Keeping the bar on your back is tough. As a low bar squatter, it is hard to go too many reps with a heavy weight. My last set of 20 if I kept moving I could keep things on my back/shoulders. It was when I paused that things got dicey. Like you, I resorted to racking the bar for a few breaths and to reset the bar.
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09-16-2019, 02:03 PM #1261
- Join Date: Oct 2008
- Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
- Posts: 7,659
- Rep Power: 23322
David, a 56 year old pastor, husband and father.
1Co 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified
Best Lifts - Squat 375lbs Bench 205 lbs Deadlift 470lbs. Goals in next year? Be the best Me I can be.
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09-16-2019, 02:50 PM #1262
oh yeah, you use lowbar, that is hard. That guy from NY did 20 reppers (I don't know how) with that lowbar set. I use highbar.
....it's a long shot but try to pucker your butt cheeks (hips totally locked out) while resting using high bar, for me, this takes all the load off the spine, low back etc.
Don't know if that'll work for you, but it does for me, that is gold of a tip!
Over and Out, for real this time.
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09-16-2019, 02:56 PM #1263
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09-16-2019, 08:27 PM #1264
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
It'll be a truncated one, but I did get week 114 off to a decent start. I added one rep each to the bench, squat, and OHP compared to the previous Sunday, gave the rest-pause on the squat with the bar on my back a try (which didn't get very far, and I didn't count it with my totals), and overall felt reasonably strong. Part of me thinks I should sitting in a maintenance mode for now, waiting until this medical issue works itself out, and I think I agree with myself that I shouldn't start any major new variations until after that mega-reset, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't keep pushing my current program as far as it will take me up until the moment I have to stop.
Anyway, I'll try for a good Tuesday workout tomorrow, and then I'll be on the road for Thursday, heading to San Diego. No idea yet as to when the actual surgery will take place.
Morning weight: 167.0 -- the cut is definitely over!
Bench
100 5
125 5
150 10
175 8
175 15 Rest-Pause: 5+4+3+2+1
Squat
140 5 -- Paused
170 5 -- Paused
205 10
240 9
240 15 -- Rest-Pause: 5+4+3+2+1
BB Row:
120 5
150 5
180 10
205 10
205 26 -- Rest-Pause: 6+5x4
Overhead Press:
60 5
75 5
90 10
100 8
100 14 -- Rest-Pause: 5+4+3+2
Accessories:
Not much, just one session of Myo-reps pushups, which was really below par for some reason:
36 + 5 + 5 + 6 +5“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-16-2019, 08:32 PM #1265
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
I've backed into low-bar squatting by necessity. I started out attempting to high-bar, and it was agonizing on my upper spine. I just can't seem to find that shelf on my traps where the bar can rest, and it pushes right into my vertebrae. With low-bar, it nestles right into the proper spot immediately.
You'll notice that when I do actual paused squats, I only do them at the very lowest (warmup) weights. Anything heavier, and I ain't goin' nowhere.“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-16-2019, 08:33 PM #1266
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09-17-2019, 05:10 AM #1267
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09-17-2019, 12:07 PM #1268
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09-18-2019, 07:46 PM #1269
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
Tuesday workout last night was a little disappointing. Since it's the last workout of this week I wanted to push it extra hard. Turned out I had less to give than I hoped. I did one less rep on my incline bench -- although I made up for it on the rest-pause section. Still, I'd wanted to add a rep, not just maintain. Same thing with the deadlift. Last time out, I had six reps at 340 pounds. My plan had been to go up to 345, but since I'd skipped a week I stayed at 340, but I thought I could get another 6 in. Nope -- could only do 5.
Oh well, at least I got to do them. I feel that's one lift I really need to do, and it is good for me.
Tomorrow right after work we head to San Diego for my consult. We'll schedule the surgery then, I think. I hope it's as soon as possible, I want this episode out of the way and behind me!
Incline Bench:
110x5
130x10
150x6
150x11 -- Rest-Pause: 5+3+2+1
Squat:
140x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
205x6
205x6
Overhead Press:
60x5
75x5
90x10
100x6
100x6
Deadlift:
245x5
295x6
340x5
340x5
I'll be dragging the bar out again on Sunday, whatever schedule we come up with!“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-23-2019, 10:13 PM #1270
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
First, a quick update...
I had a miserable drive to San Diego, and a miserable drive back. Any surgery I might possibly undergo could not be as bad as the conditions on the road. I left work two hours early on Thursday so that I could get home, gather my wife, and make it to our motel for the night at a reasonable hour. Instead, I ended up getting home twenty minutes late, having spent that two hours and then some having to drive 160 miles out of my way because the highway was closed down due to a massive accident. Fighting traffic and road construction (is it ever NOT rush hour in southern California?), we finally got there at nearly midnight. Same problem on the way home. We left the hospital at 3:00 in the afternoon, drove about 320 miles, and got home at nearly midnight. Lots of choke points. About the only time we weren’t blocked up by traffic was on the portion of the road that wasn’t interstate – those beautiful empty desert highways are fantastic. Unless one is shut down for hours because of an accident.
The appointment itself was informative. The doctor didn’t show much sense of urgency. I was worried that my swollen and cancerous appendix might burst before they remove it. His answer: “Don’t worry about your appendix bursting, it already has.” Huh? Never heard of a bursting appendix that wasn’t an immediate medical emergency. He explained that only happens when the bursting is due to an inflammatory infection, and it spews toxic bacterial brew into the abdomen. In my case, it wasn’t due to infection, and all I have to deal with is cancerous sludge. Great.
He said there was a small, very unlikely but still measurable chance that the appendix cancer was somehow related to my previous throat cancer. If so, that would change the treatment plan, therefore before they schedule surgery he does want a biopsy and another diagnostic procedure preformed. That will probably happen in a couple of weeks. Then it will take another couple of weeks to arrange my surgery, so we’re looking at maybe mid-October. They took a blood test, and there was no sign of the cancer cells in my blood, so that's a good sign.
I’ll keep training until then – maybe he’ll have a beast to operate on!
By Sunday, I was mostly recovered from the ordeal, but not completely, and I felt it in the workout. I felt stiff, tired, and there was a lot of inertia. I managed to maintain in all the lifts except the bench press, where my rest-pause sets suffered. Still, it was nice to be under the bar and working through it.
Week 115, Session 1
Morning weight: 168.2 pounds
Bench Press:
100x5
125x5
150x10
175x8
175x11 -- Rest-Pause: 5+3+2+1
Squat:
140x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
205x10
240x9
240x15 -- Rest-Pause: 5+4+3+2+1
BB Row:
120x5
150x5
180x10
205x10
205x26 -- Rest-Pause: 6+5x4
Overhead Press:
60x5
75x5
90x10
100x8
100x15 -- Rest-Pause: 5+4+3+2+1
Accessories:
Pullups/Chinups, bodyweight, ~myo-reps style
Pullups: 10 + 6 + 3...
Switch to Chinups, +3+2
(Pushups this morning at work, rest-pause: 51 + 5 + 5 + 6 + 5 + 7)“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-25-2019, 09:47 PM #1271
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
Got a Tuesday workout in, no drama, and it was noticeably better than the preceding Tuesday. I regained the lost rep on the incline bench from the previous week and kept the added rep in the rest-pause set. I also got back rep #6 for my first deadlift set at 340 pounds. I'll put another 5 pounds on that exercise next week -- I know I said that about 3 weeks ago but life interfered. Now it looks like I won't be interrupted. The deadlifts actually felt surprisingly good, especially considering I was emotionally reluctant to do them for some undefinable reason. I did them, and I was glad.
Week 115 -- Midpoint
Incline Bench:
110x5
130x10
150x7
150x11 -- Rest-Pause: 5+3+2+1
Squat:
140x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
205x6
205x6
Overhead Press:
60x5
75x5
90x10
100x6
100x6
Deadlift:
245x5
295x6
340x6
340x5
Accessories:
Pullups, bodyweight, Myo-reps: 10 + 4 + 2
I tried to shorten the rest intervals on these, maybe too much. I think I would like to adjust my rest interval so as to allow a maximum of 5 reps on each subset. That will probably take some practice.
Pushups at work today, 2 sets:
1. Myo-reps: 52 + 6 + 7 + 5 + 5 + 5
2. Straight set: 46
There was about a 40 minute gap between the first set and the second. I was working, after all...“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-26-2019, 05:38 AM #1272
- Join Date: Oct 2008
- Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
- Posts: 7,659
- Rep Power: 23322
Good work my friend. I am reading a great book right now, Atomic Habits, espousing "Kaizen" (threw that in for Kaz) or 1% more approach to life. I am applying it in my ministry, marriage and also in the gym. Each day asking, "What can I do just 1% better?" Doesn't have to be an exact numerical 1% but what can I do better today than yesterday. In the gym it might only be one more rep or 1/2 a lb on a lift, but those little bits will add up over time and will create better habits as we move forward. For me right now, my 1% is revamping my warmup routine and preparation for the gym. In the gym it is focusing on the process and form instead of a goal. Book has an interesting discussion on why goal focuses can actually cause more problems than help. I am seeing it in my life and in one of the teens I train, so I am attempting to refocus both of us on they system and away from the goals. If we work each session with better form and progression, we will eventually hit those goals without having to focus on them.
Your consistency and patient approach encouraged me to share what I am learning these days. Thanks!David, a 56 year old pastor, husband and father.
1Co 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified
Best Lifts - Squat 375lbs Bench 205 lbs Deadlift 470lbs. Goals in next year? Be the best Me I can be.
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09-26-2019, 01:24 PM #1273
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
Thanks, Zav. I wish I had the time to be less patient!
That’s really a good point you’re making about what is essentially destination vs journey. We all have our goals, but we can so myopically focus on keeping our “eyes on the prize” that we lose our peripheral vision. When the journey to the goal involves as many twists and turns and detours (and sometimes backtracks) as ours does, you definitely have to pay more day to day attention to the route, since you already know where you want to be.
Sometimes that route gets pretty scenic!“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-27-2019, 08:02 PM #1274
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
Looks like the main surgery will in November-ish. Not as quickly as I would have chosen, but apparently the wheels of medicine grind slowly when you aren't in the emergency room. One of the two diagnostic preludes I need couldn't be scheduled until late in October, which sets back the main treatment schedule. I should be fine. I'll continue pretty much on the same track I'm on now until then, although I might make a couple of adjustments here and there.
Thursday night I finished out week 115. It started tough, I had previously gotten 9 reps in on my first bench press set at 175 lbs, this time rep 9 failed me about halfway up. Not sure why, the submaximal sets had felt pretty good. And of course, failing a rep, particularly when it's not your final set, takes a lot of energy out of you, so on the next set where I had previously gotten 8 reps, I could only manage 7. I tried to make up for it during the final rest-pause set, but there wasn't much left for it, and I failed again on my second subset. I think I also got impatient on that one, and went a few seconds earlier than I should have. Another couple of breaths or so and I probably would have gotten it. As I mentioned earlier, I need to learn how to budget the pauses in my rest-pause sets so as to get the desired number of effective reps in each time. I rested a few minutes, then did a Revenge set of rest-pause. That pretty much finished off my chest, and I'm still feeling it now, but it got my volume totals back up at least.
From there, things went ok, I improved my rest-pause reps for the squat, and added a rep on my gratutious heavy squat at the end. So I think I'm ready to increase the weight on my squat starting Sunday. The rows and overhead press went as usual, no increases but no failures either. I'm sure they'll get there eventually. It's not too bad -- next week I can add weight to three lifts, the squat, the row, and the deadlift. That's progress enough for now.
My total volume for the week (not counting warmup sets at the bottom) was 71,995 pounds. That's my first time ever for getting over 70,000 pounds in a week, and even though it's not done with PR weights, I'll still take it, since they're done for reps at about 75% to 85% of my previous PRs. Certainly not easy for me! It'll be lower next week. I know the extra few pounds will inevitably mean fewer reps.
Bench Press:
100x5
125x5
150x10
175x8 -- failed rep 9
175x7
175x8 -- Rest-Pause: 5+3, failed rep 4
175x9 -- Rest-Pause: 5+3+1, revenge!
Squat:
140x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
205x10
240x10
240x8
240x17 -- Rest-Pause: 5+4+3+3+2, ready to add some weight!
280x3 -- Gratuitous
BB Row:
120x5
150x5
180x10
205x10
205x8
205x26 -- Rest-Pause: 6+5x4, ready to add some weight here too!
Overhead Press:
60x5
75x5
90x10
100x8
100x7
100x13 -- Rest-Pause: 5+3+3+2
No accessories, I was pretty beat. Didn't even get in my pushups and pullups this morning, but I'll throw some in tomorrow.“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-29-2019, 12:35 PM #1275
- Join Date: Oct 2008
- Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
- Posts: 7,659
- Rep Power: 23322
How long are you resting between sets? Just curious. I know the rest pause are short rests, but curious how much time you are taking between working sets.
You have some great volume going on, despite all you are dealing with in life. Keep up the good work my friend.David, a 56 year old pastor, husband and father.
1Co 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified
Best Lifts - Squat 375lbs Bench 205 lbs Deadlift 470lbs. Goals in next year? Be the best Me I can be.
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09-29-2019, 07:16 PM #1276
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
I try for a good five minutes between sets. I'm in no rush. Although I often stretch it out more when I'm switching between exercises. I typically take a break after squats and have a protein drink -- and check on the sprinklers in the yard.
Volume's dropping down as of tonight. After much self-conflict, I decided to go back to the older pseudo-Madcow system -- 5 reps only, but topping out heavier. I'll try to get consistent increases over the next four or five weeks. We'll see how far that goes until it comes to a halt.“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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09-30-2019, 08:43 PM #1277
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
Started Week 116 Sunday night. As I mentioned in the last post, and almost at the last minute, I decided to shift back to a more strength-oriented program, keeping things generally to 5 reps, and attempting to increase a little every week. I didn't do a formal test to see what my 1RM should be, I just estimated what I guessed would be a reasonable starting weight, heavier than my current high-rep maxes that I can do 5 reps with. I then calculated my ramp-up weights, and got started. So for each exercise, I increase the weight 12.5% each set from first to last, and each week I'll attempt to add 2.5% to the totals. If I can have that sustained for 4 weeks I'll be golden. I'll play around a bit on the edges because, well, I'm me.
So the total load goes down while the max weights go up. I'm not sure if that counts as a deload or not, but I'll continue to be challenged whether or not. After 30 weeks on the last approach, I figure a change-up will do me good anyway.
Morning Weight: 167.6 lbs. I think I'd actually like to maintain right around this weight, but it doesn't really even count anymore now that I know a certain portion of that mass is not me. I'm looking forward to being free of that foreign matter, now that I know it's there.
Bench Press:
93x5
116x5
139x5
162x5
185x5
Squat:
133x5 -- Paused
166x5 -- Paused
199x5
232x5
265x5
BB Row:
113x5
141x5
170x5
197x5
225x5
Overhead Press:
53x5
66x5
79x5
92x5
105x5
Accessories:
Pullups/Chinups, 35 lb plate hanging, rest-pause:
Pullups 6+3+3,
Chinups 2+2
Stiff-legged Deadlift, 155 lbs, rest-pause:
14 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5
For the pullups, I have to wear the straps, and I still haven't completely mastered the art of quickly tightening them over the bar. That makes it harder to estimate how long to wait between mini-sets, but since I've lost my acclimation to them, I don't think it really matters. Just doing them is what's important. For the chinups, I don't need the straps, so I can just drop them after my last pullup and minimize the delay to start the chinups.
It had been a long time since I'd done the stiff-legged deadlifts, and I sure felt it. While they were in progress, I was feeling them mostly on my traps. About 5 minutes after I finished is when my hamstrings made themselves known, I started feeling quite the burn!
I do need to stop neglecting these accessories, and that's one reason I went back to the lower volume approach. I'm left with more time and energy to do them at the end of of the main workout.“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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10-02-2019, 08:46 PM #1278
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
And got to the midpoint of Week 116 Tuesday night. Again, no drama to speak of. The submaximal weights were lighter, the top weight a little heavier. The Incline bench was tough to get all five reps but it went up. The deadlift also went ok, but difficult. No reason to think I can't increase those a little next week.
Incline Bench:
100x5
120x5
140x5
160x5
Squat:
133x5 -- Paused
166x5 -- Paused
199x5
199x5
Overhead Press:
53x5
66x5
79x5
92x5
92x5
Deadlift:
215x5
260x5
302x5
345x5
Accessories:
Pullups/Chinups, bodyweight/ myo-reps: 12 + 4 + 3 (pullups) + 3 + 3(chinups)
Pushups with handles/raised feet/myo-reps: 30 + 8 + 8 + 7 + 7
I put my feet on a calf raise platform, about 3 inches high. Not much, but between that and the handles it changed the mechanics entirely. My hands were closer together and further down from my shoulders than usual. First few reps were easy, but it got challenging fast!“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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10-04-2019, 11:56 AM #1279
- Join Date: Oct 2008
- Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
- Posts: 7,659
- Rep Power: 23322
Love the consistency. You are a machine my friend.
David, a 56 year old pastor, husband and father.
1Co 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified
Best Lifts - Squat 375lbs Bench 205 lbs Deadlift 470lbs. Goals in next year? Be the best Me I can be.
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10-04-2019, 02:28 PM #1280
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10-04-2019, 09:21 PM #1281
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10-04-2019, 10:51 PM #1282
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
It's always intuitive. I have tried to do food journaling, but that's not something I can be successful at. I like variety, I like spontaneity, I like to eat out when the opportunity arises, or eat with friends, and I like hefty portions. I like to eat. I can never get more than a rough idea of my calories in, and from everything I've read, you really can't get much more than a rough idea of calories out, either. So I use the rough ideas, and then adjust as I go. If I feel like I've over-indulged for a couple of days, I try to cut back for a couple of other days. It's basically intermittent fasting, intermittently.
Breakfast is the exception. I eat the same breakfast nearly every day, unless I'm on the road, or unless my wife gets some bright idea to cook something. But since I usually get up first, that rarely happens. I eat cereal, milk, a banana, a scoop of whey, and a scoop of creatine. But bananas can vary in size, and while I have occasionally put the cereal through a measuring cup just to get a baseline, I usually just eyeball it. But the baseline is about 790 calories, and 43 grams of protein. I maintain on roughly 2600-2700 calories per day, so I know approximately what I have to play with. But everything is an estimate, and some weeks I eat more, some less. If I like what I see in the mirror and/or on the scale -- or not, then I make rough adjustments.
Except for this week, of course. I have a eso****al endoscopy/colonoscopy coming up Wednesday, and a peritoneal biopsy on Friday, the first in San Diego, the second in Las Vegas. Starting tomorrow I can only eat "low residue" foods, and no solids on Tuesday or Wednesday. I don't know if my gut's going to be sensitive afterwards, but I do know I'm going to spend a couple of days hungry and grumpy. (And stressed from the drive). My upcoming Sunday workout may be it for the week. I don't know if I'll be up for it Thursday or not.
But tonight I have the telescope working, as soon as the Moon sets, so I'm in a pretty good mood now!“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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10-04-2019, 11:10 PM #1283
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
Nice finish Thursday to Week 116. I had hoped I'd get another higher intensity week in next week, but events are moving faster than I anticipated. I'm not sure when I'm going to shut down this portion of the journey (not the thread, yet) and start another one.
It's an interesting difference between this workout program and the previous one. Now, the volume is lower, but the final intensity on each lift is just a bit higher. I don't feel quite the systemic fatigue I was feeling at the end of every workout before, but the muscle groups I work certainly feel the work! So, less tired, more sore. It feels good. When I do restart my recovery workouts, It will be this same plan.
Bench Press:
93x5
116x5
139x5
162x5
190x4
139x10
Squat:
133x5 -- Paused
166x5 -- Paused
199x5
232x5
272x4
199x10
BB Row:
113x5
141x5
170x5
197x5
230x4
170x10
Overhead Press:
53x5
66x5
79x5
92x5
108x4
79x10
Accessories:
Pullups/Chinups, 35 lb weighted, myo-reps: 6 + 3 + 3 (pullups) + 2 + 1 (chinups)
Pushups, hands on handles, feet on calf raise platform, myoreps: 36 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 7
I thought I'd do better on the Pullups/Chinups, and on this new pushup style I still don't know what to think. I have the platform out anyway to help me reach the chinup bar (I haven't done a calf raise on it since I built it!), so it's convenient to use. It changes my weight distribution -- I don't notice that the pushups are any harder at first, but I do tire faster this way. It may just be a matter of getting used to it.
I'll do a full workout on Sunday, and I think I'll have another clear week on the week after next. Looks like that may wrap it up for this cycle, though. If not then, pretty soon afterwards. I'm already starting to look forward to beginning the next one, although I'd rather the reset was a bit more pleasant.“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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10-05-2019, 06:20 AM #1284
- Join Date: Oct 2010
- Location: Indiana, United States
- Age: 57
- Posts: 5,335
- Rep Power: 124783
That's funny. Do you add the whey to your cereal?
I've not tracked for several years now. My days are probably a day or two per week of a modest to more-than-modest surplus (usually on the weekends) to a modest deficit for the other days. The structure of a M-F 8-5 job and my willingness to eat essentially the same thing over and Over and OVER again make the deficit days easy-peasy
Praying that the medical procedures heal you quickly and thoroughly . . . you've got numbers in your logbook that need bestingPull-Up PR: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=177233951
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10-05-2019, 09:49 AM #1285
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
Thanks Mark! Yeah, I have targets in my sights, after this I'll just need uninterrupted healthy time to catch up with them. I'm hoping this is just a statistical glitch, and I won't have any more visits from THAT particular demon. There will always be others, though.
You'll get bumps on the road, so you need a good suspension.
I add whey to the milk, along with the creatine, then add the milk to the cereal. I've tried several "premium" brands that don't mix well, the one that does the best for me is plain ol' Kroger Vanilla.“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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10-11-2019, 10:46 PM #1286
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
I actually did have a workout week this week -- I got my Sunday and Thursday workouts in, but not Tuesday. It has been an interesting few days.
Last Saturday I was instructed to begin a "low residue" diet, and given a list of examples of food types I could eat and those I couldn't. No whole grain bread, no fruits with skins, no fried food, no nuts, popcorn, beans or raw vegetables, no oatmeal or granola. Fortunately, that left me with plenty of things I could eat. Tuesday morning I had a final meal for breakfast, and then drove to San Diego, with the requirement of checking into a motel before 5:00 p.m. At 5, I began taking a gallon of a bowel preparation formula: half of it by 8:00 p.m., and then the other half over two hours Wednesday morning. Oh yeah, I got flushed out good. Checked into the GI department at UC San Diego at 3:00 p.m., got poked, prodded, sedated and penetrated, and came out of it with a completed colonoscopy and upper endoscopy a couple hours later. I was a bit woozy for a couple hours after that, but I slept well in the hotel room that night. The news appears good. No GI tissue seems to be affected from the inside, even though the appendix is secreting mucus into it.
Came home Thursday, with a couple of good meals on the trip, and felt well enough Thursday evening for a full workout, which was something I hadn't counted on. Friday, I had to go into Las Vegas for another procedure, a peritoneal biopsy. Again, it involved a long fast -- no breakfast this time -- sedation, needles, poking, and prodding. I was left with a bandaged incision in my side, but otherwise feeling well, and again, another big lunch was called for. The doctor here used a CT scan to map out the target for the biopsy needle; he compared it with the scan from late August that had started this whole chaos, and said the two scans looked identical. The tumor or its effluent don't seem to have grown or spread any in the interim. That's fairly reassuring.
Anyway, I should find out by the end of next week or the beginning of the following week about the biopsy results and the required treatment. In the meantime, I'll keep hitting the weights.
One entertaining observation: The nurses could tell I was a lifter and made several highly complementary remarks about my deltoids, arms, and veins (of course, they are always interested in veins!) One of them, who looked to me to be in her early thirties, engaged me in a conversation about her admiration of Arnold, Frank Zane, and the other old-school bodybuilders. I was surprised that a random person that age would have even heard of Frank Zane. She said a cousin of hers was an amateur bodybuilder, so she followed the sport, at least casually. It was a nice chat.
So here's my week 117...
Sunday, 10/6/19
Morning Weight: 166.4 lbs
Bench Press:
95x5
119x5
143x5
166x5
190x5
Squat:
136x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
204x5
238x5
272x5
BB Row:
115x5
145x5
173x5
201x5
230x5
Overhead Press:
54x5
68x5
81x5
95x5
108x5
Accessories:
Weighted Pullups/Chinups, 35 lbs, Rest-Pause: 7 + 4 + 3 (Pullups) + 2 + 2 (Chinups)
Pushups on Monday, 2 rest-pause sessions: 52 + 7 + 7 + 5 + 6, (2 hours later) 46 + 7 + 8 + 6 + 5
Thursday, 10/10/19:
Bench Press:
95x5
119x5
143x5
166x5
194x4
143x10
Squat:
136x5 -- Paused
170x5 -- Paused
204x5
238x5
276x4
204x10
BB Row:
115x5
145x5
173x5
201x5
233x4
173x10
Overhead Press:
54x5
68x5
81x5
95x5
110x4
81x10
Deadlift:
215x5
260x5
302x5
345x5
Accessories:
Bodyweight Pullups/Chinups, Rest-Pause: 12 + 3 + 3 (Pullups) + 3 + 3 (Chinups)
I really hated skipping the deadlifts on the Tuesday workout, I seem to be skipping Tuesdays more than any other day. So I added them to the close of Thursday's workout. They actually went better than I expected!“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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10-12-2019, 06:37 AM #1287
- Join Date: Oct 2010
- Location: Indiana, United States
- Age: 57
- Posts: 5,335
- Rep Power: 124783
It's always nice when someone notices. We volunteer in the 2-3 year old class at church every other week, and I was working with a new volunteer who asked if I workout. I didn't ask her why she asked but I assumed that it was because I looked like I did.
EDIT (I forgot my second comment): how long does a typical workout for you take? How tired are you afterwards (because you're doing SIX compound lifts!)?Last edited by Payton1221; 10-12-2019 at 10:00 AM.
Pull-Up PR: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=177233951
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10-12-2019, 06:41 AM #1288
- Join Date: Oct 2008
- Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
- Posts: 7,659
- Rep Power: 23322
Brother, I am amazed you did anything with your travel and bowel cleansing schedule. I am glad that all went as well as it could. Praying!
During this time, just keep consistent, as you are doing. It will pay off when you can return to a normal routine.David, a 56 year old pastor, husband and father.
1Co 9:27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified
Best Lifts - Squat 375lbs Bench 205 lbs Deadlift 470lbs. Goals in next year? Be the best Me I can be.
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10-12-2019, 11:04 AM #1289
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10-12-2019, 06:36 PM #1290
- Join Date: Mar 2015
- Location: Nevada, United States
- Posts: 10,022
- Rep Power: 100542
Well, you DO look like you lift!
EDIT (I forgot my second comment): how long does a typical workout for you take? How tired are you afterwards (because you're doing SIX compound lifts!)?
So its usually four main lifts per workout, with generous resting between sets, and a snack break halfway through, so it's usually about 3 hours in total. It doesn't feel long, because my wife is usually there with me for part of that time, working on her art projects, and I also get a chance to listen to podcasts or TED talks or other stuff, and it's just relaxing "me" time for the most part. One of the joys of not having to use a commercial gym!“Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
-Voltaire
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