Turning into a meathead- mid life crisis

[coachcalande]

Sitting at 276-278 day to day.

Feel great, training today on chest, back, shoulders. Have really been feeling better getting away from the really heavy sub five rep stuff.

Slated to start with 285 on bench for AMRAP. 9 reps achieved 8 days ago, just 7 reps 4 days ago. Figure I’ll be in that same range as my weight is the same. Slept well, so that can’t be an excuse today. I’m also off from work so no time crunch and I’ll certainly eat well. We will see how it goes.

I’m very reluctant to eat less…I’d like to move more to burn a handful more cals…but this Sept I’ll most likely target 2700 cals.

[coachcalande]

Great lift- moved slow and steady
5 sets of bench
285x8
295x6
305x3
255x9
255x8

4 sets incine
225x10
235x6,6,6

3 sets fly with presses at end


Great strength on my rows, pulldowns and narrow pds.

Still making gains on shoulder press, upright rows are kept 8-15 reps as were both side lateral raise and shrugs.

[coachcalande]

Todays meals:

6 am. 4 eggs, 4 oz Chicken, 1/2 cup,oats, apple
9 am. 4 eggs, 4 oz chicken, 1/2 cup oats
12 noon 2 scoops whey, 1/2 cup oats, teaspoon pb
3 pm 8 oz chicken, 1 cup rice, green beans
7 pm- tuna and toast

[coachcalande]

Ate proper again yesterday. Higher % fat but still under 3k with 48% protein. Whole eggs drove up my fat grams as I ate 16 whole eggs over four meals.

Today we have egg whites…that’ll help for a few days. I’m maintaining my weight, 278 and an undecided if I want to reduce cals when Sept 1 rolls around. I might just do it less formally, day to day challenge myself to be closer to 2500 than 3000. Or…just move more.

Legs and arms today. I’ve decided to pyramid my ssb squats and front squats. I almost always pyramid ez curls and pushdowns and it works quite well to get me warmed up and gradually prepared both mentally and physically for larger weights.

In all, this is maintenance now and a mind set of training to hold onto muscle makes sense. Just do the quality sets and reps, eat right, priority on sleep and protein….stay motivated.

[coachcalande]

Todays nutrition creates a 418 cal deficit. That’s not a problem for me at all.

Just trained legs and went purely by feel.

6 set pyramid on squats
3 sets fronts
4 ext, 4 curls, 6 calf raises.

Everything within a rep of failure. No straining. Best sets were pause squats at 285/305 and front squats at 175

[coachcalande]

Arms done. One meal to go. Big win today.

[coachcalande]

Should hit a 600 cal deficit today.

6 am 4 oz ground beef, cup whites, 1/ cup oats
9 am same thing
12 noon protein shake, banana
3pm 8 oz chicken, cup rice, 1/2 cup green beans
6 pm large can tuna, potato

Still hits 300 G protein

[coachcalande]

36 sets, 55 min.

Chest back and shoulders pumped.

8-15 reps on all

Weak after two days at around 2500 cals- hate it!

[coachcalande]

277
Today…eating around 2400 cals again.

Gonna give it a try buy if my strength and passion for lifting takes a nose dive…back to 3000k!

[coachcalande]

Just added a protein shake to todays menu. Sitting starving at 3:30 pm with only one meal to go is the pits.

On these days where I’m up at 3:30 I’m goin to need two shakes. Cuts the deficit a bit bit still puts me at 350 or so on the day.

[coachcalande]

276 this am.

Plotted out todays meals at 2850 cals. That includes two protein shakes and serious high quality meals for home and work.

Should look like this:

4 eggs, 1 cup whites, 1/2 cup oats
Protein shake
8 oz lean beef, rice, green beans
Protein shake
8 oz chicken, rice, green beans
10 oz tuna, potato

Accounting for additional walking vs say a week ago, the deficit should be approximately 300 cals.

[coachcalande]

Life is getting hectic with new work demands and kids needing rides.

Even more difficult to keep food in the house. Gets tougher to eat the routine meals but hanging in there with great discipline so far.

Today is legs and arms day, going to try and squat here in a few minutes. If I do anything more than that it’s a bonus. I’ll try and get an arm pump after work.

Meals planned:

4 am 4 eggs, 1 cup whites, 1/2 cup oats
7 am same
10 am whey shake, apple maybe
1 pm chicken, rice, beans
4 pm chicken rice beans
7 pm whey shake, oats maybe

[coachcalande]

Work week madness

Haven’t stepped on the scale and struggling to find time to eat at work. Lately I eat as soon as I arrive and maybe get a protein shake mid day.

Im making up for that now with a high calorie breakfast before my torso training.

Had a batch of rice go moldy so tossed that out to make matters worse this week.

It is what it is and this week looks even worse! Just going to try and prepare what I need tomorrow. Keeping the whey at work, will bring fruit too.

[coachcalande]

Trained chest and back this am. Kept most of my sets at about 8-10 reps …12 sets each.

Bench, trained with 235-255
Incline trained with 185-205

Planning on taking advantage of the three day weekend by training legs Sunday, shoulders and arms Monday. Rest on Tuesday.

[coachcalande]

Big breakfast…my “cheat” meal

Two grilled cheese, chicken breast and egg sandwiches …
Protein in Greek yogurt
Ground turkey, rice, beans
Ground turkey, rice, beans
Protein shake or whey in yogurt…

[coachcalande]

275.8 this morning

Up early, can’t sleep….and ITS LEG DAY! Normally If have a rest day after training but I decided to try my old 198os split which is a 3 on, 1 off rotation…shorter but more frequent days in the gym…might relieve some of my work stress…

We will see…

[coachcalande]

Really enjoyed my training today.

Squats AMRAP with 135,235,255,285,305,315,325

Front squats AMRAP on smith 135, 145. 155. 165

Four sets leg ext and four leg curls, 6 sets calves pyramid style

About 65-70 min total.

[coachcalande]

Todays meals:

Chicken, rice, beans
Chicken breast, cheese sandwich
Eggs, whites, rice
Powerbuilding pudding
Beef, potato, beans


Tomorrow is shoulders, arms, forearms…haven’t done this split since maybe late 80s early 90s…Tuesday is my rest and food prep day, get things done around the house too.

Actually went and played some light basketball yesterday and today it’s frisbee…just getting outside with one of my kids.

Anyways…it’s going to be interesting to see if I’ll stick with this split for a bit…

[coachcalande]

Day 3 of this split and I feel whipped…lifting the day following legs vs resting fully ….yeah I feel like I should be resting. I ate a large two part breakfast as I just feel famished.

Anyhow, shoulders/arms coming up…see how it goes.

[coachcalande]

Done…53 minutes

Seated shoulder press, on the smith, finally back to 135 or better for sets as my shoulder heals up.
Upright row pyramid to several sets at about 95
Did a variety of db raises

Pushdowns and ez curls x5
Skull crushers and db curls x4

Shrugs

[coachcalande]

Rest day.

Trying to get meals in at around
5-8-11-2-5 today.

A bit less restrictive with cheese and bread now as my work dictates cold food and I’m going with sandwiches.


I’m trying to keep morning lifts to 60 min and trying to move fairly fast. I got really sore from these workouts and I need the rest today. I was famished all day yesterday, my third consecutive lift day.

Sleep was spectacular and the cooler night and rain helps.

[coachcalande]

Meals today

Eggs, whites, oats
Eggs, whites, oats
Chicken and cheese sandwich
Chicken and cheese sandwich
Lean beef cheese burgers on roll
Protein shake, banana

3500 cals, 400 G protein.

[coachcalande]

Ripped through a great workout this am.

Bench/narrow pds x6
Incline/wide pds x4
Fly press/ rows x4

About 45 min.

This is easy. The hard part is just getting out there. Knowing that I can get a great lift in 45 min helps.

For bench, very controlled mind to muscle sets with 235,245,255,265,275,285
For incline 195, 205, 215, 215

My body has needed the escape from the big heavy 3-5 set training. Pyramid training is the way to go. All instinctive.

[coachcalande]

Big day ahead of me. These days are frustrating as a lifter trying to diet a certain way.

I’m carrying 1.5 lbs of chicken with me today, oats, bread, fruit.

It’s leg day and I’m starting off with coffee, whey, oats and a banana.

I know I can get a great legs/calves session in about an hour.

[coachcalande]

Ssb squat pyramid AMRAP 235,255,285,305,325
Smith fronts 145,155,165,175

Then leg ext, leg curls and calves…

13 sets quads, 4 hams, 6 calves…55 min

[coachcalande]

Meals
Today

Oats and whey, pb prelift
Eggs, whites, oats
Chicken and cheese sandwich
Chicken and cheese sandwich
Tuna, potato
Whey shake, banana

[coachcalande]

Exhausted after a late night- short on time…got a decent lift in anyway

Seated press
Upright rows
Side laterals

Pushdowns/ez curls
Skull crushers/alt db curls

[coachcalande]

Injury updates-

Shoulder seems to be on the mend. I was able to do seated shoulder press with the smith machine using 135 for 6-8 reps without issues. That’s a far cry from not being able to press the bar x1.

I was also back to 105 lb upright rows.


Knee is still sore and both knees are just plain worn out but pyramid training is making my muscles sore so I’ll likely stay with that and avoid the ramp low rep work.

Pec strain seems better and again, hitting more 8 rep sets has helped.

Nutrition has been a challenge with long days and nights at work. I burned thru a whey tub quickly before choosing to rely more on chicken breast sandwiches. I’m trying to pack three meals for work, eat once before, three at work, twice after. Six meals on a long day is about right with 1-2 shakes in that plan.

The three on one off plan is great for volume as I can do a lot in an hour but it is not good for recovery in that I am walking into the gym still taxed from the previous days lift. I’m also losing morning time for meal prep, work, time with my wife. But at least I’m lifting.

There have been times where stressful work stints meant missed meals and lifts. My son is experiencing that now. He’s in football and finding it tough to lift, practice, make meals, do homework etc.

This week I’m boosting cals up to 3000-3500 range. Currently weighing 275-277.

[coachcalande]

Todays nutrition, didn’t track but probably in neighborhood of 3500-3800 cals

Whey, oats, pb
Whey , yogurt
Chicken and cheese sandwich
Chicken and cheese sandwich, cheeseburger
Chicken sandwich
Turkey and cheese sandwich

Been grossed out by rice after a batch went moldy and no potatoes…


I’d imagine that I’ll feel strong tomorrow.

[coachcalande]

That hour went fast. Chest and back training is done. Tomorrow is legs and calves.
some highlights:
bench 305x5,325x2.5,350x1,255x10,265x8
incline 205x10,225x8,235x6,245x4

heavy rows at 300x6, heavy pulldowns at 200-225x6-8