electric's log

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Well, I stopped stalling and started my SD. Will stop for a week or two and start a new HST cycle.
I'll use my 10RMs tested this past weeks and calculate the 15 and 5RMs from them, will use the RM in the 5th day of each mesocycle and will try to beat it in the 6th day. Will start the mesocycles with around 70% of the RM of the mesocycle for each exercise and will workout 3x a week using an A/B alternating routine.
I am planning on eating maintenance during the SD and the 15s and start from the 10s a diet where I do a heavy bulk on workout days and a mild cut on non-workout days while eating maintenance during the weekend.
Will do the vanilla 1x15,1.5x10,3x5 mesocycles and will plan the apres-5s depending on the way things progress.
 
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(electric @ Jun. 19 2008,10:55)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Well, I stopped stalling and started my SD. Will stop for a week or two and start a new HST cycle.
I'll use my 10RMs tested this past weeks and calculate the 15 and 5RMs from them, will use the RM in the 5th day of each mesocycle and will try to beat it in the 6th day. Will start the mesocycles with around 70% of the RM of the mesocycle for each exercise and will workout 3x a week using an A/B alternating routine.
I am planning on eating maintenance during the SD and the 15s and start from the 10s a diet where I do a heavy bulk on workout days and a mild cut on non-workout days while eating maintenance during the weekend.
Will do the vanilla 1x15,1.5x10,3x5 mesocycles and will plan the apres-5s depending on the way things progress.</div>
Very solid cycle you have planned. It has some similarities to mine as I am focuses on the alternating diet plan. However, I am cutting overall, so my workout days have a slow bulk and my non-workout days have a decent calorie cut.

Likewise, I used to start at 70% and have my RM day be Day #5 and push it come Day 6, but they never panned out that well for some reason. I have done much better just pushing an extra set on my 6th day when I am doing my RM's. Like you, I like to start off at 70% of a given RM.

My mesocycles are 15 - 10 - 5 - 3 reps at two weeks a piece this cycle. However, unlike you, I have no constraints upon number of sets. I do as many as I can without wearing myself out too too much!
 
Colby, thanks for the answer. I have too much trouble counting calories, so I'll just eat a lot on workout days and eat little on off-days. Although you didn't have much success, I'll try the RM on the 5th day and a new RM on the 6th since I haven't been lifting for long so I can still milk some linear progression.

Regarding the sets, I've noticed I am too much of a fatigue wuss and start losing performance soon, specially if I raise the volume. Since the 3x a week frequency is important I try to do as little volume as possible while still having results. Of course if I still have plenty energy after a workout I add a set or a different exercise.
 
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(electric @ Jun. 20 2008,11:50)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I have too much trouble counting calories, so I'll just eat a lot on workout days and eat little on off-days.</div>
Your diet is every bit as important as your workout plan. A good workout without enough food won't produce growth. A good workout with too much food is gonna make you fat.

If you want serious results, you need to be serious about your diet. It is a good practice to record everything you eat. Keep track of calories, protein, and carbs (some guys track fat, too).
 
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(TunnelRat @ Jun. 20 2008,1:11)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE"><div>
(electric @ Jun. 20 2008,11:50)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I have too much trouble counting calories, so I'll just eat a lot on workout days and eat little on off-days.</div>
Your diet is every bit as important as your workout plan. A good workout without enough food won't produce growth. A good workout with too much food is gonna make you fat.

If you want serious results, you need to be serious about your diet. It is a good practice to record everything you eat. Keep track of calories, protein, and carbs (some guys track fat, too).</div>
I reckon you are right TR, I need to find a way of being able to do that. I have just written a long post explaining why it is so hard to me to count calories but after re-reading it I realized it was just a bunch of silly excuses and erased everything
biggrin.gif

What do you guys suggest to help me? Remember I have lunch at work everyday so it is not that easy to weight the steak and stuff like that.
 
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(electric @ Jun. 20 2008,1:39)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I reckon you are right TR,

[I love it when people say that -- TR]


I need to find a way of being able to do that. I have just written a long post explaining why it is so hard to me to count calories but after re-reading it I realized it was just a bunch of silly excuses and erased everything
biggrin.gif

What do you guys suggest to help me? Remember I have lunch at work everyday so it is not that easy to weight the steak and stuff like that.</div>
I use Calorie-Count.com.

Keep a small notebook. After a bit, you'll pretty much begin to know how much various foods are.

Close counts, but measured is better.
 
14 day SD is over and I'm starting my 2nd HST cycle. Today was my first 15s workout, body weight @ 73Kg (161lbs). I'll eat maintenance for the 15s and start the bulk on w/o days and cut on non-workout days diet on the 10s. Today's workout:
5 minutes stationary warmup
Dips - 2x15 @ BW
Front Squat - 2x15 @ 41kg (90lbs) - bar cleaned from floor
Bent over BB Rows - 2x15 @ 41Kg (90lbs)
Upright Rows - 15 @ 22Kg (49lbs)
Prone Incline DB Curl - 15 @ 20Kg (44lbs) - combined DB weight

Nothing noteworthy, maybe just the fact that I hate the 15s
biggrin.gif
I'll drop the number of sets to 1 on the 3rd workout because I don't work well with volume. It's good to be back.
I believe my bf is around 12% so my short(ish) term goal is to maintain weight around 75Kg (165lbs) while dropping bf to single digit (9.999%
wink.gif
).
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">What do you guys suggest to help me? Remember I have lunch at work everyday so it is not that easy to weight the steak and stuff like that.</div>

I use calorie count, calorie king, etc as well.

you know I was sooo reluctant to count calories, but once I started, the results became more predictable and constant. you freak out less with the weight fluctuations as well, because you gain a mathematical control/precision over whats going on.

it also gets easier as you go. you'll have calories/macros for all cuts of lean meats, eggs, cheese, etc, memorized within a few weeks, and you'll even get a solid handle on what constitutes 4 oz, etc, for better than decent approximations when you have to eat out.

if in a bind, always ask for bland, tasteless grilled chicken! almost everyone can do it for ya

keep pumping the iron electric, the alternating/cyclical type diet is magic if you stick to it!
 
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(beingisbeing @ Jul. 02 2008,2:26)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">you know I was sooo reluctant to count calories, but once I started, the results became more predictable and constant. you freak out less with the weight fluctuations as well, because you gain a mathematical control/precision over whats going on.</div>
being, thanks for the comment. I'll see what I can do, I am not an organized person and I have to eat out every working day, I also get home late and it is hard to prepare some well calculated meal, so I smell some difficulty with this. It is much easier for me to just stuff myself in bulking days and starve myself in cutting days although I know this isn't optimum.
 
2nd day of the 15s (BW @ 73kg - 161lbs):
Flat BB Bench: 2x15 @ 51Kg (112lbs)
Chin-up: 15, 12 @ BW
Deadlift: 2x15 @ 67Kg (148lbs)
OHP: 15, 13 @ 27Kg (60lbs)
Seated Incline DB Curl: 15 @ 20Kg (44lbs) - combined db weight
Skullcrusher: 15 @ 18Kg (40lbs)
 
Friday, 4th of July workout skipped :/
Saturday ended up not going to the gym but got hold of a barbell and some weights so did a workout with the only weight I got available, 47Kg (104lbs). Did 15x Front Squats, 15x Deadlift, 15x Pendlay's, 15x Flat Bench all with the same weight  
biggrin.gif


Today I finally resumed my planned 3rd 15s workout.
Front Squat - 15 @ 47Kg (104lbs)
Dips - 15 @ BW + 4Kg (9lbs)
Pendlay Row - 15 @ 51Kg (112lbs)
DB Flat Bench - 15 @ 40Kg (88lbs) - combined DB weight
Upright Row - 15 @ 28Kg (62lbs)
Prone Incline DB Curls - 15 @ 24Kg (53lbs) - combined DB weight
Some DB Shrugs and Weighted crunches

Today's workout was fine except for the Dip. Even only with BW + ~10lbs I got that sternum pain again. I tried wide grip, close grip, medium grip and tried even not getting too low but still got the pain. Maybe I still haven't fully recovered from the &quot;injury&quot; on post #66 but in any case I'll ditch this exercise and alternate Flat BB Bench with Flat DB Bench for the rest of this cycle.

Can't wait to finish the 15s and start the 10s along with the PSMF kind of diet.
 
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(electric @ Jul. 07 2008,4:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">but in any case I'll ditch this exercise and alternate Flat BB Bench with Flat DB Bench for the rest of this cycle.</div>
I think you are doing the right thing.

I had to ditch bench for a year while my right AC joint sorted itself out. It's still not 100% but it's manageable now and I have been benching again for quite a while without the problem recurring. Changing my form for bench (elbows less flared, scapulae adducted) definitely helped.

A form change might help you too but you'll have to figure out how your existing form might have caused the problem in the first place.

All the best.
 
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(Lol @ Jul. 07 2008,4:18)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I think you are doing the right thing.

I had to ditch bench for a year while my right AC joint sorted itself out. It's still not 100% but it's manageable now and I have been benching again for quite a while without the problem recurring. Changing my form for bench (elbows less flared, scapulae adducted) definitely helped.

A form change might help you too but you'll have to figure out how your existing form might have caused the problem in the first place.

All the best.</div>
Lol, thanks for the support. I think my problem was that I started doing dips and increased the weight too fast. The muscles were up to par but the joints weren't. Add to that the fact that I was probably going too low and voilà, injury.
Besides replacing Dips with DB Bench for the muscle building, I am thinking of keeping dips but as a side exercise, very light and increase the weight very slowly to train the joints involved.
 
Workout day, 4th day of the 15s. BW @ 73.3Kg (162lbs)

Flat BB Bench Press - 1x15 @ 61Kg (135lbs) - last rep paused and did a second set of 4 all paused
Chin - 1x15 @ BW+4kg (9lbs) - did a second set with 3 reps with slow eccentric
Deadlift - 1x15 @ 77Kg (170lbs) - second set with 5 reps
OHP - 1x15 @ 31Kg (68lbs)
Seated Incline DB Curl - 1x15 @ 24Kg (53lbs) - combined DB weight
Skullcrusher - 1x15 @ 22Kg (49lbs) - did the movement behind the head instead of to the forehead
Weighted crunches - 1x15
 
electric, I'm not here to criticize or anything but I'm curious to know why its good to alternate exercises like bench/dips or chins/rows. If dips are giving you grief, why not just BB Bench every workout?
 
Wannagrow, don't worry, no criticism taken. Some alternates work different muscles, I alternate deadlifts with squats and chins (emphasis on lats) with rows (emphasis on upper back) and OHP (front delts/tris) with Upright Rows (traps and lateral delts). Since I am alternating everything else I also end up alternating dips with flat bench to get them both under my belt. I agree with you, I could just do BB bench every workout but to keep the spirit of alternates (and due to the fact that I have already designed this cycle to do BB benches every other workout) I'll try alternating it with DB Bench.
Since I think dips are a great chest exercise I'll do a dips recovery program in parallel with my routine starting with a very light weight and high number of reps (Rippetoe-style joint recovery) and increase load slowly and progressively so that my joint strength catch up with muscle strength.
 
5th Workout of the 15s:

Front Squat - 1x15 @ 57Kg (126lbs)
DB Flat Bench - 1x10 @ 48kg* (106lbs) ops... 1x13 @ 48Kg - combined DB weight
Pendlay's - 1x15 @ 61Kg (135lbs)
Upright Row - 1x15 @ 32Kg (71lbs)
Prone Incline DB - 1x15 @ 32Kg (71lbs) - combined DB weight
Weight assisted dips - 2x20 - joint recovery

*DB Bench was silly... I started doing the set completely off balance. I know it is harder to balance with DBs but it was really weird, couldn't complete the 15. I was going to do an additional set when I realized one of the DBs was heavier then the other. Corrected that but couldn't make the 15 reps. I got Pendlay's 15 reps but I think I might have to reduce the weights as I admit I am cheating too much. On a side note Front Squats were brutal, had to pause for a couple of breathes between the last reps.

I usually workout around 45 minutes after breakfast (with coffee, milk, eggs...) but today I had to workout before lunch, besides that I did some IF yesterday, skipping lunch, so I had very little energy. I will start doing this IF on non-workout days (except weekends). I have breakfast, skip lunch and have dinner. I don't overeat on breakfast or dinner to make up for lunch. On workout days I eat normally trying to eat even more calories to make up for the other day's skipped lunch.
 
Last day of the 15s. I'll start logging weight and BF measure by my BIA scale. I know it isn't very precise but if I try to keep all other variables constant at least I should get a good idea on how things are progressing.
BW = 73.4Kg (161.8lbs), BF 11.8%, Muscle 43.2% (not sure what that measurement means on the scale, but will track it nonetheless).

Today's routine:
Flat BB Bench Press - 10, 13 @ 71kg (157lbs)
Chin-up - 15 @ BW+8Kg (18lbs)
Deadlift - 15 @ 91Kg (201lbs)
OHP - 11, 6 @ 37Kg (82lbs)
Seated Incline DB Curl - 15 @ 32Kg (71lbs) - combined DB weight
Skullcrusher - 15 @ 32Kg (71lbs) - behind the head

Was disappointed with the Bench. It was a PR attempt but to stop at 10 was frustrating. Got a spotter tried again but the last 3 reps of the second set were helped. I woke up with a sore throat, I'll blame that for my wussiness
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OHP was also a bit of a let down. It is fairly light and still I didn't manage to get the 15 in. I should at least have push-pressed them up. On the other hand getting the reps for the deadlift was quite pleasing specially because there seemed to be room for even more weight.

Tomorrow is skip-lunch fast day. Let's see how I fare.
 
The sore throat was a sure warning, when I got home I had high fever and pain all over. Today I think the fever subsided but I am certainly not 100%. I hope I feel fine for tomorrow's workout.
 
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(electric @ Jul. 15 2008,11:42)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">The sore throat was a sure warning, when I got home I had high fever and pain all over. Today I think the fever subsided but I am certainly not 100%. I hope I feel fine for tomorrow's workout.</div>
Hope you feel better; get some rest and keep a watch on your status.
 
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