A Weak Squatter's Road To Redemption

[GinjaNinja85]

Its bro-science at its finest.

The first two weeks or so before you are fat adapted is pretty ****ty, but personally I still felt like I had less energy on Keto. Its very muscle sparing because you by definition are getting a lot more protein than you would otherwise, but you will more than likely take a hit in the gym, which may result in you working less hard and result in the muscle sparring effects of the high protein diet to be null if you don't even have the energy to lift like you normally would.

As for burning fat; its the same as a regular diet; a lot of people get on it thinking its a magic bullet for fat loss, but its the same as a diet with carbs. Carbs are also muscle sparring.

BUT - a lot of things in life need to be tried by yourself to really know something; so if you want to try it then by all means go for it, I'm just giving you my feedback on it and trying to let you have my feedback on it, considering I have tried it.

That aside; lets join one of those fat loss logs in the fat loss section if you're down (I intend on doing it) when the time calls for it. I did that last year and it was a blast - tons of motivation and support to get the fat down.

I'll give it a go for at least 6 weeks. If my energy sucks then I'll drop it. The dietary requirements are a pain in the ass so I'll be looking for noticeable benefit.

I'm definitely down for the fat loss log. I screwed my last cut up beyond belief so the more help the better. It might even be before the end of the year. Literally when LP stops working I'm cutting. I figure I may as well get the cut done before TM gets heavy.

[GinjaNinja85]

BENCH PRESS
5 x 92.5kg
5 x 92.5
5 x 92.5

POWER CLEAN
3 x 60kg
3 x 60
3 x 60

SQUAT
3 x 115kg
3 x 115
2 x 115
8 x 90

PULL UPS
5 x b/w
5 x b/w
6 x b/w

COMMENTS
Trained at my girlfriend's health club today. It was spur of the moment so I had no weight belt or shoes to squat in. I was gonna aim for 3-5 triples. Didn't quite go to plan so I added a back off set at the end. Should do the trick and get me all the reps on the Friday hopefully. I'm blaming the morning workout, I never have as much strength.

Bench press was very tough. The last 3 reps on each set were grinders and the very last rep on the 3rd set pretty much stopped. I'm getting good grinding stamina in my pressing at the moment, it's good.

Might continue with 3x3 on power cleans. I'll start adding weight soon too. The pull up bar at this place had angled handles so this PR may take some beating on the straight bar at my gym. Not a bad day.

TIME
1:15

[Sinaku5]

BENCH PRESS
5 x 92.5kg
5 x 92.5
5 x 92.5

POWER CLEAN
3 x 60kg
3 x 60
3 x 60

SQUAT
3 x 115kg
3 x 115
2 x 115
8 x 90

PULL UPS
5 x b/w
5 x b/w
6 x b/w

COMMENTS
Trained at my girlfriend's health club today. It was spur of the moment so I had no weight belt or shoes to squat in. I was gonna aim for 3-5 triples. Didn't quite go to plan so I added a back off set at the end. Should do the trick and get me all the reps on the Friday hopefully. I'm blaming the morning workout, I never have as much strength.

Bench press was very tough. The last 3 reps on each set were grinders and the very last rep on the 3rd set pretty much stopped. I'm getting good grinding stamina in my pressing at the moment, it's good.

Might continue with 3x3 on power cleans. I'll start adding weight soon too. The pull up bar at this place had angled handles so this PR may take some beating on the straight bar at my gym. Not a bad day.

TIME
1:15

Weights are looking real solid bro. Almost at a 2 plate bench and you're right at where I am with the squat.

Solid.

[GinjaNinja85]

Weights are looking real solid bro. Almost at a 2 plate bench and you're right at where I am with the squat.

Solid.

Thanks! The 2 plate bench feels quite far off but hopefully I can get it before the year is out.

Hadn't realised how close I was to you on squats! The kg to lbs conversion throws me off.

[Jasonk282]

Thanks! The 2 plate bench feels quite far off but hopefully I can get it before the year is out.

Hadn't realised how close I was to you on squats! The kg to lbs conversion throws me off.

Also not sure about the bench, you gotta add about 20lbs in the next few months. and with it looking like you are close to stalling...dunno.

[GinjaNinja85]

Also not sure about the bench, you gotta add about 20lbs in the next few months. and with it looking like you are close to stalling...dunno.

Tbh, I'll be happy to make it to 95kg.

[Sinaku5]

Thanks! The 2 plate bench feels quite far off but hopefully I can get it before the year is out.

Hadn't realised how close I was to you on squats! The kg to lbs conversion throws me off.

Yeah, it throws me off too lol when I see your weights I literally go to google and convert them ahah.

Also not sure about the bench, you gotta add about 20lbs in the next few months. and with it looking like you are close to stalling...dunno.

20lbs in a couple months sounds reasonable to me; 5lbs a week is in line with intermediate progression after LP has taken its toll on you; if you cant do 5lbs then I guess 2.5lb jumps may be suitable but even then 20lbs should be attained within 2 months max.

I could be being ambitious, but if you shoot for the stars at least you'll reach the skies if you fall short.

On that subject - I just bought 1.25lb plates from Amazon for micro loading. Which I believe will be useful for OHP. Just waiting on them to come in.

[Jasonk282]

Yeah, it throws me off too lol when I see your weights I literally go to google and convert them ahah.



20lbs in a couple months sounds reasonable to me; 5lbs a week is in line with intermediate progression after LP has taken its toll on you; if you cant do 5lbs then I guess 2.5lb jumps may be suitable but even then 20lbs should be attained within 2 months max.

I could be being ambitious, but if you shoot for the stars at least you'll reach the skies if you fall short.

On that subject - I just bought 1.25lb plates from Amazon for micro loading. Which I believe will be useful for OHP. Just waiting on them to come in.

Since he has was grinding out the 3 reps on the first 2 sets and final rep on the last set he is pretty much at a stall point with another 5lb increase. a deload and more calories will be in play for him to get that 2 plate bench.

[GinjaNinja85]

Yeah, it throws me off too lol when I see your weights I literally go to google and convert them ahah.

Dude, just divide by 2.2 lol

On that subject - I just bought 1.25lb plates from Amazon for micro loading. Which I believe will be useful for OHP. Just waiting on them to come in.

That's a good investment. I've been microloading my bench and press for nearly 2 months and I haven't stalled yet.

[Sinaku5]

Since he has was grinding out the 3 reps on the first 2 sets and final rep on the last set he is pretty much at a stall point with another 5lb increase. a deload and more calories will be in play for him to get that 2 plate bench.

I see you're point, but even with a week deload I'd have trouble seeing how he wouldn't hit it. The grinder could have been for a variety of reasons too.

Personally, I don't think its unattainable but we'll agree to disagree I guess. I see where you're coming from though.

[Jasonk282]

I see you're point, but even with a week deload I'd have trouble seeing how he wouldn't hit it. The grinder could have been for a variety of reasons too.

Personally, I don't think its unattainable but we'll agree to disagree I guess. I see where you're coming from though.

What I mean by deload is your typical 10-15% off and building it back up, I don't think a week at lighter to no weights will serve him well.

I do agree with you at other reason for the grinder...I'm just going on with what he stated with his lifts.

[GinjaNinja85]

w/e Oct 14: 89.6kg
w/e Oct 7: 89.3kg
w/e Sep 30: 89.2kg
w/e Sep 23: 88.9kg
w/e Sep 16: 87.8kg
w/e Sep 9: 87.6kg

- Up 0.3kg. Not alot, but I only weighed myself 3 times this week, and it was near the beginning end. I stepped on the scales this evening and it showed 91.1kg so I think the end of week results this week will tell a different story. Bear in mind that I usually weigh myself in the morning, fasted.

Target for w/e Oct 21: 90.1kg

[pyaarawala]

Awesome bench as usual! And you're able to get quite a lot of volume in in one workout. Don't you get tired? haha

[GinjaNinja85]

Awesome bench as usual! And you're able to get quite a lot of volume in in one workout. Don't you get tired? haha

Thanks, bench is going well!

Some of my workouts were nearly 2 hours at one point. This is about the amount of volume I can consistently handle but yeah, I'm still tired when I'm done.

[GinjaNinja85]

OVERHEAD PRESS
5 x 70kg
5 x 70
5 x 70 (vid)

DEADLIFT
5 x 137.5kg (vid)
1 x 137.5 - beltless

PENDLAY ROW
5 x 72.5kg
5 x 72.5
8 x 72.5 (vid)

DIPS
12 x b/w
12 x b/w
12 x b/w

COMMENTS
Pretty good session tonight. OHP was a grind, but alot better than I thought it would be. Not sure where this extra strength is coming from. Probably my fat belly.

Deadlift wasn't too difficult. I pulled an extra single beltless a couple of minutes after my top set to feel it in my back a little.

Rows are getting heavy and form is starting to slip. Should have a few more weeks of progress at least though.

Dips felt the strongest they've felt for some time. In fact, the last time I did more dips was when I done 38 in 3 sets on July 10th at much lighter body weight. PR of 40 was set a week before that on July 2nd.

TIME
1:15

VID

[Datfox]

Nice work man, your final OHP rep was very reminiscent of mine today, good work pushing through it. Also, lol'd at the guy in the background while you were deadlifting :s Out of interest, how much do you reckon your belt adds to your deadlift, I think I remember you mentioning with your squatting but not about dl'ing?

[GinjaNinja85]

Nice work man, your final OHP rep was very reminiscent of mine today, good work pushing through it. Also, lol'd at the guy in the background while you were deadlifting :s Out of interest, how much do you reckon your belt adds to your deadlift, I think I remember you mentioning with your squatting but not about dl'ing?

Not sure what he was doing. Deficit deadlift hyper extensions I think

It's hard to say what the belt adds on. It allows you to push it further as your not being so careful of your back. It gives you more confidence as well as the lumbar support and half of deadlifting is mental anyway I think. If I had to guess I'd say about 10kg, but it's a pretty uneducated guess.

[xRequiem]

so jelly of that ohp

[Sinaku5]

so jelly of that ohp

x2

...nuff said lol.

Impressive OHPs as usual.

[Sen8or]

thats the 2nd clown you've caught on camera now, you must attract the bunnies in the gym.

solid session indeed. theres a thread in the old farts section http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=148978163 about nutrition and progress, some good stuff in there.

Don't worry about the love handles, when you go onto a cut (whenever that is if you decide), they'll be a distant memory

[GinjaNinja85]

so jelly of that ohp

x2

...nuff said lol.

Impressive OHPs as usual.

Thanks guys. I was excited about making that lift all day.

[GinjaNinja85]

thats the 2nd clown you've caught on camera now, you must attract the bunnies in the gym.

solid session indeed. theres a thread in the old farts section http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=148978163 about nutrition and progress, some good stuff in there.

Don't worry about the love handles, when you go onto a cut (whenever that is if you decide), they'll be a distant memory

Honestly, there are less clowns in the circus. I just mind my business and get it done.

That article was good. I particularly found the hormonal response section interesting. I'll have to look into it more as I've found that the only way to progress on LP has been to put on quite a bit of fat. I'd like to improve nutrient partitioning and hormonal control looks like it could be the answer.

[pyaarawala]

Awesome job on the deadlifts, and everything! Love how you pushed through that last tough rep on the OHP.

[dk240t]

Nice work, that Press is awesome.

And rows - they get to be tougher at that weight - part of it is just physics, its not easy to balance with that kind of weight in front of you and you bent over, relative to your own weight. I did 165lbs yesterday and was having similar issues I think.

It looks like rows are hitting your body really low, could be the camera angle - where do they hit you at the top of the rep?

[GinjaNinja85]

Awesome job on the deadlifts, and everything! Love how you pushed through that last tough rep on the OHP.

Thanks! Last DL rep looked weird. Can't put my finger on it...

Nice work, that Press is awesome.

And rows - they get to be tougher at that weight - part of it is just physics, its not easy to balance with that kind of weight in front of you and you bent over, relative to your own weight. I did 165lbs yesterday and was having similar issues I think.

It looks like rows are hitting your body really low, could be the camera angle - where do they hit you at the top of the rep?

Thanks man.

I hit my upper abdomen, just under my rib cage where you can get winded. The weight does make things a little different. More than anything I lose the MMC in my back and it's too heavy to really exaggerate retracting the scapula. As soon as it's up it's taken back by gravity before i can get a good squeeze. It's almost like I'm just using my arms to move the weight after the first couple of reps.

[pastorpritch]

Great deadlifts man, strong hair
LOVE the guy moaning like he's on the crapper in the background!

[GinjaNinja85]

Great deadlifts man, strong hair
LOVE the guy moaning like he's on the crapper in the background!

Thanks Pritch. Not sure what you mean about the hair?

Just watched the vid with the sound turned up. I forgot how loud he was. He's quite built but he only had about 50kg on the bar and still managed to make all that racket LOL.

[GinjaNinja85]

BENCH PRESS
5 x 93.5kg
5 x 93.5
5 x 93.5

SQUAT
5 x 115kg
5 x 115
7 x 115

BACK EXTENSIONS
10 x 5kg
10 x 5
10 x 5

CHIN UPS
6 x b/w
6 x b/w

COMMENTS
Too much talking done tonight hence the time, but wow. Everything felt strong. This was a +10% day. I've also had another jump in weight this week which no doubt helped. I'm gonna maintain my calories of ~3800 as they are until my lifts stall out and then cut nice and slow. Should have a bit further to go on this evidence.

Back was completely fried after back extensions. So stiff.

Something to keep an eye on was some discomfort in my left shoulder after benching. Lasted about 20 minutes then came back worse (a sharp pinch in the front of my shoulder joint) while doing chins so I called it at 2 sets. A little worrying but other than that a very good session.

TIME
1:55

[Datfox]

Nice lifts man. Out of interest, how did you make 93.5kg? Does your gym have 500g plates?

[GinjaNinja85]

Nice lifts man. Out of interest, how did you make 93.5kg? Does your gym have 500g plates?

Thanks. I bought 4x 250g plates off eBay. I bring them to the gym when I need them. They have become essentials.