Grunt11's Training Log

I got the results from my first labs after starting HRT at 140mg/week of test cyp 6 weeks ago. My free test is up from 66 to 413 which is still short of the 700-800 range they want me in so they upped the dose to 160mg/week.

I also got 9 weeks of pre-filled syringes to take with me on deployment but now the Air Farce is saying they won’t let me take it unless I get a waver, what a pain and are trying to talk me into switching to something like androjel. If they deny me I’m of half a mind to just stop until I return and revert back to acting like a woman going through menopause.
 
ME Squat, Bench and Deadlift, Today:

BW 180 lbs.

Max Effort:
Squat Bar x 10, 95 x 5, 135 x 3, 185 x 1, 225 x 1, 275 x 1 315 x 1, 350 x 1, 380 x 1 (+5 lbs. PR)

Bench Press Bar x 10, 95 x 5, 135 x 3, 185 x 1, 215 x 1, 245 x fail, 220 x 1

Deadlift 135 x 5, 225 x 3, 315 x 1, 350 x fail, 350 x 1

Assistance:
Close Parallel Grip Chin Ups BW x 10 +3 +3 +3 (slow eccentric)
Incline BD Press 50 lbs. x 15 +5 +5 +5 (slow eccentric)

This was my last workout at home before deploying for 2 months so I wanted to hit all the main lifts heavy to hold me over for a few days before I’m likely to be able to workout again. It was also interesting to try all 3 lifts the same day. I didn’t do anything special to “peak” or prepare for it. I was also trying it out since my workout schedule will be intermittent for the next two months and I wanted to see how doing them all the same day would work.

It was nice to get another Squat PR. I felt like I had more left in me the last time I maxed so it was good to see I was right. I didn’t feel so confident in the Bench and Deadlift and the results showed. On the 245 lbs. Bench the bar came down under control but I barely got is 2 inches off my chest. Not being able to pull 350 lbs. off the ground pissed me off but I felt I was loose so after pacing for about half a minute I reset better and managed to pull it up but it felt way heavier than it should have.

Clearly I’ve got more work before I can get a 1000 lbs. total in the same day.
 
Well I got here just over a week ago and have only managed to get in two workouts, both on my days off. So far I’m so beat up after 12-13 hours on the flightline with the whole workday being around 14-15 hours I haven’t managed to even get in any mini-workouts.

Even if I wasn’t exhausted every workday I still probably won’t go to the gym but rather do work with bands. The closest gym is small, always packed and has very few free weights with no power or adjustable Squat rack. The far gym (about 2k) has a pretty big free weight room with one good Squat rack and even a Deadlift platform. It’s also not been very busy though I’ve already seen two things the irritated the hell out of me even though they didn’t interfere with workouts. Right after I finished Squat the first day a guy went and started doing shrugs on the good Squat rack I’d just finished using. Sad thing he was using less weight than I can Bench and my Bench sucks. Today while I was Squating 3 guys were using the Deadlift platform to do BB curls. They got done as I was getting ready to move over there and Deadlift but it was still irritating to see considering that along the wall was a huge selection of bars just for curling. So far I’ve only spent about 2 hours in the gym but I haven’t seen anyone doing either Deadlifts or Squats. No one I’ve seen there yet looks like they powerlift just bodybuilders with all but two of them having chicken legs.

So far I haven’t been able to use a bench, they’re always in use not to mention that without a powerrack I don’t feel comfortable maxing out and don’t trust anyone I’ve seen there to spot for me. So for the pushing movements I’ve been using the lever machines in the adjacent room and doing more of a bodybuilding style workout for the upper body.

For the workouts I’m doing the whole body in the one day since so far it’s the only day I’m finding the time to lift. I’m eating over maintenance on workout day and below on other days. I bought some protein powder in the PX so I can make sure to get enough protein.

The thing I miss most right now are my chains. Ever since I started using them I’ve loved the way they keep me pushing right through to the end of the lift rather than coasting the last bit. I did bring my bands so I’ll have to start using them pretty soon.

I’ve already noticed a 5% drop in my 1RM Squat and Deadlift starting the day after I got here. I’m pretty sure it’s due to dehydration, lack of sleep and being on my feet all day, at least I hope, since I don’t see a 5% drop happening in just a week. I am now starting to sleep better since I got my own room. My promotion came through the day I got here which put me at a rank where I rate a one man room but it took about a week to find one since they weren’t planning for it. So I hope that getting better sleep will give me more energy to do mini-workouts.

I was able to bring my Test-Cyp with me and the doc at the clinic let me keep it so I can self-inject rather than travel half way across the base to have them administer the shots. Giving myself the shots is easier than I expected, not that I was worried about jabbing myself but I wasn’t sure if I could reach around far enough to get to my glutes.
 
Right after I finished Squat the first day a guy went and started doing shrugs on the good Squat rack I’d just finished using. Sad thing he was using less weight than I can Bench and my Bench sucks. Today while I was Squating 3 guys were using the Deadlift platform to do BB curls. They got done as I was getting ready to move over there and Deadlift but it was still irritating to see considering that along the wall was a huge selection of bars just for curling. So far I’ve only spent about 2 hours in the gym but I haven’t seen anyone doing either Deadlifts or Squats. No one I’ve seen there yet looks like they powerlift just bodybuilders with all but two of them having chicken legs.

So far I haven’t been able to use a bench, they’re always in use not to mention that without a powerrack I don’t feel comfortable maxing out and don’t trust anyone I’ve seen there to spot for me. So for the pushing movements I’ve been using the lever machines in the adjacent room and doing more of a bodybuilding style workout for the upper body.

Are you deployed to San Francisco, because this sounds like my gym. :eek: 1 Squat rack, and a bunch of skinny teenagers doing quarter squats and half-ROM bench press. No power lifters at all...I have yet to see a SOUL in the 3+ years I've frequented the place squat, deadlift, or bench anything over 250lb. Maybe there's an hour window at like 5am when all the hardcore guys show up, but I seriously doubt it :(.
 
My promotion came through the day I got here which put me at a rank where I rate a one man room but it took about a week to find one since they weren’t planning for it.

Congratulations!!

So I hope that getting better sleep will give me more energy to do mini-workouts.

Whenever I have a crappy workout, I can almost always link it to a bad night of sleep two days ago. Seems like my body needs that second day to recover from one bad night of sleep. This week my Friday workout sucked, and I indeed had a bad night of sleep Wednesday night.

I was able to bring my Test-Cyp with me and the doc at the clinic let me keep it so I can self-inject rather than travel half way across the base to have them administer the shots. Giving myself the shots is easier than I expected, not that I was worried about jabbing myself but I wasn’t sure if I could reach around far enough to get to my glutes.

Glad that you are able to both keep the shots and administer them yourself!!
 
Are you deployed to San Francisco, because this sounds like my gym. :eek: 1 Squat rack, and a bunch of skinny teenagers doing quarter squats and half-ROM bench press. No power lifters at all...I have yet to see a SOUL in the 3+ years I've frequented the place squat, deadlift, or bench anything over 250lb. Maybe there's an hour window at like 5am when all the hardcore guys show up, but I seriously doubt it :(.

I’m sure there are some serious lifters here but since the gym is one of the few productive things to do there is probably a high percentage of people here who have never lifted seriously in their lives. I certainly haven’t seen anyone who has both the thick look of a power lifer and strong looking legs.
 
Congratulations!!



Whenever I have a crappy workout, I can almost always link it to a bad night of sleep two days ago. Seems like my body needs that second day to recover from one bad night of sleep. This week my Friday workout sucked, and I indeed had a bad night of sleep Wednesday night.



Glad that you are able to both keep the shots and administer them yourself!!

Thanks, I got my first paycheck for half the month and it was just north of 4K, add that to my civilian paycheck which I will still get for all but 3 weeks and I made about 7k in two weeks. Hard to believe that when I joined the Corps a little over 30 years ago my monthly pay was $550.

I’m sure you’re right that lack of sleep is a big factor. Plus not being as hydrated, cutting calories during the rest of the week (I might try carbing up a bit the night before next time) and being on my feet most of the day are all take a toll.
 
With only being able to workout once a week there hasn’t been much to log. My strength loss seemed to bottom out at about 10% and today I reversed that by eating extra carbs yesterday especially at night and immediately noticed the increase in strength working out this morning. I figure I’ll just have to live with 95% of my 1RM being my new max for the next 5-6 weeks.

I’m so happy I don’t work out in a commercial gym. Every week I’ve seen something even more irritating or stupid than the week before. Not only was there the requisite guy doing BB curls on the deadlift platform today but also some guy doing 65 lb. upright rows in the squat rack while two sets of Olympic bars are sitting in a stand right next to it going unused. So I rather impolitely kicked him out of the squat rack. He went and complained to someone and this personal trainer looking guy came back with him and told him squatting takes priority in the squat rack. He then asked me to get him next time rather than kicking someone off equipment myself.

When I went over to the other side to use a pull-up bar there was a guy with 10 plates on a leg press machine doing about 4-6 inch range of motion leg presses with his hands pushing on his knees for help. Every time he got done with a set he looked around to see who was watching while looking extremely pleased with himself.

I finally saw someone else “squatting” today after I got done and moved over to deadlift. He had 185 lbs. on the bar and was doing about one-quarter squats. I hate to think that someday I probably looked like one of those bozos when I had no clue what I was doing. God I sure hope I have a clue now.
 
Good luck, G11 - sounds like at minimum you have some fun people watching ahead of you for the next few weeks.
 
I am so happy to be back at home and able to start working out for real again. I had hoped to lose some belly fat while I was gone but due to the work schedule I couldn’t fit in any sort of workout except on my day off once a week so I chose to stick with maxing out my Squat and Deadlift while hitting my upper body with myo-reps due to the limited number of benches which were always in use, thankfully almost no one Squats and Deadlifts. The result seems to be that I lost 5 lbs. (now fully rehydrated and partly re-carbed up), but I can’t say that any of it came off my waist.

The food selection there was horrible. None of the protein sources were low in fat and most of the carbs were processed. I was able to score some protein powder a couple of times but the quantity available was very limited.

I spent the last two weeks deconditioning something I hadn’t done for 9 days or more in over 9 months so I’m planning to do a modified HST routine for the first month or two while eating to bulk at which point I will have to cut and switch back to a mostly powerlifting routine.

By modified HST I mean that I will continue doing the Powerlifting Squat routine I was doing (max effort/dynamic effort twice a week split). But for upper body (possibly including deadlifts) I will follow a standard HST protocol. My reasoning is that my legs are already too big for my upper body symmetry-wise and my main concern for them is now strength/power. While I could benefit a lot (read upping my Bench Press) by building some more upper body mass. I also don’t want to overdo it starting back out with an upper body Powerlifting routine.

I plan on using myo-reps and probably start out with a once or even twice a day upper body routine or ultrahigh frequency low volume and transition to lower frequency more volume as the intensity increases. I had great results with that when I first started out and with the limited intensity of my upper body workouts and two solid weeks of deconditioning I think it should work. Plus I’ll be off work for two weeks so at least early on I’ll have plenty of time.

I’m planning to make a couple additions to my weight room. I’m going to get a recumbent elliptical. I found that bicycling to the gym really helped me warm up for Squats and also want to be able to do some more cardio both HIIT and SS without the impact of running on a flat surface (still plan on doing hill sprints though). I’m looking at this model:

http://www.amazon.com/HCI-Fitness-P...ptical/dp/B001KYEMX6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Seems to be well recommended and there is a local dealer where I can check one out and even buy it. If anyone has suggestions for another model or a reason this brand sucks please let me know.

I am also entertaining the idea of finally getting a Safety Squat Bar and a Swiss or Football Bar. The Safety Squat Bar is to add some variety to my Squat routine and many people swear by it in helping both your Squat and Deadlift. The Football bar is so that I can do most of my barbell pressing movements with a more shoulder friendly neutral grip. All signs of the shoulder impingement I had earlier this year are now gone (there was some nagging after effects when I left for overseas) and I want to keep it that way.

I was able to maintain my testosterone injections while I was gone. I had nine weeks of shots so I skipped one of the early weeks so that my blood work would show valid results for the new level they increased me to when I get tested next week. I don’t mind getting shots but it was a little daunting pinning myself the first time, however the needles are so narrow I didn’t even feel it.

I’ll post a planned routine later since this has already gotten too long.

Cheers
 
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Thanks Tote!

Today was my first “real” workout since I got back.

ME Squat Today:

BW 180 lbs.

Max Effort:
Wide Stance Squat (my normal squat) Bar x 10, 95 x 5, 135 x 3, 185 x 1, 225 x 1, 275 x 1, 315 x 1, 345 x 1, 365 x 1.

Concentric GMs 135 x 5, 185 x 5, 185 x 5

That was if for my ME workout though I did some other Upper Body stuff listed below.

I’m quite pleased with the 365 x 1 despite 380 being my previous max since the week after I got deployed 365 pinned my butt to the ground. I now think part of the problem I was having over there was the crappy PT shirts the Air Farce makes you wear (no other gym cloths were allowed). The material their made from is very slippery and they’re a full T-Shirt not a muscle shirt so there was no way I could get a good “low bar” position. Best I could do was get something between low and high bar which I’m now pretty sure threw off my balance. With the bar resting down low I could Squat back rather than down bringing my hamstrings into it more.

I only did a few sets of GMs since I haven’t done any in months and if I’ve learned one thing over the last two years is to take it slow. The last thing I need it so injure myself just as I have the chance to get back into it.

I also did a mini upper body workout after the ME workout, something I’ve actually been doing for the last few days. The basically consist of a push/pull and some extra isolation movement(s). I say basically because I’m being pretty flexible on these. Except for Shrugs they are all myo-reps with a very fast concentric and very slow (about 4 sec) eccentric. I find this cadence best with myo-reps at lower weights because I can really tell when the rep speed starts slowing down which makes it easier to auto-regulate, which since I’m doing these workouts every day is very important.

Actually I’m not just doing them every day but 3 times a day for less than 20 minutes each. For example yesterday consisted of:

Workout 1 – Flat Bench, Lat Pulls, Shrugs
Workout 2 – Seated DB Overhead Press, Wide Grip Cable Row, Shrugs
Workout 3 – Hammer Curls, Lateral Raises

Right now each mini-workout takes way less than 20 minutes so I will continue to add in exercise as my conditioning permits until I hit the 20 minute mark on each of them. Once I stop progressing I’ll start spitting things up between days.

I really like these mini-workouts since I come out of them feeling very energized despite being out of shape right now, rather than worn out.

I’m actually back up to 180 lbs. which means fully carbed and hydrated I actually hadn’t lost any weight while there, which sucks since I made no workout related gains.
 
I’m planning to make a couple additions to my weight room. I’m going to get a recumbent elliptical. I found that bicycling to the gym really helped me warm up for Squats and also want to be able to do some more cardio both HIIT and SS without the impact of running on a flat surface (still plan on doing hill sprints though). I’m looking at this model:

http://www.amazon.com/HCI-Fitness-P...ptical/dp/B001KYEMX6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
Seems to be well recommended and there is a local dealer where I can check one out and even buy it. If anyone has suggestions for another model or a reason this brand sucks please let me know.

Hey grunt, Why not get one of these? (I'm biased, of course!)

http://www.amazon.com/Concept2-Model-Indoor-Rower-Light/dp/B008DVF07Q/ref=sr_1_1

Much cheaper and it'll take up less space when not in use as it stands up on end (you'll need about a 9ft ceiling height though). It comes apart easily too and maintenance is minimal and easy to do.

You still get to sit down too; and think of all the fun you'll have competing against the other C2 rowers around the world. :)
 
Lol said:
Hey grunt, Why not get one of these? (I'm biased, of course!)

http://www.amazon.com/Concept2-Model...07Q/ref=sr_1_1

Much cheaper and it'll take up less space when not in use as it stands up on end (you'll need about a 9ft ceiling height though). It comes apart easily too and maintenance is minimal and easy to do.

You still get to sit down too; and think of all the fun you'll have competing against the other C2 rowers around the world.


I had planned for a long time to get a rowing machine considering it a much better workout than a stationary bike and also I easier on the butt. However, I started leaning toward an elliptical like the one I linked to because it gives resistance in both pushing and pulling with both the arms and legs which I figured would work better for a full body warm up and help more with active recovery of all muscles.

On the other hand I will have access to ellipticals at work for active recovery and could put off buying one until I retire hopefully in 4 years. I was also planning on buying a mountain bike since I like training outside but don’t want the impact of running while doing powerlifting. Also it’s a hell of a lot cheaper and I have a vaulted ceiling so 9’ isn’t a problem. It’s also lower to the ground which means I can sit under the beam from my projector to the screen while watching things and with caster wheels it should be easy to move in and out of the weight room adjacent to my home theater/living room.

I haven’t pulled the trigger on anything yet so thanks for the suggestion I’m giving it some serious consideration if you haven’t noticed yet. ;)

I take it you recommend this model because it’s what you use?
 
I take it you recommend this model because it’s what you use?

It's the newer version of what I have. I have a model C. I'll probably upgrade to the model D at some point so I have access to the extra functions on the monitor.

For me the C2 was a no-brainer because I do a fair bit of actual rowing. However, it is a really excellent piece of cardio kit and it's much easier to use than a real boat as there are no balance issues and you don't have to worry about oars! The monitor is very accurate and consistent so if you decided to use the C2 to work on your cardio-fitness, rather than just for warming up, you really would know whether you were making improvements or not. Anaerobic sprints are worth a try. A session of 10 x 200m intervals is a real killer.
 
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Hey Lol, I placed the order for the model D today. I briefly checked around for anyone selling one in the area and absolutely nothing, with only a couple Model Cs being sold not at much of a discount so I didn’t bother with them and went with a new one for the full warranty. Besides all the positive reviews that hardly anyone is selling one used is also a good sign. ;)

It’s supposed to arrive Thursday the 18 with standard shipping so I imagine Amazon has one here at their Phoenix distribution center.

With the money I’m saving on an elliptical I will certainly buy a bike now, just waiting until 1000AM for the Trek shop down the street to open. I’m still giving some thought to getting a couple specialty bars (Football/Swiss and Safety Squat)
 
Dynamic Squat, Today:

BW = 180 lbs.

Repetition Effort:

AM
Flat Bench Press 135 lbs. x 10 +3 +2 (1/0/4/0 rep speed same for all other repetition exercises)
Wide Grip Cable Row 125 lbs. x 14 +3 +3 (1/0/4/0 rep speed same for all other repetition exercises)

AM/PM
Hill Sprints 120m x 2
Incline Bench Press 135 lbs. x 15 +5 +5 (4/0/1/0 rep spead)
Lat Pull Downs 125 lbs. x 15 +5 +5 (4/0/1/0 rep speed)

PM
Dynamic Effort:
Wide Stance Box Squats (190 lbs. +80 lbs. chains x 2) x 6
Overhead DB Press 35 lbs. x 15 +5 +5 (1/0/4/0 rep speed same for all other repetition exercises)
Lat Pulls 125 lbs. x 10 +3 +3 (1/0/4/0 rep speed same for all other repetition exercises)
Trail Ride 3 miles (steady state)

I love having the day off and being able to split things up so much. I lets me keep that “just worked out” feeling all day long.

I went easy on the DE work today since I haven’t done any in almost 3 months. I remember how my legs felt the first time I did Speed Squats with chains. . . . I skipped the Speed Pulls today in part to easy back into Speed Work but also so I could be sure that it won’t screw up the progression on my repetition exercises. By next week the weights will be high enough not to screw things up, however still too light for Max Effort Deadlifts.

Although doing myo-reps is probably enough for metabolic work I threw in some slow concentric exercises. The slow eccentric on the other exercises really causes my muscles to fail quickly.

With the money Lol helped me save by getting a rowing machine instead of and elliptical I bought a mountain bike today, so of course I had to go for a ride. I just did some light pedaling around I plan to use it for Steady State Cardio since I miss exercising outside since I stopped distance running.
 
Dynamic Squat day again, Today:

BW = 180 lbs.

Dynamic Effort:
Speed Pulls 190 lbs. + 70 lbs. chains x 10

Repetition Effort:
Flat Bench Press 145 x 10 +3 +3 (1/0/4/0 rep speed)
Supported DB Rows 70 lbs. x 12 +4 +4 (1/0/4/0 rep speed)
Triceps Bar Curls 40 lbs. x 15 +5 +5 (1/0/4/0 rep speed)
Triceps Bar Overhead Triceps Extensions 40 lbs. x 15 +5 +5 (1/0/4/0 rep speed)

My legs were feeling really good today so I decided to go ahead and do the Speed Pulls I didn’t do yesterday. I also threw in a couple sets for my arms since I wasn’t sure if I would get another chance to workout today. Also I need to do extra Biceps work when doing lighter Lat Pulls since they don’t hit my Biceps enough especially with all the Triceps intensive exercises when I get back to Benching for real. Similarly I do extra Triceps exercises for the Bench so I need to start getting back into those too.

Bonus, the rowing machine got here about a half hour ago, a day early. You gotta love having an Amazon distribution center nearby. I took about 5 minutes to put together with no extra tools required (only needed an Alan wrench, included). I gave it a quick test just to make sure it worked though I didn’t try out any of the electronic features yet.
 
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