalm at how much overthinking that I read on this page. Whatever happened with just being intuitive/mindful of your eating? There's no doubt that based on the amount of progress that you've made you know what works best for you. All of these calculators, dietary protocols, etc.. are just a disaster waiting to happen IMO. I'm probably going to get flak for this post, I just don't want things to go south for you dude.

All the best.

Haha you're probably right, a good bit of overthinking tends to be where I go wrong usually. I do know what is starting to work, but the question is, is that the most optimal? And at this point, I can't answer yes or no to that b/c I haven't really tried everything yet. I'm just barely beginning to see progress in the mirror and so are others but I'm not going to be afraid to try out something else and see if I like it. I value your opinion though Erik, don't get me wrong. I just don't want to limit myself if something else could potentially make me feel better and allow for a more enjoy life outside of the weight room.

I'm not a fan of that calculator either.

The bolded bit is basically what you need to think about. I do not know what your eating schedule is like right now.



Derp.

http://www.reddit.com/r/leangains/co...an_client_ama/

Again, just for informational purposes. You are doing well right now, and the last thing you want to do is derail that. Take into account what determined and Erik have said. There's nothing wrong with trying out new things, but don't buy into the magic bullet mythology that seems to follow cycling. The reddit link above actually has a low "b.s. marketing" factor.

I don't think the calculator is very accurate for me personally, given my past, current activity level (walking around campus with a heavy bookbag, lifting, walking to get food everyday, etc), and other factors but of course those could change over time as I age and move on in life. But for right now I feel like my maintenance is around 3-3.1k and so 3500/day has me gaining slowly so 3300R/3600-3700T should keep things moving.

I typically eat 4 meals days with protein spread equally b/w each @ about 55-65g/meal. Some days it's 3 but that's if I'm going to a party or something and won't have time to eat later.

Yeah I don't think cycling is a "cure all" for anything, nor do I think it'll magically make you recomp overnight but as I said above, I might try it for a week or 2 and see given my own physiological response to carbs on training days vs. rest days. Could be placebo, could be real. Only way to know is try it out and see.

[determined4000]

pm box full

[yakuzastyle]

^

Sup Mike, PM incoming.

[MikeWines]

Conditioning
Warm Up: Rumble Rolling + Limber 11

Stairs: Bounds (every/skip1/skip2), Single leg hops (trail/lead leg), Bilateral hops (every/skip 1), Bear crawls - 15 Minutes

Jump Rope: 3 Minutes on/1 Minute off (Single, shuffling, bilateral, skipping, etc) - 12 Minutes

Farmers Walks & Overhead Carries: 65lbs/35lbs x 3

Turkish Get Ups: 15lbs (3 to bridge/3 full)

Spinal Stability Circuit
1. Cable Chop and Pres
2. Birddogs
3. Prone Deadbugs on Foam Roller
4. Prone Flies w/Med Ball on Foam Roller
5. Stir the Pot
6. 1-Foot Contralateral Cable Squat & Row



Thoughts - MW: 168.2 (all dem carbs yesterday. 535g )
-Felt awesome today (strong bipolar energy levels ITT. haha) Was planning on some type of conditioning today and thought about maybe some wingates or hill sprints but I know that my ankles need some rehab work after all my wear and tear on them from years of skateboarding, so I went for some stair work along with jump roping. Couple of buddies joined in as well, hence the turkish get ups, weight carries, and all the other stuff that got added in as time went on. Brb 2 hrs later...haha It's all good though, it was just one of those times when you go in with nothing in mind and in the end it all comes together to give you a great workout. Got done with my lift and hit the cafeteria, had a few staff ask me if I just got out of the gym and if I ran alot. I swear, if one more person asks me if I run... I haven't touched a treadmill or elliptical in 2+ years and I haven't ran anything over 100 yards. I may not look like I lift but I will. Just wait until the end of this year or the end of the school year. I guarantee you I won't look like the same person that everyone used to know. I will overcome every challenge that steps in my way and nothing is going to hold me back from my full potential. Heavy deads on the agenda for tomorrow, can't wait!

SO many good reads this week, the list could have been MUCH, MUCH longer...

DAILY READS:
HIIT - How & Why
Training After An All Night Fast Does NOT Promote Weight Loss
The Weight on the Barbell is Important, Not the Scale <One for all the ladies out there
Unapologetically Debunking the Top 7 Exercise Myths
Is a Low Carb Diet Bad for your Thyroid?

pm box full

^

Sup Mike, PM incoming.

My fault guys, problem solved.

[jgreenhaus]

^
"you must spread reputation around...."

[ThousandEyes]

I'm on that not thinking train too, just nike swoosh

ever notice that there's a lot of guys who are big that don't know the specifics of it? Just hard friggin work