Grifts 12 week bb.com challenge log

[Grifts]

Grifts 12 Week Cut
Bodybuilding.com Challenge

Last day of holiday bulk. Tomorrow is first day of 12 week cut for the BB.com challenge.

What you can expect from me in this log:

1. Calorie Counting
2. Full body routine
3. HIIT training, for the first time ever
4. frequent updates, likely 1 or more per day
5. Keto Dieting + intermittent fasting. I will be starting at 2200 calories/day

My workout routine consists of a warmup of squats and bench presses, followed by supersets of:

Squat/Bench

Power Cleaning

Deadlift/Overhead Press

Pendlay Row/bent over lateral raises

I do this 3 times per week, with a day of rest between. Usually Saturday/Monday/Wednesday. I increase reps on a weekly basis, starting at 5 reps and finishing at 9 reps. After 9 rep days are completed, weights are increased and reset to 5 reps. This log shall include nearly 2 complete cycles. I am about to complete a cycle on Wednesday

HIIT sprint training will be Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. Friday will be the only full on rest/recovery day.

I've added some accessory work to work on my left shoulder/rotator cuff. Pretty sure I tore it and never healed properly, so I am trying to strengthen it to better support. As a consequence, flat barbell benching is out. I am on the lookout for a tricep bar, for a parallel grip – hopefully a largish one, though I may have to fabricate it somehow.. I had some success using a curl bar to bench, but still slightly painful. I am going to be trying incline and decline benching, and if still unable, back to dumbell benching, for the time being.

Starting pictures later today.

[Grifts]

Some measurements in inches/lbs. No flexing

220.4 lb
Waist 40
Chest 42.5 @ nips
Leg 28
Arms 16.5

Caliper readings (4 pt)

Hip 11
Bicep 6
Tricep 7
Back 14

Adds up to 38, which is about 19% bodyfat in my new age bracket(BOO).

I feel this is a bit optimistic, and suggest it is probably closer to 25%, but it can be used to measure progress at least.

[Grifts]

[Grifts]

Previous PRs

Squat 280
Deadlift 325

I won't attempt PRs for flat BB bench due to shoulder injury. If this ever heals, I will for sure do it.

Today I did

Warmup Sets

Squat 9 @ 180
Bench 9 @ 120
Squat 9 @ 180
Bench 9 @ 120

Work Sets

Squat 9 @ 230
Bench 9 @ 120
Squat 9 @ 230
Bench 9 @ 120

Power Clean
5x2 @ 155
1 @ 160
Couple fails at 160

Deadlift 5 @ 235
OHP 9 @ 100
Deadlift 5 @ 235
OHP 8.5 @ 100 (couldn't fully extend last rep)

Pendlay Row 9 @ 115
Bent over lat raise 10 @ 20
Pendlay Row 9 @ 115
Bent over lat raise 10 @ 20

extra left rotator cuff work

[Grifts]

I just submitted into the contest. Officially IN!

[Cowmustard]

Heck yea bro!!! Glad to see you in with us. WE ARE GOING TO ROCK THIS!!!!

subbed in for excellence my bro.

[Cdt_Richards]

Subbed in man, can't wait for this!!!

[Grifts]

Subbed in man, can't wait for this!!!

Heck yea bro!!! Glad to see you in with us. WE ARE GOING TO ROCK THIS!!!!

subbed in for excellence my bro.

Thanks for joining in guys!

[Grifts]

Did HIIT sprints this morning, fasted. 8 total from point A to point B. Will need to get a stop watch or something later so I can keep more accurate length. 8 total, although 1 of them I let my son "win" the race.

I will be fasting until about 1700 today, aside from supplements. Going to have an 1100 calorie Chipotle burrito bowl afterwards, not sure what for dinner yet. Possibly Turkey Leg(s), which I have in a brine and will be smoking shortly.

I just got chosen for a bottle of Glycobol, which I plan to use strategically before workouts and during carb-ups, along with AppNut Neovar.

I will also be utilizing some Top Secret Nutrition and Inner Armour Supplements, Cellucor, BSN and last but not least BB.com to help me on the way.

I will post final calories at end of the day. Feeding window is really small today, about 4 hours starting at 1700. Got to get to bed early as I get up for work at 0330.

[Iceman1800]

Good luck!

[Grifts]

Good luck!

Thanks man! Are you doing it too?

I'd like to keep an eye on other people's logs, for encouragement for myself and for them.

I'd especially like to see some of the "Mean" IE bulking/muscle building logs.

[Iceman1800]

No, I'm not allowed to enter contests on here.

[Grifts]

No, I'm not allowed to enter contests on here.

Looks like you've got a good gig going though.

[Cowmustard]

Lol, at letting kid "win" my wife gets on me for my competitive streak with young ones, I crush them ever chance I get and laugh while doing it. BWA HA HA

what's the glycobal supp, very curious my man???

[Grifts]

Lol, at letting kid "win" my wife gets on me for my competitive streak with young ones, I crush them ever chance I get and laugh while doing it. BWA HA HA

lol

what's the glycobal supp, very curious my man???

Amongst other things, Glycobol contains R-ALA, which is an insulin mimetic. This should help shuttle the carbs I intake into cells instead of sitting into the blood stream. Since most of my diet will be fat/protein, I plan to use the Glycobol pre-workout and on carb day. I am doing a CKD/TKD hybrid, as I find I have trouble filling up correctly on straight on CKD.

I'm going to check my blood sugar periodically and make sure I'm not getting too low.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Good luck!

I am in the was 300+ pounds boat too. Your doing good.

[Grifts]

Good luck!

I am in the was 300+ pounds boat too. Your doing good.

Thanks for stopping by, and for the encouragement.

[Grifts]

Final Macros for the day

Calories 2196
Carbs 69g
Fiber 29g
Net 40g
Fat 128g
Protein 186g

[Cowmustard]

nice fiber content man, I am still low on my most the time

[jcpryor3]

Subbing in! Can't wait to see the finished product (YOU)! Let's do this bro!!

[Grifts]

Fasted until 1200

Calves felt like DOMS today, also hurt to laugh. I attribute this to HIIT sprints day before. I've structured all of 4 times in my life (SRS, including yesterday 2 jogs, 1 bike ride, and HIIT yesterday is all I can remember) and gave up due to shin splints. Using Vibram fivefingers now. No shin splints, just muscle soreness. I anticipate this getting better with repeated sessions, just like when I first started back squatting my neck hurt where the bar was.

Broke fast with chef salad, blue cheese dressing. Some of the ingredients I don't know exactly, so I did best with what I had. Mostly snacked until dinner time, eating nuts, pork rinds, pickle(really), roots, bark, twigs(not really).

Pre workout had my carbs in form of milk and tazo tea, plus cardio igniter and some NO3. Felt really strong today. Workout went really great. Instead of normal warmup, I did 2 extra work sets of squat/bench

Squat 9 @ 210 I really feel form has improved and feel much stronger this last cycle. When I first started this cycle, I had no clue how I was going to be ending at 2x9 when I could barely do 2x5 at start.
Bench 9 @ 115

Squat 9 @ 210
Bench 9 @ 115

Squat 9 @ 210
Bench 9 @ 115

Squat 9 @ 210
Bench 9 @ 115

Power cleans, I actually straightened out my form a bit, got the catch correctly, I think. This unfortunately put me in a position where my wrists were unable to transfer weight, putting me in a sticky situation. Through my mind as I was standing there, barbell on shoulders "Oh hell YEAH!" followed by "....hmmm....uh oh," once I figured out my wrist were pinned.

I am going to try to find some J-hooks that will fit my rack so I can front squat the bar down to them, and practice on a deloading technique. Power cleans felt really good though. I did about 3x2 with old form, then 3 with correct(ish?) form and then difficulty deloading.

Then on to...
deadlifts 5 @255
OHP 9 @ 90 - felt some muscle contraction in my sides as I completed press. probably lats or serratus(can you feel serratus contract? seems small), not sure. felt good though.
deadlifts 5 @255
OHP 9 @ 90

Pendlay Rows 9 @ 105
Lateral DB raise 10 @ 10

Extra left shoulder work to strengthen rotator

Pendlay Rows 9 @ 105
Lateral DB raise 10 @ 10

Finished up with Post workout protein bar, an italian sausage with a bit of parmesan on it, a scoop of IA casein, flax seed, and 1 tbsp of hershey's raw cocoa.

Calories 2,303
Carbs 110 g
Fiber 17
Net 93 A bit high, but the protein bar has sugar alcohols, only 8 net carbs per the packaging. This is a worst case net carbs. I have 2 or 3 more bars, then should be more in line.
Fat 137
Protein 173

[jcpryor3]

Fasted until 1200

Calves felt like DOMS today, also hurt to laugh. I attribute this to HIIT sprints day before. I've structured all of 4 times in my life (SRS, including yesterday 2 jogs, 1 bike ride, and HIIT yesterday is all I can remember) and gave up due to shin splints. Using Vibram fivefingers now. No shin splints, just muscle soreness. I anticipate this getting better with repeated sessions, just like when I first started back squatting my neck hurt where the bar was.

Broke fast with chef salad, blue cheese dressing. Some of the ingredients I don't know exactly, so I did best with what I had. Mostly snacked until dinner time, eating nuts, pork rinds, pickle(really), roots, bark, twigs(not really).

Pre workout had my carbs in form of milk and tazo tea, plus cardio igniter and some NO3. Felt really strong today. Workout went really great. Instead of normal warmup, I did 2 extra work sets of squat/bench

Squat 9 @ 210 I really feel form has improved and feel much stronger this last cycle. When I first started this cycle, I had no clue how I was going to be ending at 2x9 when I could barely do 2x5 at start.
Bench 9 @ 115

Squat 9 @ 210
Bench 9 @ 115

Squat 9 @ 210
Bench 9 @ 115

Squat 9 @ 210
Bench 9 @ 115

Power cleans, I actually straightened out my form a bit, got the catch correctly, I think. This unfortunately put me in a position where my wrists were unable to transfer weight, putting me in a sticky situation. Through my mind as I was standing there, barbell on shoulders "Oh hell YEAH!" followed by "....hmmm....uh oh," once I figured out my wrist were pinned.

I am going to try to find some J-hooks that will fit my rack so I can front squat the bar down to them, and practice on a deloading technique. Power cleans felt really good though. I did about 3x2 with old form, then 3 with correct(ish?) form and then difficulty deloading.

Then on to...
deadlifts 5 @255
OHP 9 @ 90 - felt some muscle contraction in my sides as I completed press. probably lats or serratus(can you feel serratus contract? seems small), not sure. felt good though.
deadlifts 5 @255
OHP 9 @ 90

Pendlay Rows 9 @ 105
Lateral DB raise 10 @ 10

Extra left shoulder work to strengthen rotator

Pendlay Rows 9 @ 105
Lateral DB raise 10 @ 10

Finished up with Post workout protein bar, an italian sausage with a bit of parmesan on it, a scoop of IA casein, flax seed, and 1 tbsp of hershey's raw cocoa.

Calories 2,303
Carbs 110 g
Fiber 17
Net 93 A bit high, but the protein bar has sugar alcohols, only 8 net carbs per the packaging. This is a worst case net carbs. I have 2 or 3 more bars, then should be more in line.
Fat 137
Protein 173

Great workout bro! Our bodies never fail to amaze us with what their capable of.

[Cowmustard]

Dude, Pendly rows always make me feel like a beast!!! Love them!!! Good work bro!!!

[Grifts]

Dude, Pendly rows always make me feel like a beast!!! Love them!!! Good work bro!!!

Thanks! I like them quite a bit too.

I was unable to do my HIIT today. I wasn't really looking forward to it, but I was ready. Unfortunately, by the time I got home, fed the kids and get them in bed, it was already dark out, poor lighting. I would be guaranteed to trip over some kid's bike and faceplant.

I will start bringing my gear to work so I can do HIIT right afterwards. There is a fairly straight trail across the street.

Morning weight 218.8

Fasted until a bit after 12

Calories 2,093
Carbs 35
Fiber 12
Net 23
Fat 131
Protein 201

Need to remember to get some Avocado from the supermarket.

Looking forward to tomorrow's lifting session. I will be starting over my cycle after tomorrow, so I can recalculate and increase all my weights

[Cowmustard]

so I know you do the mesocycles, but you gotta remind me which program you run them on. How do you like them?

[Grifts]

so I know you do the mesocycles, but you gotta remind me which program you run them on. How do you like them?

I like them very much. Mainly because there is a verifiable way to prove that you are making progress. I can look back to July 2012 and see that I was doing only 165 lb squats. I started doing all pro's basically. I found that the heavy days were way difficult and the light days were too easy. So, I kept all the same weights, but I switched which session they were in, to even out the stimulus. For example, I was doing heavy squats fallowed by heavy deadlifts in workout A. I swapped heavy deadlifts from workout A to workout C, and light deadlifts in their place in Workout A.

This way, I am lifting all the same weights I would have with all pro's, but pairing the more difficult lifts with an easier lift. I also don't feel horrible after heavy day and unsatisfied on light day.

It might sound a bit complicated setting it up. It does take a minute to figure all the weights. But you only have to figure it out at the beginning of the cycle. Then you put it down in a spreadsheet and can refer to it anytime.

Could I have progressed faster? Probably. Would it have been safe? Not at my home gym. I don't have anyone to spot me or to check my form. On the other hand, I don't have to wait for anyone to finish curling in my rack.

Form and supporting musculature develops along with the targeted muscles. Going a bit slower and pacing myself allows everything to develop.

[Cowmustard]

Could I have progressed faster? Probably. Would it have been safe? Not at my home gym. I don't have anyone to spot me or to check my form. On the other hand, I don't have to wait for anyone to finish curling in my rack.

Form and supporting musculature develops along with the targeted muscles. Going a bit slower and pacing myself allows everything to develop.

curling in the rack so many time!!!!! never again!!

i am going to look that all pro's up man. sounds interdasting!!!

[Grifts]

curling in the rack so many time!!!!! never again!!

i am going to look that all pro's up man. sounds interdasting!!!

here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...7447933&page=1

[Cowmustard]

here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...7447933&page=1

noted and saved!!!

so what's your opinion on my following long term patters
-cut in this challenge
-slow bulk on SS
-move to a novice strength routine or go all pro

any thoughts for a tall bro looking to get his big 3 and 5 numbers up while staying lean(ish)

[Grifts]

noted and saved!!!

so what's your opinion on my following long term patters
-cut in this challenge
-slow bulk on SS
-move to a novice strength routine or go all pro

any thoughts for a tall bro looking to get his big 3 and 5 numbers up while staying lean(ish)

For this cut:
It's difficult to gain muscle while cutting except for novices and the obese. Stick to a full body routine based on compound movements. Starting Strength is good for a complete beginner figuring out where he needs to be. Truthfully, you could probably stick to it, or something like it for a year and still be gaining strength if you are eating properly.

Slow bulk on SS:
Depending on how long you have been lifting, SS may not give you optimal stimulus/gains anymore. It also gets a bit boring, and lifters tend to like to jump on the "shiny new routine" bandwagon. SS is a strength routine though. You will make strength gains, some size gains. But slightly higher reps are considered better for size gains/muscle size - if not pure power. All Pro's is a bit less strength and a bit more size. That's not to say you won't get strong on All Pro's. You will. But All Pro's is like 8/10 for strength vs 10/10 for SS.

It all depends on your goal. If you goal is full-bore on strength, SS/SS variant works, especially starting. All Pro's has a bit of a size/shape component to it that SS doesn't.

Split routines are moved too once you can provide enough stimulus that you need more recovery. There are lots of way to split, which will be beyond the scope of this post.

On novice strength or All-Pro's beginner - both will probably do what you want. It depends on your goals. If your goal is to lift a specific amount of weight(like hitting 1000 on big 3), go with a power routine. If you goal is to look different(leaner, bigger, etc) go with something more geared towards size.


SS is like the nuts and bolts of getting strong. Sometimes long time lifters return to it to get back to basics.