TunnelRat's log -- working my way back to zero

Friday, February 18, 2011

Squat 10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 5x155, 5x170, 5x180
Bench 10x45, 5x75, 5x85, 5x90
Deadlift 5x190, 5x205, 5x220

I did the same lifts again today. "Deload" or not, this felt more like an SD. These weeny, warm up weights still managed to send me home tired.
 
Thursday, February 24, 2011

Bench Press 10x45, 10x65, 5x95, 3x110, 6x120, 5x10x65
Chins 5x5x body weight
Dips 5x body weight (I quickly learned that dips don't mesh well with Bench Presses)
Seated, single leg calf raises 20x35
Standing calf raises 20x185
Shrugs 10x185, 6x185, 4x185
RDL 10x45, 10x95, 10x135
Treadmill 30 minutes @ 3.2 mph

Wendler's 5/3/1 had me doing 95, 110, and 120. His idea is that doing a number of reps with a light weight can be mathematically comparable to a 1RM. He provides his own formula but I just used the HST rep calculator.

I had previously done 5x130, so I needed to hit 6x120 in order to at least match that. Frankly, after being out of the gym for nearly two weeks, I wasn't sure I could do 120 lbs even once -- so I got a spotter. I was surprised and pleased that the bar went up six times.

Okay, I'm back. My diet break is over and I'm back on low carbs and high protein. It should be no carbs and high protein, but there was a clementine that just kept calling my name.

My assistance exercises are all over the map. Wendler seems to like it that way. Although I do full body workouts, I'll be doing most exercises only once per week. HST is good and I appreciate the principles, but I am cutting just now and don't look for much hypertrophy for a while.
 
Bench Press 10x45, 10x65, 5x95, 3x110, 6x120, 5x10x65
Chins 5x5x body weight
Dips 5x body weight (I quickly learned that dips don't mesh well with Bench Presses)
Click to expand...
Yeah I’ve got mine split on two different days, at least for now.
 
Friday, February 25, 2011

RDL 10x45, 10x135
Deadlift 10x45, 10x135, 5x185, 5x235, 3x265, 5x295, 5x10x155
Chins/Dips 4x5x Body Weight
Face Pulls 4x10x50
Reverse Crunch 4x12

I was hoping to get 6 reps of the 295 deadllift. That would 'mathematically' match my PB 1RM. I got five solid, but only managed to get rep six up to my knees; I couldn't lock it out. The time I missed out of the gym has come back to haunt me. I'll have to do better next time.
 
That's the opposite of how I fail on a Deal Lift. If I can start the bar moving I’ll make the lift otherwise the bar never comes off the ground.
 
My limited experience up to this point is that when deadlift weight gets too heavy, the bar comes off the ground and I can complete the rep, but my back curves. My upper back and shoulders are too weak to stay tight and straight. I eventually straighten out at the top of the movement. This is surely unsafe.

Trying to picture what muscles are failing when the bar is at the knees, pulling as hard as possible, body shaking, but it's just not coming any higher...I've seen videos of guys deadlifting before and reaching this point.
 
The difference is probably that I do Sumo style rather than conventional which I assume you and TR are using. If you’re going to fail using Sumo style it’s usually getting the bar off the floor. Once the bar is moving up the lower stance of the Sumo style gives most people better leverage coming up by shortening the lever arm. However, the trade-off is it usually means a less explosive drive off the ground.
 
Monday, February 28, 2011

Military Press 5x45, 3x55, 6x65
Seated, single leg calf raises 2x20x45
Standing calf raises 2x20x205 (M-time)
Shrugs 2x20x205 (M-time)
RDL 10x45, 10x95, 10x135, 5x155, 5x185, 3x205, 3x3x225
Dumbbell Row (weeny Kroc Row) 20x35
Treadmill 30 minutes @ 3.2 mph

I did the Military Press today for the first time in about three years. I haven't been doing any overhead work for a long time. However, I talked to my doctor recently and got a tentative 'go ahead'. It wasn't hard to get the bar to go up; it was hard to keep it steady.

This gym doesn't have a calf raise gadget, so my seated calf raise is done by balancing a plate on my knee. It is rather uncomfortable.

I had a nice time doing Romanian Deadlifts. I'll have to see if that affects my squats tomorrow.

I plan to do some Kroc Rows this cycle, in _tim's honor. I thought I started light, but 25 times anything is a lot...
 
Tuesday, March 1, 2011

RDL 10x45, 10x95, 10x135
Deadlift 10x45, 10x95, 10x135, 5x185, 5x235, 5x250, 5x265
Military Press 5x10x45
Chins 5x5x body weight
Dips 5x5x body weight
Face pull 5x10x50
Reverse Crunch 5x12

I rearranged the order of my cycle. It didn't match the Wendler's 5/3/1 Excel spreadsheet, and it's easier to change my exercises than it is to change the spreadsheet.

The schedule runs Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday. I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep it up while I'm on this no carb, cutting diet, but I'll give it a shot. I may well end up by dropping out all the assistance exercises and just going with the Big Four.
 
Somehow I believe you won't mind dropping all those assistance exercises and just going with the Big Four!! I see you are doing overhead presses again, that's great! How's the the RFL diet treating you?
 
Somehow I believe you won't mind dropping all those assistance exercises and just going with the Big Four!!

Indeed! Low carb diets don't match up well with lotsa extra reps.

I see you are doing overhead presses again, that's great!

Yes, for the first time in many years. I spoke with doctor friend. Impingement has not been a problem for my shoulders in the past, so perhaps I'm going to get away with it.

How's the the RFL diet treating you?

I have been surprised how easy it is to stay within the confines of the diet. I get to eat a lot everyday, plus a free meal every week, then a carb refeed that would stuff a buffalo. I'm down 12 lbs since January, look good and feel good. Lyle rocks!
 
Thursday, March 3, 2011

Bench Press 10x45, 10x75, 5x95, 5x100, 9x110, 5x10x55
Seated, single leg calf raises 2x20x70
Standing calf raises 20x205
Shrugs 20x205
(mini) Kroc Rows 25x40
Reverse Crunch 3x12
Treadmill 30 minutes @ 3.2 mph

No RDLs today. As much as I enjoy them, I can't do them in the same week with squat and deads.
 
Sunday, March 6, 2011

Squats 10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 5x195, 5x205, 5x220
Military Press 5x10x45
Chins 5x5x body weight
Dips 5x5x body weight
Face pull 5x10x50
Reverse Crunch 5x12

I've meeting a lot of guys who do deadlifts. It must be a feature of this new YMCA. The last Y I lifted at, nearly nobody but me did deads.
 
I stopped going to the local Y when I got "serious" about trying to get in shape because nobody squatted or deadlifted...ever. It was bad enough being weak and small. Even worse being weak and small and then trying to be different on top of that.
 
You oughta try weak and small and old...

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

RDL 10x45
Deadlift 10x45, 10x135, 5x185, 3x225, 3x250, 3x265, 6x280, 5x10x155
Military Press 10x45, 3x55, 3x55, 10x60
Chins 5x5x body weight
Dips 5x5x body weight
Face pull 5x10x50
Reverse Crunch 5x12

I'm fast running out of steam on this Rapid Fat Loss, no carb diet. So I rolled my Overhead Press day into my Deadlift day. According to Wendler's system, I only needed 6 reps on the OH press to set a PR, but I got 10 instead.

I may not be able to continue my overhead work. I really hurt my shoulder this week opening a case of soda pop...! I'm going to see my physician on Thursday to see if he'll give me permission to keep going.
 
Congrats on your success with the military presses, hopefully you will heal up quickly. I might have missed it when reading through your thread, but have you had shoulder injuries in the past?
 
OneCrazyMofo said:
I might have missed it when reading through your thread, but have you had shoulder injuries in the past?
Click to expand...
Yup, I've had to have my right shoulder rebuilt a little bit. I'm left with an infraspinatus that is missing a big chunk, and a frayed tendon that worries my doctors.

Thus I have to be careful with overhead work, and am forbidden to do lateral raises.

My weak rotator cuff muscles seem to affect my bench press. So, while I manage to do okay with squats and deads, my bench is only ever a bit above my body weight.

I'm trying to get in to see my physician soon. However, in the meanwhile, I'm dropping OH press, bench, and dips from my workouts.
 
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Sunday, March 13, 2011

Squat 10x45, 10x95, 5x135, 3x205, 3x220, 6x230, 2x10x135
Seated, single leg calf raises 2x20x75
Standing, single leg calf raises 20x75
Dumbbell Row (weeny Kroc Row) 25x45
Reverse crunch 3x12
Chins 5xBW, 0xBW+55, 1xBW+45, 1xBW+55 PR

Didn't feel well today (still don't). I had lots of quit. Wendler had me squatting 3x230 lbs, plus however many I could get. I got a total of six reps. I could have had seven for sure, and probably eight, but I just plain quit at six.

It was the same with my Boring but Big, five sets of ten. I quit after two sets. Then I only did three sets of abs, instead of the five I had planned

I skipped shrugs altogether, and settled for 75 lb single leg standing calf raises instead of 100 lb (I had been doing over 200 lb using both legs).

But my feet hurt, and the music was too loud, and the gym was crowded, and two guys would "work in" on the power rack whenever I rested between sets. I had more whiny excuses today than I can remember. I hope this doesn't happen again soon.

The one positive I managed today was to pull my best chin ever -- body weight + 55 lbs. I missed it the first time around, then for whatever reason I tried body weight plus 45 lbs and it went right up! So I I rested for three or four minutes and tried the +55 again -- no problem.
 
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Looks like you didn’t have the best day today either, even quit your post before finishing. ;)

Well at least you got a very nice PB on the Chins, congratulations.
 
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