Something Something Dangerzone

[LunaLifts]

Going to try this again, haven't updated in forever, because BB won't let me post.
If I stop posting entirely, it's because I rage quit.

Can confirm, gym swoleness makes work easy and physical work makes it easy to get your gym swoleness on. You will be fine. Most people don't lift anything at all ever. It's startling to see how physically weak your average human is. You've got an advantage already with a lifting background.

Speaking of potentially rage quitting, you need an IG or something so I can keep up with you smashing PRs, and killing it with runs.

That said, work is great. My supervisor, and coworker both have said I'm a great worker, and going an awesome job (and according to HR, the praise from my super is a big deal, he's known for being hard to work with, but I seem to be the only one who gets along with him so far). It's been a little hard figuring out nutrition, I can relate to the "it's hard to eat enough"posts now, lol. It's mostly the bouncing around between my dad's and Jay's thing, it'll be easier when we get a living space on our property, because I can shop easier, and meal prep consistently.

Speaking of, we got our culvert, and our driveway! So much safer, and easier on the car pulling in and out when we want to be there awhile, and beats parking on the side of the road when we're just stopping over quickly. We've got posts in for a shed so we can keep a good area mowed, and not have to use a weed whacker all the time, and generally storing stuff for caring for the property, and building on it.

After the shed we want to get a garage built, since that permit will be easier. Still gotta get the perc test/septic, well, electric hook up, so we hope to get those out of the way while we take care of smaller structures.

[Fiction2Fitness]

*waves hi*

Sounds like things are going well. Awesome both at the work and home front. While I can eat a lot some days, there are times when I forget to eat or end up with low calories. If I'm distracted and busy, it's easier to end up low. Well that and when I get nausea/headaches.

Yay for getting the site to let you post.

[LunaLifts]

Hey everyone!

I've basically given BB the good ol' "frotch off," been tired of all the glitches, and nonsense. Had to get to this thread from my reps, because I can only access the first page of this subforum. *eyeroll*

Just wanted to post that things are going well. Getting the hang of eating enough to gain, was at maintenance for a bit. Had to stop letting myself make excuses to not make more/better food out of laziness. Need to find more easy meal preps to add a bit more variety to my lunches. My supervisor was asking me recently how much I like the job I have, said I'm a really good worker, and telling me he wants to retire in the next couple years (a little context, my coworker who has been there longer is in college, and while she's a great worker, it's well known it's a college job). Soooo yeah, he all but asked outright "think you'd want this job when I leave?"
Dude. That'd be frotching great. I mean, it'd be quite a ways down the road, but I'd be full time, get good vacation time, and retirement benefits, n' chit. In the meantime I have a lot of experience to rack up, and a few more things to learn, but it'd be great to have that option at some point.

I did also want to bring up a couple training questions, since I'm trying to make some gains again:

Is periodization useful for someone whose primary focus is hypertrophy? I see it on a lot of powerlifting websites when I look into it, I do want to improve my lifts, and it does look like fun/a way to mix things up a bit.
If you'd recommend it, how would I periodize for a bulk, versus a meet where you have a peak period and what seems like shorter cycles?

In general I was thinking of condensing my upper body work to one day a week, since I do a lot of lifting at work, and want to gain a bit more upper body muscle, but slow it down a bit while my lower body "catches up" so-to-speak. Is it a bad idea, I know my work activity isn't the same as an actual workout, but I think it's enough activation going a week between UB workouts?

Sorry to pop back in mostly to ask a bunch of questions. >.<

[FallenAngel80]

Hey!

That's awesome what your supervisor said to you! You've clearly made a great impression

As for your questions, even though I've heard of it I know fluff-all about periodization and I'll leave the other question to more experienced folks as I'm sure there are other people who'd know the answer!

[Partyrocking]

Congrats on the job gains.

I think, in general, periodization is useful for long term progress. I'm partial to undulating periodization, that can either be a DUP or a WUP. It helps you prevent stagnation and keep things from getting boring.

[LunaLifts]

Hey!

That's awesome what your supervisor said to you! You've clearly made a great impression

I hope so lol. In the meantime I just gotta keep at it.

Congrats on the job gains.

Haha, thanks.

I think, in general, periodization is useful for long term progress. I'm partial to undulating periodization, that can either be a DUP or a WUP. It helps you prevent stagnation and keep things from getting boring.

Awesome, I'll look into both!

[shesprints]

Yeah, I am looking into periodization myself, since my PT recommended it as a way to avoid injury (he said not to train hard at simultaneously doing BJJ and lifting). It seems to me that something similar is going on with your job. Maybe in future you'll have easier days at work or your body will get accustomed to it, and you can do more lifting days or have a different focus with rep ranges. Would you think about doing more mobility work as well to help with recovery?

I'm really glad work is going well and you're looking at a promotion. They must really like you there.

[LunaLifts]

Yeah, I am looking into periodization myself, since my PT recommended it as a way to avoid injury (he said not to train hard at simultaneously doing BJJ and lifting). It seems to me that something similar is going on with your job. Maybe in future you'll have easier days at work or your body will get accustomed to it, and you can do more lifting days or have a different focus with rep ranges.

I heard undulating periodization can help manage recovery, but never took into account that that in itself probably helps manage recovery risk to. I think I'm managing work better though, I think my intake has been more consistent, and my body has finally adapted to it. I think being so sedentary outside of lifting for so long really took a bigger toll than I realized, so it just took some time for my body to catch up to moving so much more than I was.

Would you think about doing more mobility work as well to help with recovery?

...I'd think about it lol. I actually have thought about it, and I keep telling myself I'm going to do more in general. I fell off the foam roaming bandwagon again, but I have been keeping up with stretching and YWTLs.

I'd really like to be doing facepulls more than anything, I know they're one of the best shoulder health exercises, and I keep forgetting to get a band at some point.

I'm really glad work is going well and you're looking at a promotion. They must really like you there.

Well, for sure my supervisor (Bruce, for simplicity) does, lol (it seems like the managers do too, though there's one who's kinda hard to figure out, and the head manager I've barely spoken to outside of "hey, how's it going today?"). It'll be a couple years before he does retire, from what I heard he's basically just waiting on his girlfriend's retirement. In the meantime I'll probably learn how to help put in orders in a few months, and if he does want me to take over his position, then at some point when he's close to leaving he'll probably start teaching me a bunch of the specifics, like how to b*tch at distributors. >.<
I'm hopeful though, if I keep working hard, I don't see why I wouldn't be up for it later if he's considering me for it now. It gives me something to work toward, because I heard supervisors make about twice what I make, can work fulltime (and overtime), get all the benefits, and solid vacation time. As someone with just a GED and a give em hell attitude, that'd be a good prospect for me.


---
Speaking of work, I worked a twelve hour shift Sat, and that kicked my ass. I volunteered to work that long though, it was supposed to be nine, but would have made more work for me Sun morning if I left the dept for five hours on a damn Sat. Bruce was on vacation, and Aryn took that weekend off, so it was just me all weekend. I figured Bruce had said something, because three managers asked if I was ok (one specifically asked "you're not stressed out or anything?" lol), turns out he did ask them to help out if I needed it, the one who asked that just kinda assume that meant I absolutely would. I had to tell him (politely) that I can handle my job. So Bruce said next time he just won't say anything to the managers, and let me handle it if I do need help. >.<
Apparently the managers all told Bruce I did a great job though, so I think I get some points for that.
Minus Monday when I confused my schedule, and showed up an hour late. >.< Good thing Aryn has my cell, and asked if I was alright. No one cared, store was dead, and they understood my schedule was a little off after that weekend. I just made up the extra time at the end of my shift no harm done.
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Ok, on to the fun stuff, what I'd decided for my workouts:
I've decided to do more of a block periodization, I think that's what I'm doing, basically four weeks of linear hypertrophy work doing variations of my lifts (conventional deads, and front squats), then four weeks of linear heavy lifting with my sumo deads, and back squats. Also varying my accessories in that time, ex BB rows for fours weeks, then Pendlay rows for four. Doing the first block with db shoulder presses, then switching to OHP, which is supped to be an accessory, but I may go a little heavier on that too, I like heavy OHPing. No peak cycle, since I'm not meet training, but maybe a max testing week to figure out my weights for the following period.

I'm really going to start doing active deloads, it's just too much of a setback not to at this point. Two questions:

Should they be after each block, or each (ummm, macrocycle is the whole eight weeks right)... basically every four weeks or every eight?
Same lifts, same weight, but half the reps is fine for deloading right?

Side note: If you've followed me for awhile, you know seeing conventional DLing is a shock. I actually don't hate it. I think in the time I've been strictly pulling sumo I learned some cues that translate to both, and have helped me improve.

[Partyrocking]

I would deload every 8 weeks. Every 4 will be too frequent.

"Same lifts, same weight, but half the reps is fine for deloading right? "

Your deload plan sounds fine to me.

[Fiction2Fitness]

Ahh the joys of crazy work schedules...

ooo conventional deadlifts. I'm a fan. I've never gotten sumo above 225. Have always just liked the conventional though really at my height not much of a difference in distance between the two.