The Flywheel Effect.

"[I]Picture a huge, heavy flywheel. It’s a massive, metal disk mounted horizontally on an axle. It's about 100 feet in diameter, 10 feet thick, and it weighs about 25 tons. Your job is to get that flywheel to move as fast as possible, because momentum—mass times velocity—is what will generate superior results over time.

Right now, the flywheel is at a standstill. To get it moving, you make a tremendous effort. You push with all your might, and finally you get the flywheel to inch forward. After two or three days of sustained effort, you get the flywheel to complete one entire turn. You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster. It takes a lot of work, but at last the flywheel makes a second rotation. You keep pushing steadily. It makes three turns, four turns, five, six. With each turn, it moves faster, and then—at some point, you can’'t say exactly when—you break through. The momentum of the heavy wheel kicks in your favor. It spins faster and faster, with its own weight propelling it. You aren't pushing any harder, but the flywheel is accelerating, its momentum building, its speed increasing.

This is the Flywheel Effect.[/I]"

[B]Source[/B] - jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html


[B][U]Background[/U][/B]
I'm a 41 year old male. Grew up playing sports constantly. Became extremely inactive as I grew older. I just began getting into shape (again) around 9 months ago, by drastically changing my diet, and starting to exercise 4-5 days per week. I just began weight training somewhat seriously about 3 months ago. I had a little bit of experience previously, but didn't know what the hell I was doing (probably still don't, lol). I'd never squatted or deadlifted before, and hadn't done much of the other primary lifts either. I'm down from 202lbs. to 162lbs. I still have a decent amount of body fat to burn (I'm only 5'6"), but I'm in more of a recomposition phase right now. Body weight has stayed the same for the last month, but body fat continues to lower and muscle mass continues to increase.

[B][U]Goals[/U][/B]
I don't have specific goals for any of my lifts aside from just learning how to do them correctly.
My primary goal (which aligns with the name of the thread, and the intro I left above) is to [B]be consistent[/B] - to show up at the gym consistently, put forth a consistent effort once there, and to be consistent in my diet. I have just enough experience with yo-yo'ing between being in decent shape and in terrible shape to not want to do it again. I intend to maintain a healthy lifestyle for the remainder of my days, simply because it feels good.

[B][U]The Plan[/U][/B]
For my first serious attempt at weight training, I've chosen to follow the GST program which is stickied in the main 'Workout Programs' forum. I selected it for a variety of reason. I won't list all of them here, but one of the main things I like about it is it's potential to be used for a long time. If I haven't made it obvious already, consistency is kind of important to me, lol. Unlike most beginners, I don't have any interest in jumping from one program to another. I wanted a program that would be effective for years rather than months, even if that means I'll gain strength at a slower pace (and I don't know that that's the case...just sayin'). I'm not looking to get abs for the summer, or get jacked by the end of the year. I'm looking at this as adopting a lifestyle that I'll maintain indefinitely, and I'm looking at the physical changes (appearance) simply as side effects of that change rather than looking at them as the end goal of the change. Bottom line - GST fits my needs, and I feel satisfied with my decision to use it as the foundation of my newly adopted lifestyle. I will leave plenty of evidence in this thread as time goes on to let you all see the results of utilizing GST (for better or worse). Speaking of results...

[B][U]Results (so far)[/U][/B]
I don't have enough posts to share links or images yet, so I've attached a screenshot of my results so far. It shows my starting 1RM's, and weights and reps for AMRAP sets for each of my first 2 Macros, and then shows my starting 1RM's for my third Macro, which I just started today.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]8395823[/ATTACH]

For the lazy:
Lift - Starting 1RM > Current 1RM
Deadlift - 260 > 280
Incline Press - 115 > 150
Back Squat - 130 > 180
Bent Row - 150 > 175
Overhead Press - 100 > 100

I look forward to sharing my attempts to get that big old flywheel a movin' here on a regular basis. Feedback/interaction will always be appreciated.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Lift #1 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]

[U]Core[/U]
[B]Deadlift[/B] = 165lbs X 8 Reps X 8 Reps X 15 AMRAP

[U]Supplementals[/U]
[B]Squat Supplement: Front Squat[/B] = 90 X 8 X 8 X 6 X 5 (should've only done 6 reps on the first 2 sets)
[B]Lift Supp #1: Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 165 X 6 X 6 X 6 X 6
[B]Lift Supp #2: Leg Curl[/B] = 105 X 6 X 6 X 6 X 6

Today was a bit of a struggle. I was short of sleep and working on an empty stomach about 30 minutes after I woke up. It took me over an hour to get through the 15 sets. Despite that, I was able to hit almost all of my reps, which means I'll be increasing the load on all of these supplemental lifts next time I do them on Scheme #3 (4-5 Sets / 4-6 Reps).
I plan to get some good rest this evening, and hit Press Day hard tomorrow morning.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Press #1 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]

[U]Core[/U]
[B]Incline Press[/B] = 90 x 8/8/14(AMRAP)

[U]Supplementals[/U]
[B]Press Supplement #1: Seated Overhead DB Press[/B] = 35's x 6/5/5/5
[B]Pull Supplement: Bent DB Row[/B] = 40's x 6/6/6/6
[B]Press Supplement #2: Close Grip Bench Press[/B] = 110 x 5/5/4/4

Man...the last 2 sets of Close Grip Bench Press were rough. I almost didn't get the 4th rep up in the final set. My triceps are getting consistently stronger, but are still a clear weak point for me, and it really shows when I get to these pressing movements. They held me back on the Overhead DB Presses today too. My shoulders could've handled a bit more weight, but the triceps wouldn't cooperate. I may need to fit in a few extra sets per week to focus on them.

A few weeks into the start of my training, I had to remove dips from my workouts because my wrists couldn't handle them. Now that I've purchased some wrist wraps, I may need to try the dips again and see if I can do them with the additional wrist support. Honestly, I'm still pretty concerned about it though. The only reason I got wrist wraps a couple of weeks ago is because my left wrist totally gave out when I was getting up off the floor after some stretching exercises. Suffice to say, I need to be really careful about how much stress I put on my wrists.

On the bright side, the rows felt really good. I feel like I've finally nailed down the form and movement path pretty well, whereas previously my arms seemed to be moving on different planes. The weight felt relatively light, and I'll be moving up to 45's next time.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Squat #1 (60% of 1RM)/ Supplemental Scheme #3 (4 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U][/B]

I planned to lift in the morning, but woke up with no energy. I was feeling the effects of waking up early the day before. I ended up fitting my workout in after work. This is only about the third time I've lifted in the evening since I started lifting, and my body wasn't prepared for it AT ALL. The beginning was especially rough.

[U]Core[/U]
[B]Back Squat[/B] = 115 x 8/8/16(AMRAP)

After my second set of squats I felt like I was going to pass out. Rested for a few minutes, and then pumped out 16 reps on my last set, which I was pretty damned happy with. I had forgotten to update the weight in my notebook ahead of time, so I guessed that I should be squatting around 115. I checked when I got home, and it turns out I was only supposed to be lifting 105, so I did the 16 reps with an extra 10lbs on my back. Nice! (Hey...don't laugh, lol. I'm proud of those numbers. I could barely do 20 bodyweight squats six months ago, so I've made some good progress)


[U]Supplementals[/U]
[B]Lift Supplement: Hyperextensions[/B] = 35 x 6/6/6/6
[B]Squat Supplement #1: DB Lunge[/B] = 30's x 6/6/6/6
[B]Squat Supplement #2: Leg Extension[/B] = 90 x 6/6/6 100 X 6

[U]Hypers[/U]
Oooheee, those Hypers killed me today. This is literally the first time I lifted enough weight on this exercise to really feel a burn. I could definitely notice an imbalance in my back, because my left side was much more fatigued than my right. I imagine that will work itself out over time.

[U]Lunges[/U]
I had only planned to use 27.5's this time since I struggled to get through the 25's last time. Apparently I overlooked the fact that the gym doesn't have 27.5lb DB's. I had no choice but to attempt it with 30's, and then I went and hit all my reps. :)

[U]Leg Extensions[/U]
These felt much easier than expected. I added an extra 10lbs on the last set because 90lbs wasn't pushing me very much. I probably could've hit all the sets/reps at 105 or 110.

All of my supplemental exercises will get bumped up next time through.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Pull #1 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]
I didn't know how this was going to go since I lifted late last night and then was hitting it again right away this morning, but I woke up feeling good and fresh. I got a little something in my stomach and then headed off to the gym.

[U]Core (60% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Pull Core: Bent BB Row[/B] = 105 x 8/8/18(AMRAP)
[B]OHP Core: Overhead BB Press[/B] = 60 x 8/8/13(AMRAP)

[U]Rows[/U]
I touched the floor between each rep, which is something I hadn't been doing previously. I like it! I got a fuller range of motion. I also didn't need to worry about my grip strength holding me back, since I could do slight readjustments as I went.

[U]OHP[/U]
I was pretty disappointed with this result. The lift [I]feels[/I] much better than it did when I first started a couple of months ago, but I've seen literally zero progress. 7 Weeks ago I did the same lift with the same weight, and got 13 reps on my AMRAP set. Frustrating.


[U]Supplementals (4 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Supplement #1: Cable Row[/B] = 155 x 6/6/6/6
[B]Press Supplement: Flat DB Press[/B] = 40's x 6/6/6/6
[B]Pull Supplement #2: Pull Up[/B] = BW-10 x 6/6/6/5

[U]Cable Row[/U]
I tweaked a muscle on the left side of my back 2 weeks ago doing this exercise. I was still feeling it a little bit when I did them last week. Today I didn't feel a thing. I felt strong. I was able to really focus on moving the weight with the correct muscles, with good control.

[U]Flat DB Press[/U]
Each time I do these they feel a little bit better. This time around I was able to consistently get into the right position to let my chest muscles do the work instead of my forearms or triceps, and the weight went up easier as a result.

[U]Pull Up[/U]
I was skeptical about hitting my reps on Pull Ups today since I really struggled with them last time. It felt great to hit nearly all of them. I'll be moving up to bodyweight pull ups next time around. :)

And so ends Micro 1. Rest day tomorrow, and then back at it on Monday.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Lift #2 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Deadlift[/B] = 195 x 6/6/12(AMRAP)

[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Squat Supplement: Front Squat[/B] = 65 x 20/20
[B]Lift Supplement #1: Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 115 x 20/20
[B]Lift Supplement #2: Leg Curl [/B]= 75 x 20/20

The 20 rep sets kick my ass every time. Conditioning overall isn't very good right now. In my next Macrocycle I'm going to put a little more focus on it.

The Deadlifts and RDL's felt good. The only thing with those is that I'm feeling them a lot more on the left side than on the right. I'm not sure if that's because my left side is just weaker, or if it's because of my form (My right leg is longer, which makes it pretty much impossible to stand so that I have an even weight distribution between both legs). I feel like I'm anchoring most of my weight on my left side.

I have a similar issue when I Squat also. The brunt of the weight is always on one leg or the other, because in order to have it be balanced I'd have to put my right leg in an unnatural position. When I first started squatting, I'd end up caving my right knee inward to create an even balance between my legs (it wasn't really a conscious action, and I didn't even notice it until I looked in the mirror), but I realized pretty quickly that I was asking for trouble by putting stress on my knee in that unnatural position. I have a feeling this is something I'm going to need to be very careful with as the amount of weight I'm lifting continues to increase.

Overall this was a pretty successful session. All supplemental lifts will go up next time.

I was running on about only 6 hours of sleep. I generally don't function well at anything less than 7, but went to the gym feeling decent. I did my weigh in on the inbody scale, and the results were okay, but not great. My bodyweight is staying basically the same (just a hair higher on the scale, but it varies from day to day and hour to hour obviously). Body fat is the one I'm a bit disappointed in, as it's stopped dropping for the moment. Muscle mass is continuing to increase (Awww Yeah!). Here's a look at my numbers from the last 3 weigh-ins:

[U]June 28[/U]
Bodyweight = 161.4lbs
Body Fat% = 26.3
Muscle (lbs) = 67.5

[U]July 12[/U]
BW = 162.3
BF = 25.7
Muscle = 68.2

[U]August 8[/U]
BW = 163.3
BF = 25.8
Muscle = 68.6

With my workouts coming first thing in the morning after I wake up, I began eating late in the evening, and then eating just a tiny amount right before my workout to make sure I have some energy. I think I just need to cut back on the eating in the evening, since that's the only thing that's really changed. I'm not TOO disappointed, but I really want my BF% going down. That's priority number one right now.

On to the training session...


[B][U]Macro #3 / Press #2 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press[/B] = 105 x 6/6/11(AMRAP)

[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Press Supplement #1: Seated Overhead DB Press [/B]= 25's x 17/12
[B]Pull Supplement: Bent DB Row[/B] = 30's x 20/20
[B]Press Supplement #2: Close Grip Bench Press[/B] = 70 x 20/20

I was relatively happy with these results. I got fewer reps on the DB Press than I did last time at the same weight (19 vs 21), but I actually felt better about them this time. I used the full range of motion, whereas last time I only lowered the weight until my upper arms were parallel to the floor. Weight will stay the same on that one next time, and I'll see if I can finally reach a 20 rep set. Everything else felt really nice. I mentioned a few posts ago that I felt my triceps were lagging behind. Well the Close Grip Bench Press gave them a great workout today. I was able to knock at the 20 reps easier than I did last time even though I was lifting more weight than last time. Don't get me wrong...the arms were a shakin' on those final reps, but they held up and got the bar up. Progress!

Trained today for the first time in a week. A combination of traveling and being sick prevented me from making it to the gym.
I was about due for a de-load anyway, so it was good timing. Today's session was purposely light. I'm still pretty run down from being sick, and didn't want to overtax my system. Hopefully within the next day or two I'll be back at full strength.


[B][U]Macro #3 / Squat #2 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Back Squat[/B] = 125 x 6/6/6 (didn't do an AMRAP set today)

[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Lift Supplement[/B]: Reverse Hyper-extensions = 40 x 15/15
[B]Squat Supplement #1[/B]: DB Lunges = 20's x 15/15
[B]Squat Supplement #2[/B]: Leg Extension = 75 x 15/15

Energy was extremely low throughout the session, but I made it through. It felt good to work up a sweat.


[B][U]Measurements Update[/U][/B]
I got a scale that measures body fat% and muscle mass%, along with some other things. I'll be tracking my numbers each Tuesday for the next couple of weeks to see how the new scale compares to the machine I've been using for the last 5 months. I took my first readings today.

[B]Measure: Old Scale Result - New Scale Result[/B]
Weight: 162.2 - 163.2
Body Fat%: 25.9 - 28.1
Muscle Mass%: 41.9 - 34.0

The muscle mass measurements are drastically different. The other two seem to be in the same ballpark. Ultimately it doesn't really matter if the two scales give the same measurement, as long as they're both consistent. I'll compare again next week.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Pull/OHP #2 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Overhead Press [/B]= 70 x 6/6/6 (didn't do an AMRAP set today)
[B]BB Bent Row[/B] = 120 x 6/6/6 (didn't do an AMRAP set today)

[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Supplement #1[/B]: Cable Row = 110 x 20/20
[B]Press Supplement[/B]: Flat DB Press = 35's x 15/13
[B]Pull Supplement #2[/B]: Pull Ups = BW-55 x 15/15

Same story as yesterday basically. I'm still really worn down from this cold I have. I got 8 hours of sleep, but felt like I needed another 2 hours. My plan as of right now is to have a day off tomorrow, and then restart this Microcycle on Friday or Saturday, depending upon when I'm able to make it to the gym. Hopefully I'll be back at full strength in a few more days. Not having any energy really sucks.

As mentioned in my previous post, after a week off (and still being a little bit run down with a cold) I've decided to repeat my last microcycle rather than moving on to the next one. I'm still trying to avoid over-taxing my CNS since I'm nowhere near 100% right now.

I don't remember if I've mentioned this in my log, but I [B]AM [/B]doing warmup sets prior to my working sets. I just haven't been logging them because I didn't make space for them in my training log that I write in, lol. Since I'm still a lightweight, I'm typically doing only about 2 warmup sets: 1 at about 50% of my working weight for around 10 reps, and 1 at about 75% for 4-6 reps. This usually seems to be more than enough.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Lift #2 / Supplemental Scheme #1 (2nd time through)[/U][/B]

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Deadlift [/B]= 195 x 6/6/6/6

I was feeling slightly better, but still didn't want to totally wipe myself out. Instead of doing the typical 2 sets of 6 followed by an AMRAP set, I decided to do 4 sets of 6. That gave me the same amount of volume I did the first time through this micro, without exhausting myself as much. I made a slight change in form that felt much better. I tried to really focus on pushing with my legs (like a leg press) more than extending my back. It felt like a much smoother and more explosive motion. I also tried out a hook grip for the first time, and that felt pretty good. It should come in handy when I get to my heavier weeks.

[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Squat Supplement[/B]: Front Squat = 65 x 15/15
[B]Lift Supplement #1[/B]: Romanian Deadlift = 115 x 20/20
[B]Lift Supplement #2[/B]: Leg Curl = 75 x 20/20

All of the supplemental lifts ended up almost the same as the first time through, which I'm happy with given my energy level right now. The one exception was the Front Squat. Having this day setup to start with the Deadlift, do Front Squats next, and then do Romanian Deadlifts has been creating a bit of an issue for me. I don't know what shoes to wear, lol. My first time through this micro I wore my squatting shoes. They help a lot with the Front Squats obviously, but don't feel quite right for the deadlift variations. This time I wore my normal shoes, which have a relatively flat sole. They feel great when deadlifting, but don't work nearly as well for squatting. I was only able to get 15 reps on my Front Squat sets compared to 20 the first time through. My form felt really sloppy.

I have a couple of options. I can just bring a bag with me and change shoes in the middle of my workout (I don't think this would be against any rules in my gym...I just don't really like having to carry a bag with me as I move around). Otherwise I'll wait until the end of this Macrocycle and re-organize my lifts so that I don't have squats between my deadlifts (I could probably switch them with lunges, for example). I may do both actually. Change shoes, and then re-assess the structure of my training sessions at the end of this Macro.

I'm kind of planning one more relatively light training day tomorrow, and then I'm hoping I'll be close enough to 100% to go full bore again.

I'm feeling much better. My energy level was much better today, despite the fact that I was training on an empty stomach. My next training session will back to 100% effort.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Press #2 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press [/B]= 105 x 6/6/6/6/4

I once again avoided the AMRAP sets. I tried to make up for it through additional volume. I also shortened my rest periods between sets, trying to improve my conditioning. On my core lift, instead of doing 6/6/AMRAP, I decided to repeat sets of 6 until I couldn't make it to 6 anymore. I felt really strong, and managed to get through 4 full sets of 6 before running out of steam.
I really liked this approach. I felt like I was able to exhaust my muscles just as much as I do with an AMRAP set, while putting less stress on my CNS. I may experiment with using this approach on the first 2 weeks of my Macro, and then doing AMRAP sets on weeks 3 and 4, since I need the AMRAP numbers to calculate my 1RM's for the upcoming Macro. I'm not sure yet, but it's something I'm considering.


[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
Press Supplement #1: [B]Seated Overhead DB Press[/B] = 25's x 16/11/8
Pull Supplement: [B]Bent DB Row [/B]= 30's x 15/15/10
Press Supplement #2: [B]Close Grip Bench Press[/B] = 70 x 15/15/13

On my supplemental lifts, I took a somewhat similar approach to what I mentioned above. On supplemental scheme #1 I typically do 2 sets of 20. This time I decided to reduce the number of reps and instead add in an extra set, again hoping to increase my overall volume. This worked out pretty well. I think moving forward I'm going to use this approach anytime I'm unable to hit my rep goal. For example, if I'm on scheme #1 and I hit 2 sets of 20, I'll stop there and increase my weight next time through. If I'm unable to hit at least 90% of my reps, I'll add an extra set.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Squat #2 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]
[U]
Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Back Squat[/B] = 125 x 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6

After discussing with the creator of the Growth Stimulus Training method I'm using, I'm going to continue with the approach mentioned in my last post. During the first 2 Micro's of each Macro, instead of doing 2 sets and then 1 AMRAP set, I'll be repeating sets until I can't hit the prescribed number of reps. It'll be interesting to see how this little experiment turns out.

I used this method today, and as you can see I was able to get through 9 full sets. I may have been able to get through a 10th, but I was on a tight time schedule and wanted to make sure I fit in the rest of my workout. Good god did that ever wear me out. Forget what I said about not be as taxing on my CNS, lol. It was obviously much more volume than I would've had following the typical setup of 2 sets and then 1 AMRAP set, because there's no way in hell I would've made it to 42 reps on my AMRAP set, lol. I'll be feeling this tomorrow for sure.

My biggest takeaway from this is that my conditioning has probably been holding me back more than I thought. It's probably been the biggest limiting factor on my AMRAP, more so than actual strength. Otherwise it just doesn't make sense that I'd be able to do so many more reps using this approach. Of course, I'm a total noob, so I may not know what I'm talking about. ;)


[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Lift Supplement: Reverse Hyper-extensions[/B] = 40 x 20/20
[B]Squat Supplement #1: DB Lunges [/B]= 20's x 20/19
[B]Squat Supplement #2: Leg Extension[/B] = 75 x 13/8/7

Again, I'm using the method mentioned in my previous post for Supplemental lifts. Those squats destroyed me. I have no idea how, but I managed to hit my reps on Reverse Hypers and Lunges. I had nothing left when I got to the Leg Extensions though. I've been able to hit my reps on those every single time so far, but didn't even get close this time.


[U]Measurements[/U]
Second week taking comparison measurements. For anyone who hasn't ready my previous posts in here, this is a comparison from two different scales used within about 30 min of each other. It's not a comparison to any previous measurement. Those are listed in my previous posts.
I don't really know what to make of these results, but here they are:

[B]Measure: Old Scale Result - New Scale Result[/B]
Weight: 164.2 - 164.6
Body Fat%: 25.4 - 28.2
Muscle Mass%: 42.2 - 34.0

[B][U]Macro #3 / Pull/OHP #2 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]

My legs are sore from yesterday, but nowhere near as bad as I expected. I came to the gym feeling well rested, strong, and ready to go.

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Overhead Press[/B] = 70 x 6/6/6/6/5
[B]BB Bent Row[/B] = 120 x 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5

This was the most comfortable I've felt yet on the OHP. Grip width felt right. I really focused on keeping my core tight (upper back in particular).

I got through a lot of set on the Rows. To be honest, I'm not completely happy with how I performed the exercise though. I felt like my form got pretty sloppy at times and I was using momentum to get the weight up rather than really isolating the muscles in my upper back. I need to stop worrying about increasing the weight on this lift and just focus on doing it the right way. I'm going to go back and read the section that covers this lift in Starting Strength to make sure my form is on point.


[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Supplement #1: Pull Ups[/B] = BW-55 x 20/8/8
[B]Press Supplement: Flat DB Press[/B] = 35's x 20/9/7
[B]Pull Supplement #2: Cable Row[/B] = 110 x 20/20

I changed the order of my Pull Supplements to put Pull Ups first. When I originally setup my program I was doing Rack Pulls because I didn't think my shoulders could handle normal Pull Ups. I ended up swapping them, but I never re-assessed my layout. I feel like the Pull Ups need to be given priority over the Cable Pulls, so I've now reversed the order to make that happen.

My Supplemental lifts definitely suffered from the increased volume on my Core Lifts. I didn't have any wiggle room on the amount of time I had available in the gym today, and the fact that I had several more sets than normal on each of my core lifts meant that I had to try to get through my supplementals pretty quickly. I started out strong, hitting 20 reps on my first set of each lift. With a rest time of 1-2 minutes, I was nowhere near fully recovered for the subsequent sets though, and ended up not getting even close to hitting my reps. I'm actually okay with this result. As I've mentioned already, I want to put more of a focus on conditioning. While increasing my pace will slow down my weight increases in the interim, it should be beneficial in the long run.

All in all it was a pretty good training session. I'll be off tomorrow, and then back to training on Friday.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Lift #3 / Supplemental Scheme #2[/U][/B]

[U]Core (80% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Deadlift[/B] = 225 x 11/6/6

This was actually slightly more than 80%. My 80% weight is 220. I just bumped it up to 225 because it was easier to load that number on the bar, lol. The lift felt quite good for the most part. I was feeling strong, with high energy. The last time I did 225 was about 3 weeks ago, and I managed 7 reps on my AMRAP set. Suffice to say, I'm pretty satisfied with the 11 reps this time around. I physically could've completed several more reps I think, but the form was getting away from me slightly.
My grip has gotten noticeably stronger, which is helping out a lot when it comes time for the AMRAP sets.


[U]Supplementals (3 Sets/8-10 Reps)[/U]
[B]Squat Supplement: Front Squat[/B] = 80 x 10/10/10
[B]Lift Supplement #1: Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 135 x 10/10/10
[B]Lift Supplement #2: Leg Curl[/B] = 90 x 10/10/10

I powered through all of these pretty quickly. The front squats were a bit of a challenge for me, but the others were relatively easy.
I think I pinpointed why I hadn't been feeling the RDL's in my Hamstrings as much as expected... Seems like my weight was shifting forward too much, more towards my toes. I focused on keeping my center of balance more towards the middle/back of my feet, and there was a notable difference. My balance felt better, and I was feeling it in my hamstrings much more. I'm also getting better at keeping my back tight. I've noticed I have a tendency to let my shoulder drop, and I did a much better job of keeping them tight this time around. I'm not sure if it's directly related to the form adjustments, but the weight felt much lighter this time around. I'll be bumping it up 10lbs next time.

This was a great training session overall. On top of hitting all my supplemental reps and having a good AMRAP set on my core lift, I worked at a pretty aggressive pace. I completed everything in around 40 minutes.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Press #3 / Supplemental Scheme #2[/U][/B]

[U]Core (80% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press[/B] = 120 x 6(AMRAP)/3/3

I was expecting at least 10 reps on the AMRAP set, so I was pretty disappointed with the 6 I actually got. Halfway through my workout, I realized that I hadn't eaten anything all day. I also didn't sleep very well last night. Not a good combination, and obviously didn't do my any favors during this training session.


[U]Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)[/U]
[B]Press Supplement #1: Seated Overhead DB Press[/B] = 35's x 9/6/6/2
[B]Pull Supplement: Bent DB Row[/B] = 40's x 10/10/9
[B]Press Supplement #2: Close Grip Bench Press[/B] = 70 x 10/9/7/5

Didn't get anywhere near making it on the Overhead Press.
Hit the prescribed number of reps on rows, so the weight will go up on that one next time.
I was only 1 rep short on the Bench Press, but couldn't squeeze it out.


I'll probably have a day off tomorrow and be back with Squat day on Monday. I'm eager to see how many Squats I can do on my AMRAP set after drastically increasing my volume on them last week.

Good journal you have there. Pretty strong numbers you have on your lifts!

[B][U]Macro #3 / Squat #3 / Supplemental Scheme #2[/U][/B]

[U]Core (80% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Back Squat[/B] = 140 x [B]11[/B]/3/3

I wanted to get to at least 10 reps on my AMRAP set. I'm really happy that I made it. I'm not so happy with my form today though. I feel pretty confident about maintaining good form at lower rep counts, but as soon as I get into higher reps (AMRAP sets) my form goes to hell. After doing a ton of reps with good form last week, it became really obvious today when my form started to get away from me, which started happening around rep 5 or 6. The main issue I'm having is that as soon as I feel my legs start to fail me I start shooting my hips up quickly, and then extending my back up (similar to a Good Morning?, but not as pronounced) to get the weight the rest of the way up. My understanding from lurking the site is that this is generally a sign of weak quads. I'll be re-arranging my exercise selection and order over the next week or two, so I'll make it a point to add in some quad focused lifts to hopefully help out with that.

[U]Supplementals (2 Sets/8-10 Reps)[/U]
[B]Lift Supplement: Hyper-extensions[/B] = 35 x 10/10/10
[B]Squat Supplement #1: DB Lunges[/B] = 25's x 10/10/10
[B]Squat Supplement #2: Leg Extension[/B] = 90 x 10/10/10

After a couple of months, I'm finally getting into weights on the supplemental lifts that are really challenging. Even though I hit all of my reps today, they weren't easy. I couldn't have completed 11 reps on my last set of Leg Extensions, and I wouldn't have gotten anywhere close to hitting my reps on lunges if I'd been using 30's instead of 25's. Next time through, I'm going to need to fight for every rep on these supplementals.

This was my fourth time through this set of supplemental lifts on Scheme #2. Here's my weight progression over that time:
[B]Exercise: Starting Weight (lbs) --> Current Weight (lbs)[/B]
Hyperextensions: 15 --> 35
DB Lunges: 12.5's --> 25's
Leg Extensions: 60 --> 90

That's pretty decent progress. Plus, the weights will go up again next time since I hit all of my reps today.

[QUOTE=mpacaldo;1459763493]Good journal you have there. Pretty strong numbers you have on your lifts![/QUOTE]
Thanks MP! It's nice to know that I'm not the only person reading it, lol.

I'm lifting baby weights compared to a lot of the people here, but I'm happy with my progress. I'm not increasing strength at as fast a rate as a lot of other beginners, but gaining strength as fast as possible was never my goal. Long term health is a higher priority for me. I'm happy to be learning these exercises (which are pretty much all new to me) at lighter weights, so I hopefully decrease the chances of injuring myself. If I can keep increasing my strength at this rate for the next year or two, while also limiting the likelihood of injury, I'll be extremely happy.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Pull/OHP #3 / Supplemental Scheme #2[/U][/B]

[U]Core (80% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Overhead Press[/B] = 80 x [B]7[/B]/3/3
[B]BB Bent Row[/B] = 140 x [B]8[/B]/3/3

OHP felt pretty good today. I'm still pretty stagnant on this lift (I believe I did 6 reps at this weight last time), but I feel better with it overall. I have much better control of my body and the weight, rather than feeling like I'm flailing everywhere, lol.
Same goes for rows. Progress is slow as far as weight/rep increases go, but my comfort level is much higher. I could've done a few more reps today, but I was trying to keep my form as strict as possible. I did a 9th rep, but didn't count it because it was sloppy, and then decided to stop there.


[U]Supplementals (3 Sets/8-10 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Supplement #1: Pull Ups[/B] = BW-80 x 10/10/8
[B]Press Supplement: Flat DB Press[/B] = 40's x 10/10/10
[B]Pull Supplement #2: Cable Row[/B] = 155 x 10/10/10

This was a good result for me. I'm starting to get the form really locked in tight. This has made a big difference on lifts like the DB Press, where I was previously expending a lot of unnecessary energy trying to get the weight up because my movement path was bad and I had to struggle to get the DB's re-balanced during a couple of reps on each set. I wasn't expecting to be able to hit all the reps on that today, but the weight moved much easier than I had anticipated. It was pretty encouraging, and nice to see all of the repetitions I've done over the last couple of months start to pay off. I'm already excited to see how I'll do with the 45's on DB Press next time around. :)


[U]Measurements[/U]
Another Tuesday means another weigh in. Once again, I'm posting results from two different scales that were taken about 30 minutes apart. Changes from last week are notes in parenthesis.

[B]Measure: Old Scale Result - New Scale Result[/B]
Weight: 163.9 (+0.3) - 164.8 (+0.2)
Body Fat%: 25.6 (+0.2) - 28.1 (+0.1)
Muscle Mass%: 42.1 (-0.1) - 34.1 (+0.1)

I was cutting from Dec-June (dropped 40lbs while increase muscle mass). I needed a break from cutting to rejuvenate myself, so I decided to take a couple of months at maintenance before continuing my cut. Over the last 6 weeks, I've maintained my bodyfat% while increasing muscle, which has resulted in a small amount of weight gain. In the next week or two I'm going to resume my cut for 3 more months, and then re-assess. I'm ultimately trying to get down around 15% bodyfat before I think about bulking. I expect my lifting progress will be relatively slow until I start bulking, but I'm fine with that. My primary initial goal when I set out to get in shape was to get my bodyfat down to a normal level, and that goal hasn't changed.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Lift #4 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]
Interesting training day today. I've been short of sleep the last 2 days, and expected it to hurt my performance today. I ended up waking up early because it was noisy in the house, and had a cup of coffee before heading to the gym. I'm not sure if it was the coffee, just the fact that I was awake for a little while before going to the gym, or a combination of both, but I had a ton of energy.


[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Deadlift [/B]= 250 x 7/2/2

The deadlifts felt damn good today. I'm generally quiet when I'm working out. On the seventh rep today, I initially struggled and then had to really push to lock it out. I found myself spontaneously letting out a war cry as I locked it out, lol. Felt awesome, and gave me a good chuckle.
I recalculated my 1 rep max since this is my last time through on this macro. I started the macro with a 1RM of 280. My newly calculated 1RM is 305. That's a 35lbs jump in the last month. Not bad. :)


[U]Supplementals (4 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Squat Supplement: Front Squat[/B] = 95 x 6/6/6/6
[B]Lift Supplement #1: Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 175 x 6/6/6/6
[B]Lift Supplement #2: Leg Curl[/B] = 115 x 6/6/6/6

I've been dealing with some tingling/numbness in my lower left arm for the past 3 days. Years of repetitive motion at work is probably catching up to me. It may have been exacerbated by back squats. I've really tried focus on bringing my hands in to keep my upper back as tight as possible. The last two times I've done them I felt noticeable discomfort in my elbows afterward. I assumed this will lessen over time, as they become more flexible. I'll definitely need to watch it closely though and see if it might be part of the cause of the numbness. Anyway, the reason I mention this is that Front Squats probably put more strain on my elbows than any other exercise. Hoping to alleviate that pressure, I decided to try a cross grip (?), where my arms are crossed in front of me. I had originally tried to use this grip when doing Front Squats, and had great difficulty balancing the weight, so I immediately gave up on it and changed to the grip where the weight is held in place by the first couple fingers of each hand (not sure what the correct grip terms are for this lift). I've been using that grip ever since because it felt much more stable. As I mentioned, I tried a cross grip today instead. It felt great! My initial struggles must've been entirely related to my poor overall form. This time everything felt super solid. I'll definitely be using this grip from now on.

Today was a great success for me overall. I'm going to try to get plenty of sleep this evening, and then get after it again tomorrow morning with my last press day of the cycle.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Press #4 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]
I was short of sleep for a third night in a row. Ugh. My girlfriend is changing jobs, and had a few days off in between. Usually she's at work early and then I sleep for a few more hours. These last 3 days she's been up and moving around the house early, and I'm a really light sleeper so I haven't been able to actually sleep once she's up.
As you'll see in a moment, the lack of sleep finally caught up to me.

[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press[/B] = 135 x 1(AMRAP) / 125 X 2/2

For the second time in a row, I had a major fail on my press day. I actually felt decent during my warmup sets, but when it came time to do my AMRAP set I totally flopped. My second rep only made it half way up. I ended up dropping the weight for my remaining sets, because I felt like I wasn't even going to be able to get 1 rep at 135.
I've recalculated my 1RM to 145lbs, which is a 5lb drop from what it was during this macro. It sucks, but it's my own damn fault for not coming into my press days at 100%.

[U]Supplementals (4-5 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Press Supplement #1: Seated Overhead DB Press[/B] = 35's x 6/6/6/5
[B]Pull Supplement: Bent DB Row[/B] = 45's x 6/6/6/6
[B]Press Supplement #2: Close Grip Bench Press [/B]= 115 x 6/4/4/4/3

Not bad. Overhead DB Press will go up to 40's next time. Bent DB Row will go up to 50's.
I was only supposed to do 110 on the Close Grip Bench Press, but I was in a hurry and just went with 115 because I didn't want to fiddle around with extra plates. I probably would've made it at 110, but ultimately it should really matter. I'll stay at 115 again next time through.

I was planning to lift again tomorrow, but at this point I'm not really sure. I'm only going if I'm able to get plenty of sleep tonight, otherwise I'll take a day off.

[B][U]Macro #3 / Squat #4 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]

I was still feeling tired and wore down yesterday, so I took the day off. I got some much needed sleep last night, and headed to the gym ready for squat day today. :)
I'm still feeling slightly fatigued overall. I only have one more heavy training session, and then I'll be moving down to 60% of my 1RM again. That's turning out to be pretty good timing, and should allow me to refresh/re-energize.

[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Back Squat[/B] = 160 x 5/2/2

After doing 11 reps at 140lbs last week, I had my eyes set on 7 or 8 today. It just wasn't happening. I could've pushed through and done at least 2 more, but my form was sloppy on the 5th rep. Everything just felt like it was out of alignment today. My right knee was cracking on some of the reps. Decided not to press my luck this time around.

My 1RM will go up to 190 in my next Macro. I was hoping to bump it up to 200, but I can live with a 10 pound jump I guess. If next Macro goes well, I should reach 200lbs finally. I started with an estimated 1RM of 130 about 3 months ago, so my progress has been really steady so far.

[U]Supplementals (4 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Lift Supplement: Hyper-extensions[/B] = 40 x 6/6/6/6
[B]Squat Supplement #1: DB Lunges [/B]= 35's x 6/6/6/6
[B]Squat Supplement #2: Leg Extension[/B] = 105 x 6/6/6/6

I don't have much to say about the supplemental lifts today. I hit all my reps so the weight will jump on all of these lifts next time. They're all starting to get pretty challenging finally, so I'm reaching a point where I don't expect them to go up every time moving forward. I wouldn't have been able to do Lunges with 40's today. The other two lifts would've also been questionable with higher weights. It'll be interesting to see if another 3 weeks of training (supplemental lifts are on a 3 week cycle) will allow me to hit those higher weights.

My overall progress on these lifts has been good.
Here's a comparison of where I started, and where I'll be after hitting my reps this time:
Exercise: Starting Weight (lbs) --> Current Weight (lbs)
Hyperextensions: 20 --> 45
DB Lunge: 15's --> 40's
Leg Extension: 75 --> 110

[QUOTE=CW47;1460318613][B][U]Macro #3 / Lift #4 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]
Interesting training day today. I've been short of sleep the last 2 days, and expected it to hurt my performance today. I ended up waking up early because it was noisy in the house, and had a cup of coffee before heading to the gym. I'm not sure if it was the coffee, just the fact that I was awake for a little while before going to the gym, or a combination of both, but I had a ton of energy.


[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Deadlift [/B]= 250 x 7/2/2

The deadlifts felt damn good today. I'm generally quiet when I'm working out. On the seventh rep today, I initially struggled and then had to really push to lock it out. I found myself spontaneously letting out a war cry as I locked it out, lol. Felt awesome, and gave me a good chuckle.
I recalculated my 1 rep max since this is my last time through on this macro. I started the macro with a 1RM of 280. My newly calculated 1RM is 305. That's a 35lbs jump in the last month. Not bad. :)


[U]Supplementals (4 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Squat Supplement: Front Squat[/B] = 95 x 6/6/6/6
[B]Lift Supplement #1: Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 175 x 6/6/6/6
[B]Lift Supplement #2: Leg Curl[/B] = 115 x 6/6/6/6

I've been dealing with some tingling/numbness in my lower left arm for the past 3 days. Years of repetitive motion at work is probably catching up to me. It may have been exacerbated by back squats. I've really tried focus on bringing my hands in to keep my upper back as tight as possible. The last two times I've done them I felt noticeable discomfort in my elbows afterward. I assumed this will lessen over time, as they become more flexible. I'll definitely need to watch it closely though and see if it might be part of the cause of the numbness. Anyway, the reason I mention this is that Front Squats probably put more strain on my elbows than any other exercise. Hoping to alleviate that pressure, I decided to try a cross grip (?), where my arms are crossed in front of me. I had originally tried to use this grip when doing Front Squats, and had great difficulty balancing the weight, so I immediately gave up on it and changed to the grip where the weight is held in place by the first couple fingers of each hand (not sure what the correct grip terms are for this lift). I've been using that grip ever since because it felt much more stable. As I mentioned, I tried a cross grip today instead. It felt great! My initial struggles must've been entirely related to my poor overall form. This time everything felt super solid. I'll definitely be using this grip from now on.

Today was a great success for me overall. I'm going to try to get plenty of sleep this evening, and then get after it again tomorrow morning with my last press day of the cycle.[/QUOTE]

Sweet progress on your deads! I'm a big fan of deads too and your results excites me as well. Hoping to catch up with you soon haha

[QUOTE=mpacaldo;1460807103]Sweet progress on your deads! I'm a big fan of deads too and your results excites me as well. Hoping to catch up with you soon haha[/QUOTE]
I'm sure you will as long as you keep working hard. I only have a few months head start on you. That's nothing in the grand scheme of things.


[B][U]Macro #3 / Pull/OHP #4 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]
Final workout for this Macrocycle. It was a tough one for me overall, with a vacation, a prolonged sickness, and various other challenges. I'm happy to have it done. I'm especially to have it done AND have made better progress than I expected to.

[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Overhead Press[/B] = 90 x 3/1/1
[B]BB Bent Row[/B] = 155 x 5/2/2

Still zero progress on OHP. I'll be ditching it in my next Macro after not making any progress through the last 3 Macros. I'll be adding in some supplemental work that should help me build up overall shoulder strength.
Rows went fine. Not particularly good or bad. My 1RM will go up 5lbs, from 175 to 180. Slow but steady progress.


[U]Supplementals (4-5 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Supplement #1: Pull Ups[/B] = BW x 5/4/4/3/2
[B]Press Supplement: Flat DB Press[/B] = 45's x 6/6/6/6
[B]Pull Supplement #2: Cable Row[/B] = 170 x 6/6/6/6

Finally feels like I'm making [I]some[/I] headway on pullups, though it's still one of my worst lifts.
On the Flat DB Press, I totally messed up today. I did 4 sets of 6 with 40's, which is what I had marked down on my sheet. They felt too easy so I went back and checked my notes from the last time I did Supplemental Scheme #3, and found that I should've bumped the weight up to 45's today. I was feeling good, so I decided to try the 45's right away, and got through 4 sets of 6 without any problem.
Cable rows started to get tough on the last couple of reps, but I still got through them.
I'll be raising the weight on the rows and DB Press next time.


[U]Measurements[/U]
Our regularly scheduled Tuesday weigh in results. Once again, these measurements are from two different scales and were taken about 30 minutes apart. Changes from last week are noted in parenthesis.

[B]Measure: Old Scale Result - New Scale Result[/B]
Weight: 163.8 (-0.1) - 164.0 (-0.8)
Body Fat%: 25.0 (-0.6) - 27.5 (-0.6)
Muscle Mass%: 42.3 (+0.2) - 34.4 (+0.3)

Excellent results this week. I was totally not expecting this, after eating a bunch of bad foods at the state fair, and going out for dinner twice. I'm back in full-on cut mode now, so I'm hoping to see the weight and body fat numbers continue to drop over the next few months.

I'll be taking a rest day tomorrow, and then starting Macro 4 on Thursday.
Before moving on, I figured I'd take a look back at Macro 3.

Macro 3 started on August 2nd and ended on September 6. It ended up taking a week longer than normal, because part way through Micro 2 I had to go out of town and couldn't train for 5 days. I then got sick immediately when I returned, and was working at about 75% tops for another week. I ended up repeating Micro 2 because of how messed up it was.

[U]Here's how my 1 rep max's changed[/U]:
[B]Deadlift[/B]: 280 --> 305 [B](+25lbs)[/B]
[B]Incline Press[/B]: 150 --> 145 [B](-5lbs)[/B] (Had poor workouts on both Press days due to lack of sleep and food :( )
[B]Back Squat[/B]: 180 --> 190 [B](+10lbs)[/B]
[B]Bent Row[/B]: 175 --> 180 [B](+5lbs)[/B]
[B]Overhead Press[/B]: 100 --> 100 [B](+/-0lbs)[/B] (This is getting dropped after not making any progress for 3 Macros)

A bit of a mixed bag, but better than expected considering the hiccups I encountered.


[U]Here's how my weight/body composition numbers changed[/U]:
[B]Weight[/B]: 163.0 --> 163.8 [B](+0.8)[/B]
[B]Body Fat%[/B]: 25.8 --> 25.0 [B](-0.8)[/B]
[B]Muscle Mass%[/B]: 42.0 --> 42.3 [B](+0.3)[/B] This is equivalent to approximately 1lb

Not bad results at all here. I pretty much accomplished my goal of taking a break from cutting (after being on a cut for over 6 months), but maintaining my body fat%.


[U]For Macro 4, I'm making the following changes to my workouts[/U]:
- I'm eliminating OHP as a core lift.
- I'm changing my Lift Core from Conventional Deadlifts to Sumo Deadlifts.
- I'm changing out some of my existing supplemental lifts.
- I'm adding 2 more supplemental lifts on each day, which will target calves, abs, and upper back.

One of my primary goals during this next macro will be to improve my conditioning. The 2 additional lifts each day will force me to pick up my working pace, since I'm on a tight time schedule. It'll probably be pretty brutal at the beginning with a bunch of exercises I've never done before, and the increase pace. I expect it to pay off in the long run though. As mentioned in my previous post, I'm also back to cutting for the next few months beginning right now. Should be fun. ;)

[B][U]Macro #4 / Lift #1 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]
And so it begins... First training session of Macro 4. I gave some details regarding the changes in my previous post, so I won't go over that again. I was super excited to do some new exercises today.


[U]Core (60% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Sumo Deadlift[/B]: 175 X 8/8/8/8/8/4

I'll be honest, I was expecting this to feel pretty much the same as a traditional deadlift. I was wrong. It seems to simplify the movement, and shift the focus to fewer muscles, which places greater stress on those muscles. I didn't notice an enormous difference in how heavy the weight felt compared to conventional. It felt maybe slightly heavier, but a lot of that probably has to do with the fact that it was my first time doing the lift. The sumo variation seems to require better form/technique. With conventional I was able to muscle up the weight even if my timing, balance, or positioning were a little bit off. It felt like there's much less margin for error with the Sumo style. There are a number of other differences I could point out, but I've said enough for now. Overall, the sumo style seems more difficult to perform, but I like it. I'm definitely going to stick with it through the entirety of this macro. I may need to do something to save my shins though. I have scrapes spanning the length of them right now, lol.


[U]Supplementals (2-3 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 120 x 20/20
[B]Hyperextension[/B] = 30 x 15/13/12
[B]Leg Curl[/B] = 80 x 20/19
[B]Seated Calf Raise[/B] = 45 x 20/20
[B]Face Pull[/B] = 12.5 x 20/20

Everything felt good. The calf raise machine isn't really a great fit for me. I have short legs, and I'm not able to set the height low enough to be able to stretch my calves at the bottom. ROM was less than ideal. I may need to try just doing seated calf raises with a barbell instead, but I'll give this one more try.


Overall, I was happy with how this session went. The increased working pace was felt in a major way, and it hurt me particularly on the hyperextensions, because I was (understably) awfully winded from the six sets of Sumo deads and the two 20 rep sets of RDL's. I still managed to get done in less than an hour. I like this exercise selection and order.
I'll be back at the gym tomorrow for Press day.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Press #1 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]
Feeling some good soreness from yesterday in my hamstrings, lower back/glutes, and groin area. The Sumo Deadlifts definitely worked those muscles over good. I got decent sleep. Came to the gym with an average energy level.


[U]Core (60% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press[/B] = 85 x 8/8/8/8/8/8/7

I honestly could've done several more sets of 8, but I got to the gym late, so I didn't have the time for it. Rather than just stopping at a certain amount of sets, I kept reducing my rest time until I ran out of steam. The rest time was less than a minute before the last set I completed.


[U]Supplementals (2-3 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Push Press[/B] = 45 x 15/12/12
[B]DB Bench Press[/B] = 35's x 16/9/8
[B]Tricep Rope Pushdown[/B] = 40 X 20/18
[B]Front Lateral DB Raise[/B] = 5 X 20 - 7.5 X 20
[B]Decline Crunch[/B] = Bodyweight X 20/20

[B]Push Press[/B] wasn't much easier for me than a normal OHP. I expected it to be a little easier than it was.
[B]DB Bench[/B] was rough. Last time I did 20 reps in the first set at the same weight, but the shorter rest time made that impossible. For the first time ever on one of my supplemental lifts, I'm actually going to decrease the weight next time around because I wasn't even close to hitting my reps at this weight.
For [B]Tricep Pushdowns[/B], I had the weight set at #4 and it felt just right. I'm going to assume it was 40 lbs?
[B]Front Lateral DB Raises[/B] felt really nice. I like it. I used 5's on the first set, then increased to 7.5's and still hit 20.
[B]Decline Crunches[/B] were a killer. Was totally not expecting that. I struggled to get to 20 reps on the second set.

Mixed results overall on supplementals, which was expected considering I only have one exercise carrying over from before.
I'll try increasing the weight on Tricep Pushdown's, Front Lateral DB Raises, and Decline Crunches next time through.


Not a bad session today. I completed it in about 50 minutes, which felt like a reasonable pace. Tomorrow will be Squat day.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Squat #1 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]
I took three days off because I was short of sleep and feeling wore down. Was back at it this morning with squat day.

[U]Core (60% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Back Squat[/B] = 110 x 8/8/8/8/8/8/8/5

My ass = Kicked
This totally wiped me out, and I was pretty worthless for the remainder of the workout.


[U]Supplementals (2-3 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Reverse Lunge[/B] = 20's x 10 / 15's x 10/8
[B]Front Squat[/B] = 45 x 20/20
[B]Leg Extension[/B] = 75 x 16/11/10
[B]Calf Press on Leg Press[/B] = 90 x 20/20
[B]Shrug[/B] = 95 x 20/20

My legs were like Jello after back squats, and I didn't have much left in me. This was my first time ever doing reverse lunges. I like them a lot. They suck, but I like them, lol. I started out with 20's on the first set, dropped it to 15's on the next two, and never came anywhere near 20 reps. I don't think I could've even done 20 reps of body weight lunges. I had originally planned to do 65lbs on front squats. I did a few warm up reps with just the bar, and felt like there was no way I'd get near 20 reps with 20 more pounds, so I just went with the 45. Somehow managed to hit all my reps, but it required a huge effort, and I could hardly stand afterward. The leg extensions sucked too, since my legs were shaking before I even began. Looking back at my notes from last time though, I actually got 9 more reps than I did with this weight and rep scheme last time. I have no idea how that's possible, but it's definitely encouraging. The calf and shrug exercises went well. I had to go pretty light on the calf press because I was worried my hamstrings/quads/glutes were going to give out (and they nearly did).

Not bad, all things considered. I'm not at all used to the increased volume, or the decreased rest time. The combination of both hit me really hard today, but I kind of expected it. Hope I don't fall down any stairs today, lol.


[U]Measurements[/U]
Same story, different Tuesday.

[B]Measure: Old Scale Result - New Scale Result[/B]
Weight: 163.8 (-0.0) - 168.0 (+4.0)
Body Fat%: 25.5 (+0.5) - 28.8 (+1.3)
Muscle Mass%: 42.2 (-0.3) - 33.8 (-0.6)

Poor results. I think I mentioned last week that I was surprised how good my results were after splurging on my diet. Though my diet was pretty much on point this last week, it looks like the splurging caught up to a week later than expected. I'm not too concerned. As long as I stay consistent I'll be fine. The weight on the new scale was a shocker. It was significantly higher than expected. I'll have to consider it an outlier at this point.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Pull #1 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]


[U]Core (60% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]BB Bent Row[/B] = 105 x 8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/8/6

Reps on top of reps on top of reps. 86 total. I'm not used to doing this many reps.
This approach of repeating sets until I can't complete a set is proving much more difficult than I expected. In some cases it's more than doubling my volume. I don't think this is an approach I could continue long term. I originally expected it to be less taxing on my CNS, but it's turning out to be the opposite. After doing my core lift this way I'm all but useless for the remainder of my lifts, and it's taking longer for my body to recover in the following days. I'll be interested to see if there's any noticeable impact on my 1RM's at the end of this macro. I'm thinking it might be a nice twist to mix in when a plateau is reached.



[U]Supplementals (2-3 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Ups[/B] = BW-55 x 20/11/9
Didn't come close to 20 after the first set, but I did 4 more reps overall than I did last time at this weight/rep scheme.

[B]Cable Row[/B] = 125 x 14/12/11
These muscles were still exhausted from the Bent Rows. Every rep was a struggle.

[B]Hammer Curl [/B]= 12.5's x 13/12/11
First time doing any bicep work since I started lifting. Wow, my left arm is significantly weaker than my right. There's not much doubt that I would've been able to do 20 reps with my right arm, but I counted a few marginal reps just to hit these rep counts with the left. I'm sure it'll even out over time, but I'm pretty surprised at how obvious the imbalance still is after lifting for several months.

[B]Reverse Fly[/B] = 7.5's x 20/20
First time doing this exercise. It felt good. I'll bump it up to 10's next time.

[B]Hanging Leg Raise[/B] = BW x 20/20
The last 5 or so reps of each set were brutal. I've never done weighted leg raises before, but I guess I'll need to figure out how to do them next time through.


Today was a battle. I had to fight for every rep.
With the exceptions of the Leg Raises, all the lifts either felt too hard or too easy. With the new exercises and working at a much faster pace, it's going to take me a few time through these rep schemes to get the weights really dialed in. I'm going to try to make it to the gym tomorrow, but not 100% sure if that'll happen. Either way, my next training day will be Lift Day. I have a love/hate relationship with lift day. It's the day I look forward to the most, but then once I'm knee deep in it I don't like it so much, lol. So right now, I can't wait to hit lift day hard! ;)

[B][U]Macro #4 / Lift #2 / Supplemental Scheme #2[/U][/B]
Well that's strange...I posted in here earlier today, and now the post is nowhere to be found. It's no surprise I typed up a bunch of stuff I don't feel like retyping now, lol.
I've been struggling big time for the last couple of weeks. My volume has increased significantly, and I've reduced my wait time between sets. I've been short on sleep. Bottom line is that I've felt sore and tired constantly, and I've had to take longer rests between workouts. I was planning to be cutting weight right now, but being low on energy and tired, I've been eating more than planned just to get through the day without feeling like crap.
I woke up today with a headache, and still sore from my squat workout 5 days ago. I didn't want to take another day off though (already had 3 days off), so I sucked it up and hit the gym for Lift day this morning.


[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Sumo Deadlift[/B]: 205 X 6/6/6/6

I could've forced out 1 or 2 more sets probably, but things just weren't feeling quite right.
A couple of weeks ago I think I strained a muscle in by back. I thought it was basically back to 100%, but it felt like I tweaked it a bit at some point today.
What really worried me though was my form. My right leg is longer than my left, and it makes it pretty much impossible to perform squats or deadlifts with perfect form. On squats, when I keep my weight evenly balanced between my legs it feels completely unnatural, and my right knee start popping. It feels fine if I shift my weight a bit to one leg or the other. Obviously that's not ideal, but I figure it's the lesser of two evils. I've noticed it a bit on deadlifts too, but it hasn't been anywhere near as obvious...until today. During my second set, I looked in the mirror and noticed that my weight had shifted significantly towards my left side. When I set the bar down, it had shifted way off to the left. Rather than being centered relative to my body, the bar was shifted about 6 inches to the left.
So anyway, the combination of those things had be feeling a bit skittish, so I didn't push it too far. Also, I forgot to mention that when I changed from conventional to sumo style, I didn't change my 1RM. The weight definitely felt a bit heavier than it should at 70%. That will even itself out soon enough though.



[U]Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)[/U]
[B]Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 140 x 10/10/10
[B]Hyperextension[/B] = 40 x 10/10/10
[B]Leg Curl[/B] = 95 x 10/10/10
[B]Seated Calf Raise [/B]= 55 x 10/10/10
[B]Face Pull [/B]= 22.5 x 10 - 27.5 x 10/10

It became clear after the first set of Face Pulls that the weight was way too light, so I bumped it up slightly for the next two sets.
I'll be increasing the weight on all of these lifts next time through.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Press #2 / Supplemental Scheme #2[/U][/B]
Ended up getting to the gym about 10 minutes late. I'm pretty much never get upset, but this morning I was pretty angry due to the incident that caused me to be late. I was short on sleep again, but my frustration really seemed to fuel my workout. My energy level was higher than normal.

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press[/B] = 105 x 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5

The Incline Press was feeling really good today. I felt strong. My form felt like it was on point. This is the best I've felt on this lift in several weeks. My previous best for an AMRAP set at this weight was 11 reps. I don't have any doubt that I would've beat that today if I had done an AMRAP in one of my first three sets. I'm really happy with the performance.


[U]Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)[/U]
[B]Push Press[/B] = 60 x 10/10/10
I'm still struggling to find a grip width that I'm comfortable with. Today, a closer grip (about half a hand outside of my shoulders) was feeling the best. Up to 65lbs next time.

[B]DB Bench Press[/B] = 45's x 10/6/6/6
My shoulders were feeling fatigued from the first two exercises, and it affected this lift more than expected. Not a bad result though. I'll stay at 45's next time.

[B]Tricep Rope Pushdown[/B] = 125 X 10/10/10
Working out at a different location today, I had no idea what weight to use for this. I made my best guess and went for it, and hit all my reps. I don't really know how this weight compares to my regular gym, so I'll have to experiment again next time.

[B]Front Lateral DB Raise[/B] = 10 X 10/10/10
This weight felt about right. I was feeling a good challenge on the last few reps. I'll be bumping it up to 12.5's.

[B]Decline Crunch[/B] = 110 X 10/10/10
I didn't have the equipment to do this. Ended up using an Ab machine which I'd best describe as a pullover bar. Again, I don't have any idea how this will translate to a decline crunch, so I'll need to experiment with the weight next time.

One more note, I was able to grab the trainer I worked with for a few months and have him check my form on Sumo Deadlifts. I needed another set of eyes on me after the troubles I had with it the other day. He gave me some REALLY good cue's to focus on. He pointed out that I was starting out the lift by elevating my hips, and then extending by back afterward. He had me focus on keeping my chest elevated, and trying to feel like the first movement with my hips is to sink them downward instead of lifting them up. I immediately felt the difference, and it felt MUCH better. I'm sure part of the problem is that I'm working with too much weight. I really should've started out lighter since it's a new lift for me. With the weights set to increase over the next two weeks, I'll really have to prioritize getting the form correct, even if that means using less weight than the program says I should be using based upon the 1RM I started with. The 1RM will sort itself out over the next couple of weeks.


[U]Measurements[/U]
Tuesday again. Taking measurements again.

[B]Measure: Old Scale Result - New Scale Result[/B]
Weight: 164.8 (+1.0) - 165.8 -2.2)
Body Fat%: 26.8 (+1.3) - 28.9 (+0.1)
Muscle Mass%: 41.2 (-1.0) - 33.6 (-0.2)

Everything is clearly trending the wrong way over the last two weeks. I mentioned in my last post that I was eating more to compensate for my lack of energy. After this week, the volume in my workouts will go back to a level that I'm more accustomed to, so that should resolve one part of the equation for me. I'll really be focusing on keeping a strict diet over the next couple of months. My goal is to get down near 155 by the end of November, which should totally be realistic.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Squat #2 / Supplemental Scheme #2[/U][/B]
I started the day off on the wrong foot. I had to be at work an hour early today, so that meant that if I wanted to lift I'd needed to wake up an hour earlier than normal. I didn't wake up as early as I needed to. I considered skipping my workout, but decided to try to fit it in. This meant I needed to work quickly (and drive fast, lol).

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Back Squat[/B] = 95 x 6/6/6/6 - 135 x 6/6/6
I was in such a hurry that I forgot to add weight to the bar after completing my warmup sets. :facepalm:
I only got in 3 sets at the correct weight. My form was getting bad at the end, so I just ended up just stopping where I was. I could've pushed it much further today (probably could've done 3 or 4 more full sets), but I would've been performing a lot of those reps with poor form.

I've been primarily focused on increasing weight to this point, since I'm started out so low. On Squats and Deadlifts I've been able to increase the amount of weight I'm lifting because my back and hamstrings are a strong point. I've been able to adjust my form so that those muscles do the majority of the work, and as a result my numbers have gone up. I'm getting to a point now though where the weights are getting just heavy enough to make me uneasy about lifting it with the form I've been using to this point. The breakdown in form is becoming more obvious and more concerning to me. It's probably in my best interest to take a step back and make sure I'm performing the lifts correctly, even if that means lifting lighter weights until I build up sufficient strength in my Quads and other lagging muscles.


[U]Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)[/U]
[B]Reverse Lunge[/B] = 25's x 6 - 20's x 4/10/10
I changed weights halfway through the first set, since it was obvious that the 25's were too heavy. Even the 20's were a struggle, but I made it through. I'll increase to 22.5's.

[B]Front Squat [/B]= 75 x 8/8/8
Much like the Back Squat, my form started to slide here. I did as many reps as I could without sacrificing form. One of the reasons I like the Front Squat is that it's much harder for me to lead with my hips and force my lower back and Hamstrings to do the brunt of the work. My tendency is still to try to do that, but it's harder to pull off, and easier for me to notice when I'm starting to do that. I'll use the same weight again next time and try to hit 10 reps on every set.

[B]Leg Extension [/B]= 95 x 10/10/10
This was a good test. Legs were shaking like crazy on the final reps of sets 2 and 3, but I was able to get all the reps in. I'll up it to 100lbs.

[B]Calf Press on Leg Press[/B] = 110 x 10 - 180 x 10/10
I increased the weight significantly after the first set, since 110 felt pretty easy. I did the next two sets with 180, and definitely could've handled even more weight. I'll jump it up to 200 next time.

[B]Shrug [/B]= 105 x 10/10/10
I wouldn't say this was easy, but it wasn't particularly hard either. I'll increase 10lbs to 115.


Despite the fact that everything felt off today, my results were decent (aside from the Back Squats). It's going to take me a while to get the new Supplemental lifts dialed in to the correct weights, but it's all good.
I'm planning to do Pull Day tomorrow.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Pull #2 / Supplemental Scheme #2[/U][/B]
Rushed through this one. Getting ready to head out of town. I'll be typing this up quickly for the same reason. My next workout won't be until Tuesday.

[U]Core (70% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]BB Bent Row[/B] = 110 x 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6
Could've done a few more, but I'm headed out of town today so I was on a really tight schedule. I was supposed to do this with 125 (which is obviously why I was able to pump out this many reps without any problem). There weren't any open barbells though, so I had to use the shorter one pieces bars (I have no idea what they're called). 110 was the heaviest one available. In hindsight, I probably should've just bumped it up to 7 or 8 rep sets instead of sticking with 6.


[U]Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Ups[/B] = BW-55 x 10/10/10
Will increase to BW-40.

[B]Cable Row[/B] = 170 x 6 : 155 x 9/7/6
170 was too heavy, so I dropped it down to 155 after the first set. I'll stay at 155 next time.

[B]Hammer Curl[/B] = 15's x 10/10/10
Will increase to 17.5's.

[B]Reverse Fly[/B] = 12.5's x 10/10/10
Will increase to 15's

[B]Hanging Leg Raise[/B] = 10lbs x 10/10/10
Holding a DB between my feet wasn't as awkward as I expected. This seemed to put more strain on my quads then my abs, but I was feeling it both places. I bump it up to 12.5 next time.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Lift #3 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]
After a weekend off I was feeling fresh. Got to the gym early, so I didn't need to worry about rushing too much.


[U]Core (80% of 1RM)[/U]
Sumo Deadlift: 225 X 6/3/3
According to my starting 1RM, I should've been lifting 235 today. Based upon the fact that I think I estimated my 1RM too high, that I was struggling mightily with my form last time, and that I'm still fighting a mild muscle strain in my mid back, I dropped it down to 225lbs.
I'm pretty happy with how the lift went today. My form stayed pretty solid throughout. I left at least 1 rep in the tank on each set since I didn't feel comfortable pushing it to the limit today.


[U]Supplementals (4-5 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 180 x 6/6/6/6
Up to 185lbs next time

[B]Reverse Hyper[/B] = 80 x 6 : 70 x 6/6/6
Didn't have the equipment to do hyperextensions, so I used a reverse hyper machine. Made a guess at the weight, starting out at 80lbs. I made it through 6 reps, but I probably had 1 or 0 reps in the tank after that, so I knocked it down to 70 for the remaining sets. I'll start out at 45lbs (which is what I was supposed to be doing today) next time I do Hyperextensions with this supplemental scheme, and gauge where I'm at. I'll bump it up if it feels too easy.

[B]Leg Curl [/B]= 115 x 6/6/6/6
I was supposed to do 120lbs, but I didn't have a machine that allowed it, so I stayed at the same weight as last time. If I would have been thinking, I would've added another set. Too late now. I had some reps in the tank, so I'll try jumping up to 125 next time.

[B]Seated Calf Raise[/B] = 80 x 6/6/6/6
I'll try 100lbs next time.

[B]Face Pull[/B] = 200 x 6/6/6/6
The machine said 200lbs, but it was definitely less than that because it was less than my bodyweight. I don't have any idea what the actual weight was though. According to my notes, I was supposed to do this with 37.5lbs... Once I'm back on the machine I typically use, I'll probably start out with whatever the next step is beyond 37.5, and see how it feels.

[U]Closing Comments[/U]
I'm working on a huge remodeling job right now, and the only time I can work with the guy that's helping me is during my workout time. :(
So...I'm not sure if I'll be able to work out at all for the rest of this week. I may be able to fit one in some evening, but it's very iffy. I'll pick up where I left off whenever I can next make it.


[U]Measurements[/U]
Tuesday again. Taking measurements again.

I'm abandoning my plan to transition to the new scale. It's too inconsistent to be reliable. I'll be taking measurements with the old scale for maybe one more week. After that I'll be using an entirely different scale that has been pretty reliable as far as the weight measurement. I'm just not going to worry about Bodyfat and Muscle Mass measurements. I'll need to rely upon my eyes and my clothes to tell me whether or not I'm making progress.

Here are today's measurements (using the old scale):
[B]Weight[/B]: 163.1 (-1.7)
[B]Body Fat%[/B]: 25.7 (-1.1)
[B]Muscle Mass%[/B]: 41.9 (+0.7)

Back on track here. I'm happy to see everything heading back in the right direction. Like I've said previously, I'm planning to continue cutting for a few months with my initial goal being to get down to 155lbs, at which point I'll re-assess whether I want to continue cutting, or do a short recomp/bulk phase (this will mostly depend upon my level of mental/physical fatigue).

I'm nearly done with the work sponsored fitness program I've been participating in. The initial period ran for about 3.5 months, and the maintenance for another 3.5 months. The 'maintenance' period comes to an end this next week. I asked my trainer to send me the spreadsheet they'd kept for me during the initial period, and he was kind enough to do so. So, now is as good a time as any to post up the results I suppose.

I should note that these starting numbers don't reflect my 'true' starting point. I started working out a couple months prior to the beginning of the program, with my beginning weight being about [B]202 pounds[/B]. With that said, here's the info they sent me:

[B][U]Date : Weight / Bodyfat% / Lean Muscle Mass[/U][/B]
Feb 16, 2016 : 187 / 35.9 / 67.7
June 2, 2016: 164.6 / 26.7 / 68.3
Current: 163.1 / 25.7 / 68.3

[B]Difference: -23.9 lbs / -10.2% / +0.6 lbs[/B]


Being at around 25-26% bodyfat, I obviously still have a good deal of fat to lose. After a short break, I'm back in full cut mode now, and hoping to be down to 155 lbs by the end of November. That would put me near a 50 lbs weight loss for the year. :)

[B][U]Macro #4 / Press #3 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]
I had a reprieve from the remodeling project this morning, so I was able to fit in a workout. The hard work and waking up early over the last few day meant I woke up feeling pretty tired still.


[U]Core (80% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press[/B] = 155 x 7/3/3
Not much to say here. I was hoping to make it to 8 reps, but it just didn't happen.


[U]Supplementals (4-5 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Push Press[/B] = 75 x 6/6/6/6
I tried a wider grip for a couple of the sets, and really struggled to get the weight started. The closer grip felt much better, and I was able to complete the reps easier. I'll increase to 80lbs.

[B]DB Bench Press[/B] = 50's x 6 : 45's x 6/6/6
I barely eeked out the 6th rep with 50's, so I dropped it down to 45's for the rest of the sets. The adjustments I made to my program for this macro have me doing this particular exercise in a more fatigued state than I was previously. The 45's were still pretty challenging, but I was able to get through all the reps. I'll do 50's next time.

[B]Tricep Rope Pushdown[/B] = 42.5 X 6/6/6/6
Still struggling to dial in the weight. I was using another different cable machine with different weights today. Hopefully I'll be able to use this same one from now on so I can get the weight set right. This weight felt pretty good. I probably could've handled a little bit more. I'll increase this to 47.5.

[B]Front Lateral DB Raise[/B] = 15's X 6/6/6/6
These were borderline too heavy, and I was on the verge of losing my form. I managed to hold it together pretty well though. I don't think I'm ready to do this with a heavier weight, but since I hit all my reps I'll be giving it a whirl with 17.5's next time.

[B]Decline Crunch[/B] = 25 x 6/6/6/6
I don't think I've ever done these while holding a weight, so it was a bit awkward and was definitely putting more stress on my lower back than I'm accustomed to. I felt the burn in the abs too. I'll increase to 30.


Not a bad result given how I was feeling today. I know for sure that I'll be working out next Tuesday, but I'm not sure if I'll make it again before then, since I'm going to be back working on the remodel.

[U][B][/U]Macro #4 / Squat #3 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/B]
Squat day today. I felt okay headed into the workout. Energy wasn't super high or low, just feeling okay.


[U]Core (80% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Back Squat [/B]= 150 x 5(AMRAP)/3/3
Not happy with this at all, but I gave it everything I had today, which is all I can ask I guess. My legs just felt dead.


[U]Supplementals (4-5 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Reverse Lunge[/B] = 25's x 6/6/6/6
I never noticed it much doing regular squats, but my right leg is weak af compared to my left. The reverse lunges seem to help me isolate the muscles a little more for some reason, and the strength imbalance is pretty obvious. I'll trying bumping the weight up to 35's.
[B]
Front Squat[/B] = 95 x 6/6/6/6
It took everything I had to get through these reps. The thing I like most about front squats is that it absolutely requires a tight core, and I was really feeling it today. I felt like I worked my abs almost as much as my legs. I'll try 100 next time through.

[B]Leg Extension [/B]= 110 x 6/6/6/6
No problem here. Will increase to 115 next time.

[B]Calf Press on Leg Press[/B] = 180 x 6 - 270 x 6/6 - 360 x 6
Kept bumping up the weight because it felt way too light. I'll try doing all sets at 360lbs next time.

[B]Shrug [/B]= 115 x 6/6/6/6
This weight felt about right. Not too light and not too heavy. I'll bump it up to 120 next time through this supplemental scheme.


[U]Measurements:[/U]
[B]Weight[/B]: 162.7 (-0.4)
[B]Body Fat%[/B]: 26.4 (+0.7)
[B]Muscle Mass%[/B]: 41.5 (-0.5)

This will probably be my last time weighing in with this scale for quite a while. I'll be tracking my weight pretty much daily, but not going to take Body Fat or Muscle Mass measurements again anytime soon.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Pull #3 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]

[U]Core (80% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]BB Bent Row[/B] = 140 x 11/3/3
Not bad. This is a 2 rep increase from the last time I did an AMRAP set at this weight.


[U]Supplementals (4-5 Sets/4-6 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Ups[/B] = BW x 6/5/5/3/3
4 Reps better than last time. I'll stay at BW next time again.

[B]Cable Row[/B] = 185 x 5 : 170 x 5/5/6/5
185 Wasn't happening, so I dropped back to 170 after the first set. Doing this immediately after Pullups is definitely reducing the amount of weight I can handle. That one set of 6 looks really odd, but I felt like my muscles had finally fully recovered from the Pullups at that point.

[B]Hammer Curl[/B] = 20's x 6/6/6/6
Will increase to 22.5's.

[B]Reverse Fly[/B] = 15's x 6/6/6/6
Will increase to 17.5's

[B]Decline Crunch[/B] = 30lbs x 6/6/6/4
I was supposed to do Hanging Leg Raises, but I didn't have access to the equipment so I did Decline Crunches again. I had nothing left after the last rep. Tried another and could only make it about half way up before my muscles gave out. I still made the 90% threshold, so I'll try doing 35lbs next time.


I have no idea when I'll make it back for my next workout. Maybe Sunday...hopefully Sunday. Possibly Saturday evening, if I have any energy remaining after working on my remodeling job all day. I'm really trying to make it as often as I can right now, because the DOMS are killing me with these longish breaks between working each body part.

I'm strongly considering changing to a different program after I complete this Macro (about 90% sure I'm going to). GST has been great when I can workout consistently, but it's not working so well now that my availability has dropped down to 2-3 days per week. I feel like I'll be better off going to an upper/lower, a PPL, a full body workout, or some combination the three. That way even if I can only make it 3 days per week I'll be hitting each body part at least once a week, whereas I'm currently sometimes having 1.5-2 weeks between workouts on a body part. With one Micro remaining now, I have another week or so to figure out what I'm going to do.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Lift #3 / Supplemental Scheme #3[/U][/B]
Did an afternoon workout for the first time in a very long time. I was feeling well rested and energetic.


[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Sumo Deadlift[/B]: 245 X 5/2/2
This was 20lbs lighter than what I should've been lifting according to my starting 1RM. It because obvious after the first 2 micros that my 1RM was too high though, so I dropped it for micros 3 and 4. This was my first time ever doing Sumo Deadlifts, so I was somewhat guessing at my 1RM.
I felt strong today. The 245lbs felt lighter that the 225 did in micro 3. I would've had a couple of more reps, but my grip didn't hold up. I ended up having to completely reset before I'd truly maxed out. It's all good though. I was happy with how I felt. The extended breaks between workouts paid off, in the sense that the strained muscle in my back I've been dealing with for about the last month seems to be completely healed. This was the first time I've been able to do Deadlifts without any ill effects since I first strained it. I just need to get my grip figured out. The mixed grip feels a bit awkward with my hand in that close, so I tried doing a traditional grip initially. This was more weight than I could handle with a traditional grip though. After resetting, I went to a mixed grip for the rest of the reps. I still felt like I was out of balance a bit, so I'll need to get that sorted out.


[U]Supplementals (2-3 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Romanian Deadlift[/B] = 125 x 20/20
The weight felt pretty light actually. The only reason I struggled here was because my grip was pretty worn out. My fingertips somehow managed to keep the bar from dropping to the floor. I'll increase the weight to 130.

[B]Hyperextension[/B] = 30 x 20/19
This sucked! My lower back and hamstrings were burning. I wasn't able to really lock out the last rep, but I made it over 90% so I'll increase to 35lbs next time.

[B]Leg Curl[/B] = 85 x 20/12/13
This was a different machine than I was used to using. I didn't feel like I had all of the settings correct, and I think it had a pretty large impact. I finally got everything setup right for the final set, which I why I was able to do one more rep than I had the previous step. If I would've had that setup from the beginning, I may have made it close to 20 reps on each of my first two sets. Oh well. I'll keep it at 85lbs.

[B]Seated Calf Raise[/B] = 50 x 20/20
I really struggled to complete all of the reps. There were probably one or two in there that shouldn't be counted. Regardless of that, I would've made the necessary number of reps to increase the weight. It'll move up to 55lbs next time.

[B]Face Pull[/B] = 20 x 20 : 25 x 20
It seems like I've used a different machine every single time I've done this exercise. I had to guess at a starting weight. It felt okay, but a little too light, so I increased the weight for the second set. I'll try bumping it up to 30 next time through.


I'm satisfied with the workout overall. I definitely won't be able to lift tomorrow. Hopefully I'll make it on Tuesday.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Press #4 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]
Weighed in prior to my workout today. Previous weight was 162.7. Today's weight was 162.4, so I'm still on track for my goal of cutting down to about 155 by the end of November.


[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Incline Bench Press[/B] = 130 x 3/1/1
I just realized that in the post I made for my last Press Day, I listed the weight as 155lbs. It was actually 115. I ended up about where I expected to today. On my last Micro 4 Press Day I hit only 1 rep at 135lbs, so this was a small improvement on that. On the final set I closed my grip slightly and it felt much easier than the previous reps. I think I would've gotten 4 or 5 reps on my AMRAP set with that grip. It's strange...sometimes I feel stronger with a wider grip, and other times the closer grip feels better.


[U]Supplementals (2-3 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Push Press[/B] = 45 x 20/20
I thought the weight was going to be too light after the first 10 reps, but then the fatigue started setting in. My shoulders were really burning by the last rep. I'll move up to 50lbs next time.

[B]DB Bench Press[/B] = 30's x 20/19
So close to making all 40 reps. I'll move it up to 35's.

[B]Tricep Rope Pushdown[/B] = 25 x 20/20
I was using another different cable machine with different weights AGAIN today. I should have some more stability as far as where I go to workout and what machines I use from now on. I'll increase the weight on this next time.

[B]Front Lateral DB Raise[/B] = 7.5's X 20/20
This felt good. I shouldn't have any problem doing this with more weight next time. I'll bump it up to 10's.

[B]Decline Crunch[/B] = 5 x 13/13 : BW x 8
Well damn, this sucked. Last time I was able to do 20 reps on each set with just bodyweight. I started out with 5lbs today, and it took every ounce of energy I had to get up to 13 for the first two sets. I just did bodyweight on the last set, and could only manage 8 reps before my abs totally gave out. I'm not really sure what happened here, but I'll try it with the same weight again next time.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Squat #4 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]
I've been waking up about 3 hours earlier than normal for the last week. Today was an early day also. I had been awake for about 5 hours, with only a couple cups of coffee and a piece of cake in my stomach. I had no energy at all, but had to take advantage of the opportunity to lift, because they've been hard to come by lately.


[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]Back Squat[/B] = 170 x 3(AMRAP)/1/1
The third rep on my AMRAP set was done with poor form, and probably shouldn't even be counted.

[U]Supplementals (2-3 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Reverse Lunge[/B] = 15's x 20/20
I didn't think I was going to make it through these. My legs were shaking pretty noticeably by the time I was done.

[B]Front Squat[/B] = 55 x 20/20
As if I wasn't already worn out... These destroyed me. I have no idea how I managed all the reps. It wasn't even that the weight was too heavy. I was just extremely fatigued. I was feeling light headed near the end, and after racking the bar I had to hold on to something to prevent my legs from giving out.

[B]Leg Extension[/B] = 75 x 10/9/8
After the front squats I took a few minutes rest to recuperate. I was feeling much better when I started the extensions, and then I started... My legs felt like jello after a couple of reps. This is the second time in a row I've failed to hit the reps at this weight. I'll be lowering it to 70lbs next time.

[B]Calf Press on Leg Press[/B] = 100 x 20/20
My biggest challenge on the 20 rep sets isn't the weight, it's the conditioning. I struggled to keep my legs extended enough to actually do the calf presses. Hit all the reps, so I'll increase the weight to 110 next time.

[B]Shrug[/B] = 115 x 20/20
The last 2 or 3 reps weren't great. I still hit the threshold that allows me to increase the weight next time though. I'll go up to 120lbs.


I completed my workout over 2 hours ago. I've got a good meal in me now, but I'm still totally wiped out. I have tomorrow free, so if I can stand I'll be at the gym for Pull Day.

[B][U]Macro #4 / Pull #4 / Supplemental Scheme #1[/U][/B]

[U]Core (90% of 1RM)[/U]
[B]BB Bent Row[/B] = 160 x 6/3/3
I tried to focus on being a little more strict on the form for this exercise. I felt good, and was pretty satisfied with this result.


[U]Supplementals (2-3 Sets/15-20 Reps)[/U]
[B]Pull Ups[/B] = BW-55 x 20/16/11
This was a 7 rep improvement from my last time at this weight. Good progress.

[B]Cable Row[/B] = 125 x 17/14/14
Also a 7 rep improvement on this exercise compared to last time with the same weight.

[B]Hammer Curl[/B] = 12.5's x 20/18
This was a huge jump. Last time doing this exercise at this weight, I only completed 36 reps over 3 sets. This time I did 38 over 2 sets.

[B]Reverse Fly[/B] = 10's x 20/20
It was a struggle near the end of each set. I'll move up to 12.5's next time.

[B]Decline Crunch[/B] = 5lbs x 20/15/11
I'll try this with the same weight again next time.


I won't be able to make it to the gym again until at least Thursday. Today marked the last workout I'm doing on the GST program (at least for now). I'll be changing over to TheVikings Bare Bones Upper/Lower program. It'll be a better fit for now, given my inability to lift 4x/week lately. The decreased frequency has resulted in me stalling or regressing on most of my core lifts. It's pretty understandable since it's sometimes been almost 2 weeks between doing each core exercise. I'm hoping I'll be able to get back to a 4x/week schedule sometime soon, but in the meantime I think I'll benefit from TheVikings program.

[B][U]Upper #1[/U][/B]
Today was my first day on the new program. As mentioned in my last post, I'm doing TheVikings Bare Bones Upper/Lower program. After 4 days where I was unable to lift, it felt great to be back at it today.
If you're curious about the programs layout, progression system, etc., I recommend checking out the thread, because I'm not going to explain it all here.
[url]http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=172565211[/url]


My formatting will look like this:
[B]Exercise[/B]: Weight(lbs) x Reps/Reps/Reps/Reps (Total # of Reps)

[B]Bench Press[/B]: 105 x 10/9/9/7 (35)
This is actually the first time I've bench pressed in several months. I was expecting to do more reps at this weight, but I hit my goal at least. I'll increase to 110.

[B]Barbell Row[/B]: 125 x 10/8/6/7 (31)
I'm trying to be really strict on form. I did two additional reps, but didn't count them because I wasn't satisfied with how I did those reps. Weight will stay the same next time.

[B]Military Press[/B]: 45 x 14/11/9 (34)
This was basically the first time I've ever done a military press. I wanted to start out as light as possible. I'll bump it up to 55 next time.

[B]Pullup[/B]: BW-55 x 12/12/11 (35)
Felt good. I'll increase to BW-50.

[B]Incline DB Press[/B]: 25's x 14/12/11 (37)
No problem here. I'll increase to 30's.

[B]DB Row[/B]: 35 x 15/11/10 (36)
Weight will go up to 40 next time.

[B]Straight Arm Pulldown[/B]: 30 x 15/15/15 (45)
Not sure on the weight. It was a 6 on the machine. I tried comparing it to a different machine that listed the weight in pounds, and it felt comparable to 30lbs.

[B]Face Pull[/B]: 20 x 15/15/15 (45)
Not sure on the weight. It was a 4 on the machine. I tried comparing it to a different machine that listed the weight in pounds, and it felt comparable to 20lbs.


I'm pretty satisfied. My goal was to pick weights that I was pretty sure I could hit the rep goals with, and I succeeded on all but one of them.
I should be able to lift both of the next two days. Tomorrow will be Lower Day #1. I'm looking forward to it. ;)

I'm not sure what my schedule is going to look like moving forward. I'll be working different hours beginning next week. I think it should make it a little bit easier for me to find time to lift, but it's hard to say for sure. My goal is 3-4 days per week. I'm really hoping for 4, so I hope I can make that happen.

[B][U]Lower #1[/U][/B]
Had a rare evening workout today. Energy level was about a 5 out of 10, so not great or terrible.


[B]Back Squat[/B]: 125 x 10/10/7/8 (35)
Going for 32 reps here. This was a good starting weight. I still have a tendency to shift the weight forward too much, so sitting back a bit will be focus point for me. I'll increase to 130.

[B]Deadlift[/B]: 185 x 11/10/10 (31)
This was my first time doing conventional deadlifts in a couple of months. It felt good. Just barely made the 30 rep goal because my lower back was getting fatigued. Weight will go to 190.

[B]Hack Squat[/B]: 95 x 10/10/10 (30)
I've never done hack squats before. They felt really awkward, which is to be expected I guess. I was surprised how much I was feeling it in my quads and calves. Gonna try 100lbs next time.

[B]Lying Leg Curl[/B]: 80 x 13/10/10 (33)
I'll go up to 85lbs next time.

[B]Single Leg Press[/B]: 0 x 14/13/11 (38)
My legs were pretty much shot by this point. My right leg actually gave out on me when I was just standing not doing anything between sets. I loaded up 90lbs initially, but realized right away it was more than I could handle. I ended up doing it without any weight added.

[B]Decline Crunch[/B]: BW x 15/15/15 (45)
These felt good. I probably could've even squeezed out a few more. I'll do it with 5lbs next time.

[B]Seated Calf Raise[/B]: 60 x 13 : 45 x 15/15 (43)
Started out at 60, which probably would be a good weight for me if my legs weren't already exhausted. My left calf cramped up during the 13th rep. I lowered the weight to 45 for the remaining sets. My right calf cramped up during the second set, lol. Managed to make it through set number three without any cramps. ;) I'll increase to 50lbs.


I hit the rep goal for every exercise today, so I'm pretty happy with that. It's probably going to take a couple of weeks for my body to get used to this program. I was pretty fatigued and low on energy during todays workout. I should be able to get to the gym again on Tuesday for Upper Day #2. I'm still a bit sore from the last upper day, but I should be pretty much back to 100% for the next workout.

[B][U]Upper #2[/U][/B]
I only got about 6 hours of sleep, so my energy level was a little low today.


[B]Bench Press[/B]: 110 x 10/10/8/6 (34)
No problems here. Will increase to 115.

[B]Barbell Row[/B]: 125 x 8/7/8/7 (30)
Focusing on doing perfect reps. I still had a couple of reps where I used momentum to get the weight up more than I'd like. I'll try this weight one more time, and then drop it down if I don't make it to 32 reps.

[B]Military Press[/B]: 55 x 11/9/7 (27)
Will increase to 60.

[B]Pullup[/B]: BW-50 x 18/12/13 (43)
I have no idea what happened here. I was lifting 5 more pounds than last time, and somehow managed to do 8 more reps than I did at the lower weight. I'll chalk it up as an anomaly and only increase the weight by 5lbs again next time.

[B]Lateral Raise[/B]: 10's x 12/12/10 (34)
I need to do some more research on this exercise, because I'm not sure i'm doing it exactly right. I've never done it before. I hit my rep goal, so I'll increase to 12.5lbs DB's next time.

[B]Barbell Shrug[/B]: 90 x 11/12/12 (35)
Strange that i did the fewest amount of reps on my first set. Must've taken me a set to get the muscles warmed up. Will increase to 95.

[B]Barbell Curl[/B]: 45 x 12/10/9 (31)
Will increase to 50.

[B]Skullcrusher[/B]: 25 x 15/13/15 (43)
Started with a really light weight since I've never done these before. I'll increase to 30 next time.

[B]Overhead Cable Extension[/B]: 25 x 15/15/14 (44)
This weight was pretty easy, but I've never done this exercise before either, so I wanted a weight I knew I could handle. I'll increase to 30 next time.

[B]Cable Hammer Curl[/B]: 20 x 15/12/12 (39)
Will increase to 25.


Good workout today. Though I started with a low energy level, I started feeling pretty good once I got the blood pumping. I'm going to need to pick up the pace though. It took me about 90 minutes, with about 3 minute breaks between sets on all the compound lifts, and around 2 minutes on the others. I need to try to get done in less than an hour (I actually ended up late to work because of how long it took me today). I'll try reducing my rest period by 30-60 seconds next time. I'm not sure when I'll be lifting again. I'll fit a workout in whenever I can.

[B][U]Lower #2[/U][/B]
Another evening workout today. I had to wake up much earlier than I'm accustomed to for work today, which meant working out after work instead of before. Energy level was about average. The gym I went to has like 10 power racks. I hopped in one right away, and then about 2 minutes later I got kicked out of it because there was a class going that needed 8 or them. I wasn't in the mood to wait for one of the remaining two racks to open up, so I left and went to a different gym that only had three power racks. I lucked out and one of them was open, so I setup shop and got to work.

[B]Back Squat[/B]: 130 x 5/5/6/5 (21)
Added 5 pounds compared to last time, and I did 14 fewer reps. I'm trying to be really strict on my form, because it's still been pretty sloppy and I need to get it right before I hurt myself. I did a much better job of keeping the barbell over my feet, though I did have 1 rep where I found myself leaning forward too much. Another thing I'm going to focus on is trying to keep my weight balanced between both legs. I'm favoring my left leg big time. I've been using the explanation that it's because my legs are different lengths, and it's forcing me into an awkward stance. I'm wondering if that 'explanation' isn't actually just an excuse though. I'm going to do my best to improve my weight distribution and see if it truly does put too much stress on my right knee. I'm expecting the weight not to increase over the next few sessions as I work on these things.

[B]Romanian Deadlift[/B]: 155 x 11/11/11 (33)
I felt strong on this today. I probably could've nearly made my rep goal with 20 more pounds. Therefore, I'm increased the weight 20lbs to 175 next time.

[B]Leg Press[/B]: 180 x 11/10/10 (31)
I didn't go too near failure since this was probably the first time I done a leg press in like 20 years. I'll bump it up to 200.

[B]Leg Extension[/B]: 110 x 9/9/9 (27)
Eight reps short of my goal. Weight will stay the same.

[B]Leg Curl[/B]: 110 x 12/12/11 (35)
Weight will increase to 115

[B]Decline Crunch[/B]: 5 x 15/15/12 (42)
Increase to 10.

[B]Seated Calf Raise[/B]: 50 x 14/13/13 (40)
Increase to 55


Pretty good session. It still took me too long (nearly 90 minutes) despite being more strict on rest times. It didn't help that I did more sets than I was supposed to on some of the exercises because I wasn't paying attention.

[B][U]Upper #1[/U][/B]
Worked out yesterday, but didn't have time to post it.


[B]Bench Press[/B]: 115 x 10/8/7/5 (30)
I thought I might make it to 32 reps after the first two sets, but ran out of steam. Still, it felt good. The increased frequency has definitely helped. My form/grip positioning is starting to get dialed in pretty well.

[B]Barbell Row[/B]: 115 x 10/10/8/7 (35)
I decided to lower the weight so I can continue to focus on strict form. This felt good. I'll increase to 120.

[B]Military Press[/B]: 60 x 11/8/6 (25)
Just barely made it to 25 reps. I'll move up to 65lbs next time.

[B]Pullup[/B]: BW-45 x 14/11/8 (33)
Noticing a big improvement quickly on Pullups. I'll bump it up another 5lbs to BW-40.

[B]Incline DB Press[/B]: 30's x 16/14/12 (42)
This actually felt easy today. Increase to 35's.

[B]DB Row[/B]: 40 x 15/12/11 (38)
No problem here. Increase to 45.

[B]Straight Arm Pulldown[/B]: 35 x 14/14/12 (40)
Just barely made it to 40. I'll try 37.5 next time.

[B]Face Pull[/B]: 25 x 18/16/16 (50)
Piece of cake. Increasing to 30.


Making good progress all around. I'm really enjoying the program. I finished a bit faster this time (75 minutes), but still need to try to shave off another 15 minutes. I'll try reducing rest time a little bit more between sets.

[B][U]Lower #1[/U][/B]
An early morning workout. I was short on sleep, but my energy level was decent.


[B]Back Squat[/B]: 125 x 7/4/4/4 (19)
Well...decided to stop accepting any poor reps, otherwise I'll just keep compensating to get more reps. I stopped immediately when I had a rep where I was either leaning forward to utilize my lower back more than my legs, or started shifting my weight to my left leg too much. I'm able to do solid reps initially, so I don't think I can use uneven limb lengths as an excuse. It still feels awkward to keep the weight balanced between both legs, but I'll need to get used to it. I'll continue with this approach moving forward. I was nowhere near hitting the rep goal though, so I'm going to drop the weight down to 115 next time and work my way back up with correct form.

[B]Deadlift[/B]: 190 x 10/10/7 (27)
Close, but couldn't quite make it to 30 reps. I have a tendency to shift my weight forward, similar to squats, so I tried to focus on keeping my weight back and chest up. I would've definitely done more than 30 reps if I'd reverted to bad form and relied on my lower back to get the weight up, but I'm sure that's what caused me to strain a muscle in my lower back a couple of months ago, and I have no interest in doing that again. I'll try it again with the same weight next time.

[B]Hack Squat[/B]: 100 x 12/10/10 (32)
These felt about 10x better than they did last time, but still felt awkward as hell. My form feels okay when my muscles are fresh, but I find myself leaning forward (damnit!) when I start getting fatigued, and relying on my lower back strength to force the weight up. I'll need to be careful about increasing the weight too quickly, but I'll increase to 105 and see how that goes.

[B]Lying Leg Curl[/B]: 85 x 16/12/10 (38)
No problem hitting the rep goal of 30 here. I'll increase to 90.

[B]Single Leg Press[/B]: 10 x 15/15/15 (45)
My right leg is definitely lagging behind a little bit. I feel like this will help me out with squats in the long run. I'll be focusing on really pushing myself to get as many reps as possible on my right leg. My legs are jello by the time I get this far into the workout, so the weight is really low right now still. I'll Increase to 20.

[B]Decline Crunch[/B]: 10 x 15/13/12 (40)
Still feeling pretty strong on these. Just barely managed to make it to the 40 rep goal. I'll try 15lbs next time.

[B]Seated Calf Raise[/B]: 55 x 15/15/15 (45)
Really happy with this. Increase to 60.


Good session today. All of the lifts where I failed to reach my rep goal, it was a result of improving form. It's resulting in minor setback as far as the amount of weight I'm lifting, but it's the right thing to do and what I need to do. Right now my primary goal is solid form. The rep goals are secondary.

[B][U]Upper #2[/U][/B]
I had 3 days of rest. I was hoping to get a workout in earlier, but just didn't have an opportunity. I've been sick for most of those 3 days too. Was feeling a bit better today, but still under the weather. Breathing was a challenge, and it definitely affected my rest times today. My energy level was also pretty low as a result.

[B]Bench Press[/B]: 115 x 9/9/7/6 (31)
One more rep than last time, which I'm happy with. I thought for sure I was going to make it to 32 after hitting 9 on the second set, but it wasn't to be. I'll stay at 115.

[B]Barbell Row[/B]: 120 x 8/7/6/6 (27)
I didn't really come close to my rep goal, but I was extremely happy with the form improvement. I managed to isolate my upper back really well, and I'm still feeling now, about 5 hours later. Stay at 120.

[B]Military Press[/B]: 65 x 8/6/6 (20)
Again, not close to my rep goal, but happy with the result nonetheless. I pushed it as far as I could. I'll stay at 65 again next time.

[B]Pullup[/B]: BW-40 x 14/11/9 (34)
Once again, I had no problem reaching my rep goal on pullups. This exercise is increasing easier and more steadily than any other. The increased frequency in helping with form a lot too. Feels good. Increase to BW-35.

[B]Lateral Raise[/B]: 12.5's x 14/11/10 (35)
Even with a weight increase, I managed to do more reps than last time. To be honest, I was kind of bummed though. I was getting sloppy, and several of the reps were questionable. I'll increase to 15's, but really focus on good form next time.

[B]Barbell Shrug[/B]: 95 x 12/10/10 (32)
Meh. Made the rep goal. Wasn't totally happy with the range of motion. I'll increase to 100, but place an emphasis on using the full range of motion next time.

[B]Barbell Curl[/B]: 55 x 15/12/9 (36)
No problems here. Increase to 60.

[B]Skullcrusher[/B]: 35 x 15/11/9 (35)
There was no 30lb EZ bar available, so I tried 35 and hit the rep goal pretty easily. Increase to 40

[B]Overhead Cable Extension[/B]: 6 x 14/13/12 (39)
The gym has 4 separate sets of cable stands. This is good, because I can usually find an open station. Unfortunately, 3 of the 4 have completely different weight markings on them. One goes by numbers (1,2,3, etc.), one by pounds, and the other two seem to go by pounds also, but the listed weights don't really match up to the other set (they also use different weight increments. Keeping track of progress is really frustrating due to these inconsistencies. Today I used the station with the numbers, which I why I listed a '6' above. I haven't figured out yet what those numbers correspond to for weight on the other stations. I'll increase to 6.5 (if I end up at the same station next time).

[B]Cable Hammer Curl[/B]: 3.5 x 12/8/8 (28)
Same story as above. I'll stay at 3.5.


It felt good to be back at it again today. I friggin wore me out, but in the best possible way. I should be able to lift before work on Monday...Lower day. Starting in about another week my work schedule should become much more consistent. If everything goes as planned, I should have the opportunity to lift immediately after work most days. I'm looking forward to getting on a regular lifting schedule, since that's something I've never been able to do up to this point. I imagine it should help a lot.

[U][B][/U]Lower #2[/B]
Feeling average today. Still fighting a cold. Energy level was decent though.

[B]Back Squat[/B]: 115 x 8/7/6/5 (26)
I'm okay with this result. It seems ridiculous that I'm only squatting 115 pounds, but it's necessary right now. My form is still a mess, but it was infinitely better today. I did a good job of not leaning forward. I still can't really keep my weight evenly balanced between my left and right legs (and maybe I won't ever be able to), but it was improved today. I'll continue the focus on form at 115lbs again next time.

[B]Romanian Deadlift[/B]: 175 x 12/10/9 (31)
My grip starting failing on the second set, which I wasn't expecting at all. I had to re-grip after my eighth rep. Struggled with it a lot on the last set too. The bar was in my fingertips on the final rep. Other than that, I didn't have much trouble with the weight. I'll do 180 next time.

[B]Leg Press[/B]: 200 x 15/15/13 (43)
This was pretty easy. I'll increase to 220.

[B]Leg Extension[/B]: 110 x 12/11/10 (33)
I did six more reps than last time, so good progress. Still came short of the 35 rep goal, so the weight will stay the same.

[B]Leg Curl[/B]: 115 x 15/13/12 (40)
No problem here. Increasing to 120.

[B]Decline Crunch[/B]: 15 x 15/12/10 (37)
Close, but didin't quite make it to 40 reps. I'll do the same weight again next time.

[B]Seated Calf Raise[/B]: 60 x 16/14/13 (43)
I did this pretty easily. I'll increase to 65.


I made good progress on all the lifts I did later in the session, which tells me my stamina is probably improving. The compound lifts are starting to annoy me a bit. The more I do them, the more I notice the flaws in how I'm performing them. My form has undoubtedly improved a lot compared to when I first started, but I still have a long way to go. I feel like I'm taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back right now. It is what it is though. I can't progress with the weight without hurting myself, so I need to continue to refine the movements. I don't know when I'll get to the gym next...hopefully tomorrow.