Floundering about

[Flounderbout]

Hey! Congrats on the baby! Sorry about the 911 - I'd rather have a RR personally.... or get an M5 You only have 1 on the way, right?
I've put zero thought into anything 1RM... there's a calculator? I had no idea...

It is a BodySpace thing - it does stuff automatically.
And no Beemers here. Ever! Sorry, I know that offends against your Deutschland uber alles thing you have going on

[Flounderbout]

Ahhhh, a lie in this morning. Wednesday is my day off (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri split). I need it badly - turns out there is a reason for a programmed deload week on 531, and I could really use it right now! Hanging on until holiday next week. The strangest pain of the various aches/pains is in my mid/upper back. I have no idea what muscle it is, but what I do know is that every time I sneeze a shooting pain goes across my back. Perfect with hayfever... Its been like that for months now - but it doesn't hurt when I work out at all - only when I sneeze!

My last day at work for the summer was yesterday, so a double bonus lie in today. Typically, after a month's heatwave, as soon as I stop work the weather packs in - raining today. It will probably stay like this now until I go back to work in September whereupon the sun will come out again. Oh well, I'm sure there will be some sunshine in France.

[doughnutgut]

Have a wicked holiday Flounder.

My 10 days off turned into an 11 day off. Back today, with a journal being made and house scrub, unpack, day off, prepping food and adjusting TDEE day.

Tired as hell.

My 10 days away my knees got a break and my legs get amazing teenage growing pain/aching feelings the whole time. They needed the time off but i now dread the crippled feel that is coming after today's grueller.

How far gone is the princess mate?

What kind of baby is it going to be? Blue or pink?

Is it your first?

I know the weather feels. I have Tues and Wed off every week and you can bet your life Monday will be Scorching and Thursday. The sun has worked Its split by having EVERY Tues and Thurs off....

[Flounderbout]

Have a wicked holiday Flounder.

What kind of baby is it going to be? Blue or pink?

Is it your first?

.

Thanks Doughnut! Baby due at the start of the New Year, so a way to go yet. Don't know what colour it will be yet, and hopefully will not know until the big day. And yes, it's the first, so exciting and slightly terrifying...

[doughnutgut]

Thanks Doughnut! Baby due at the start of the New Year, so a way to go yet. Don't know what colour it will be yet, and hopefully will not know until the big day. And yes, it's the first, so exciting and slightly terrifying...

So this when they pop out into the world.

[lunchbreak]

Ahhhh, a lie in this morning. Wednesday is my day off (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri split). I need it badly - turns out there is a reason for a programmed deload week on 531, and I could really use it right now! Hanging on until holiday next week. The strangest pain of the various aches/pains is in my mid/upper back. I have no idea what muscle it is, but what I do know is that every time I sneeze a shooting pain goes across my back. Perfect with hayfever... Its been like that for months now - but it doesn't hurt when I work out at all - only when I sneeze!

Sounds like traps. I get that sometimes, probably just got a minor pull at the lower attachments. When I damaged my lat I had trouble breathing with pain coming all the way around my ribcage, not fun at all. I think 5/3/1's deload week is a very smart idea, it gives time for all sorts of niggling tendon issues or muscle pulls to recover before you hit it hard again.

[lolakitten]

It is a BodySpace thing - it does stuff automatically.
And no Beemers here. Ever! Sorry, I know that offends against your Deutschland uber alles thing you have going on

LOL, no offence taken - we used to actually have a LR (2001 Discovery - DH was an avid off roader) - RR is a great choice
Bodyspace confuses me big time. It keeps telling me my times up, LMAO. (time for what? I have no idea)

[lolakitten]

Enjoy your holiday! Where in France are you going? We holidayed in France while I was pg with my last daughter - love love loved it!

[Flounderbout]

LOL, no offence taken - we used to actually have a LR (2001 Discovery - DH was an avid off roader) - RR is a great choice
Bodyspace confuses me big time. It keeps telling me my times up, LMAO. (time for what? I have no idea)

Check this bad boy out! It is a bit bling... And it has a supercharged 5l V8 that delivers 0 - 60mph in 6.2s

Enjoy your holiday! Where in France are you going? We holidayed in France while I was pg with my last daughter - love love loved it!

Down in the South West, near Avignon. A couple of days on the coast, and then a couple of days up near Beaumes-de-Venise. Can't wait! Will take some pics...

[lolakitten]

Check this bad boy out! It is a bit bling... And it has a supercharged 5l V8 that delivers 0 - 60mph in 6.2s












Down in the South West, near Avignon. A couple of days on the coast, and then a couple of days up near Beaumes-de-Venise. Can't wait! Will take some pics...

NICE!!!!! *drool*
But - um - white seats & babies... LOL. You'll see

Oh lovely. We spent half the time in Paris & the rest in St. Paul de Vence & Grasse. Looking forward to your pics!

[Flounderbout]

NICE!!!!! *drool*
But - um - white seats & babies... LOL. You'll see

LOL. I have already pointed out the practicalities of babies and that interior to Jessie! It'll just have to go in the boot with the dogs...

[lolakitten]

LOL. I have already pointed out the practicalities of babies and that interior to Jessie! It'll just have to go in the boot with the dogs...

LMAo.
Well in all fairness, babies aren't messy - toddlers are messy. Especially when they need non-boob snacks in the car. I shudder at the though of all the ground in cookie in my back seats.
(the car seats kind of do a number on leather seats too)

[Jtbny]

Ahhhh, a lie in this morning. Wednesday is my day off (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri split). I need it badly - turns out there is a reason for a programmed deload week on 531, and I could really use it right now! Hanging on until holiday next week. The strangest pain of the various aches/pains is in my mid/upper back. I have no idea what muscle it is, but what I do know is that every time I sneeze a shooting pain goes across my back. Perfect with hayfever... Its been like that for months now - but it doesn't hurt when I work out at all - only when I sneeze!

My last day at work for the summer was yesterday, so a double bonus lie in today. Typically, after a month's heatwave, as soon as I stop work the weather packs in - raining today. It will probably stay like this now until I go back to work in September whereupon the sun will come out again. Oh well, I'm sure there will be some sunshine in France.

Great progress. Your before and current pics look like two different people. Hard work is evident.

Looks like we have the same schedule running (M, Tu, Thur, Fri) as well as the same hayfever issues . I tell ya the deloads are great on 5/3/1 once you get over the mentality of having to always lift heavy. My first deload on the program I felt as if I didn't break a sweat. Now I look forward to them, although I started doing them every other cycle.

Hope you heal up quick and it's nothing serious, or just stop sneezing.

Grats on the upcoming baby and enjoy the white interior now When he/she is a toddler it will be less white for sure

[Flounderbout]

Oh well, at least it will have a boot for the dogs, unlike the Porker...

[Flounderbout]

Great progress. Your before and current pics look like two different people. Hard work is evident.

Looks like we have the same schedule running (M, Tu, Thur, Fri) as well as the same hayfever issues . I tell ya the deloads are great on 5/3/1 once you get over the mentality of having to always lift heavy. My first deload on the program I felt as if I didn't break a sweat. Now I look forward to them, although I started doing them every other cycle.

Hope you heal up quick and it's nothing serious, or just stop sneezing.

Grats on the upcoming baby and enjoy the white interior now

Thanks John - I have been looking at your 531 in quiet awe. At the moment I am still early on both generally and in terms of the 531 - just starting week 1 of the 3rd cycle, and as a result it all feels reasonably easy still (the assistance work is more taxing than the main lifts, and I am averaging around 10 reps for the "+" sets). But I can already feel that this honeymoon period is not going to last, and as I said I'm already looking forward to the deload!

[Jtbny]

Thanks John - I have been looking at your 531 in quiet awe. At the moment I am still early on both generally and in terms of the 531 - just starting week 1 of the 3rd cycle, and as a result it all feels reasonably easy still (the assistance work is more taxing than the main lifts, and I am averaging around 10 reps for the "+" sets). But I can already feel that this honeymoon period is not going to last, and as I said I'm already looking forward to the deload!

The good news is you won't stall anytime soon if you are 10 on the + reps. You actually did it right by starting lighter rather than heavier. It's a slow progression but it does work just needs time to blossom. The accessory work is fun. I have been sticking with pretty much the same accessories swapping out a few every other cycle. Look forward to how you feel 3-4 cycles from now

[Flounderbout]

The good news is you won't stall anytime soon if you are 10 on the + reps. You actually did it right by starting lighter rather than heavier. It's a slow progression but it does work just needs time to blossom. The accessory work is fun. I have been sticking with pretty much the same accessories swapping out a few every other cycle. Look forward to how you feel 3-4 cycles from now

Yes I learnt from my mistake with SL5x5, where I thought at the outset that everything was way too easy and so kept bumping up the weight. IN due course that just led to lots of plateau and form related resets. The accessory work is great - every day I have at least one exercise that I hate!
Monday - 50 weighted pull-up/chin-up variations (think this is the cause of the back pain) - just such hard work!
Tuesday - Hanging leg raises - gaaahhh - the burn!
Thursday - Kroc rows - don't know why I hate these - they just seem to go on for ever.
Friday - Squats. Fecking squats. I hate them. Oh and I hate leg extensions. And I also hate leg curls. Come to think of it, Fridays really suck!

[doughnutgut]

Friday - Squats. Fecking squats. I hate them. Oh and I hate leg extensions. And I also hate leg curls. Come to think of it, Fridays really suck!

I hate any shoulder work. Any trisexual work and any bicexual work.

Mainly because i have no shoulders or arms.

I am desperate to squat 1.5 bw so bad that i now no longer care about not getting back up. If i fail, i fail. The gym will know i failed but i no longer care.

Over 100 kilo bench is another.

2x bw deads 1rm done doe.... So plodding on... Shlowly

[Nikonguy]

Hey!, found your journal. Excellent choice of programs.

[drudixon]

Negged for no 911 pics. What year was that btw? I had tried to guess in your deadlift thread, but was probably way off. Massive gains in a short time. Awesome.

[Flounderbout]

Negged for no 911 pics. What year was that btw? I had tried to guess in your deadlift thread, but was probably way off.

What was wrong with post 44?! And 2000...

[Flounderbout]

Bench Press day today - my favourite main lift along with DLs, especially now that I am starting to see some progress at last. I suspect that the main problem was the shoulder issues I have had - they seem to have cleared up and suddenly the BP figures seem to be heading in the right direction. So much so that my +sets go off the scale (i.e. of what BodySpace can calculate a 1RM from) at the moment - last cycle I made 15 on the 5+ set, and this week 13.
But my calculated 1RM is now consistently over 100kg (220lb), which is a big step, and something I have been excited about the last few weeks. Again have yet to actually press 100kg, and will try and work in a real 1RM attempt when I get back from holiday.

Work sets today
62.5kg (138lb) x 5
65kg (143lb) x 5
70kg (154lb) x 13

Then BBB 5 x 10 at 42.5kg (94lb)

This all feels pretty easy, but have to resist the temptation to race ahead of the schedule. BP has in the past plateaued more than any other lift partly because of my eagerness to add plates - with the other lifts I have been more conservative - probably because I appreciated my technique/form needed work.

My BP goal is still 1.5 x BW, i.e. 120kg. That seems a very long way off compared to my 2xBW DL and squat goals. But if I can maintain the 531 program religiously, I should still hit it in the next year.

Assistance work is Kroc dumbell rows (5 x 12 each side with 32.5kg DBs) and incline DB presses (5 x 12 with 20kg DBs).
The Kroc rows always feel hard work. I think this may be in part because of doing pull-ups the day before. I may have to think of some slight rework of my assistance program to get round this. As of the incline DBs, by the end I always have nothing left in the tank. Last set is usually a rep or two short.

Also pushed past 700,000 kg lifted since January 1st this year. Now that I am on a 531 program with a 4 day split (my workouts average out at 10,000kg per workout), I am going to hit my original goal of 1,000,000kg lifted in the year easily... I got off to a slow start with a bro-routine that averaged more like 2,500kg per workout, but now the numbers are ramping up pretty fast. At a pinch I may even make 1,500,000kg this year - which would be pretty pleasing for year 1.

The sun is back out today - apparently it is going to be 30 degrees C later (that is seriously hot for the UK). Going to head up to the lake later for a set and work on some spins and grabs. In the meantime I am going to make the most of being off work and do the crossword in the sun...

[Flounderbout]

I haven't talked about diet yet in here. That is because I don't really have one. Yesterday for example I had a protein shake for breakfast, fish and chips for lunch, and a bowl of pasta for dinner.

I'm sure that if I were to eat skinless chicken and broccoli 7 times a day I would make more progress. Fu&k that.

As it is I avoid sugary foods, I hardly drink any alcohol any more, and then I don't worry about it. When I started out I had to force myself to eat more, and that resulted in me putting on almost 5kg. But now I want to lean up a bit before bulking again. Rather than actually cutting I am basically eating at maintenance - my weight is staying pretty constant around 80kg, but I am slowing seeing my BF go down. So that is good enough for me. At the end of the summer I will start to bulk again and will have to concentrate more on what I eat at that point.

[lunchbreak]

In the meantime I am going to make the most of being off work and do the crossword in the sun...

Please tell me that isn't the Sun crossword..

[Flounderbout]

Please tell me that isn't the Sun crossword..

LOL! Only the Times for me...

[Jtbny]

Good move not rushing the progress. You have to convince yourself that you will NOT get weaker by not lifting at maximal weights. Trust the program. If it makes you feel better up the weight in the BBb sets. 50% of 1rm is a guide not a set in stone rule. I know in my case I run at about 60-70% for BP. (I'm a bench monkey )

Diet will become more critical if you wish to meet your goals in the future. If/when you first stall that would be the first place I look. No need to eat chicken and broccoli all day but considering the terrible food you Brits have that might be a step up

[doughnutgut]

hahaha..

love the comment on brit food...

you seen the size of the average american

[Jtbny]

hahaha..

love the comment on brit food...

you seen the size of the average american

Thats because we have great food It's not our fault!

Btw...you guys aren't far behind. Edit these numbers aren't completely up to date as Mexico has surpassed the US now.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/he...health-obesity

[Richie71]

Diet will become more critical if you wish to meet your goals in the future. If/when you first stall that would be the first place I look. No need to eat chicken and broccoli all day but considering the terrible food you Brits have that might be a step up

Agree. You should at least track that you're eating approximately the right calories, and sufficient protein. Whether it's pizza and baked chicken, just track it.

[lunchbreak]

No need to eat chicken and broccoli all day but considering the terrible food you Brits have that might be a step up

We deep fry eggs in breaded sausage meat. What could possibly be wrong with that?