_tim's Log

As has been the pattern thus far for the past oh - maybe 8 months now, I haven't entirely been able to focus on my training. As such, excess periods of inactivity seem to have become rather pervasive, and the fat accumulation I'm seeing is just plain pissing me off. I don't like bulking - if I want size, I slow bulk. What's happening isn't either of those - I'm accumulating fat because I'm not doing what I need to to both feed starving muscles and trim excess caloric intake when said muscles AREN'T starving.

Therefore, I'm going to try something over the next 4 weeks to hopefully curb this behavior, and keep progress moving in the right direction.

Starting NOW - if I wake up late, but with as little as 15 minutes that I can spend in the gym, HIIT will be done. If I wake up late and have but 30 minutes in the gym, HIIT and Oly/metabolic work will be done - or RP max work on a single lift.

The goal is to get SEVERAL solid weeks of progress going. Yes, this cycle is a triples cycle, as it were - focused on strength. The main thing is, there can be progress in other areas during a cycle, be it increased endurance, improved Oly form, or just plain fat burning (torture). I've been far to strict in terms of the confines of activity for a cycle, and that changes now.

I proclaimed "no more missed days" several posts ago, and it's time that I live up to it.
 
I had 11 minutes total this morning, including drive time. Therefore...

4:00 HIIT, elliptical. :20 intervals, 1:00 cooldown.

I'm still feeling it, now 4 hours later. I pushed as hard as I could for those 4 minutes, and in so doing achieved precisely what I wrote last night:

PROGRESS.
 
Day 17

Finally.

Bench:  4 x 3 @ 230; 6 x 3 @ 210
I miffed the load on this; I should have been lifting 220.  That will be what I use next time.  Those 4 sets at 230 were much harder than they should have been - I'm hoping that at minimum, they wake up my sleeping pec striations.

I then had to leave the gym to take my daughter to school.  What follows was just pure fun.

Squats:  4 x 6 @ 240
Again, beltless.  I still feel good about that, especially given Lol's recent belt-related injury.  The next thing address is my shoes - I think it's time that I invest in some good shoes for squatting.  Any suggestions?

Standing Press:  110 x 12, 6
Set 1 was 11+1, and 2 was 5+1.  Have I said how much I love the RP methodology yet?  
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MU Deads: 4 x 6 @ 250
I had to strap up here, and that wasn't what I wanted to do.  Thing is, the gym was hot and humid, and my hook grip lasted only through the first 2 warmup sets before the thumb started jumping out.  I was sweating like a hog to boot, so the straps became a necessity.  I felt the last 2 sets in my abs like no tomorrow - so I'm hoping for some decent DOMS there.

This wasn't the week I wanted to have, but at least I got one push and one pull workout in, and some HIIT to boot.  I'll take it.
 
Day 18

BW: 198

BB Row:  10 x 3 @ 180
For the first couple sets, my butt was too high; keeping it down had been something of a form issue - until I discovered a fun trick today.  I actually set my feet and pretend as though I'm returning the bar to the floor after a deadlift rep.  Worked like a charm - my back stayed straight and my butt stayed where it should.

Chins:  4 x 6 @ BW + 10
I actually did these on a higher bar so I had no opportunity for toe touches, and starting from a hang was a must as my feet were a good foot off the ground.

I didn't have time for the rep max fun today, and I'm actually toying with taking it out for the rest of the cycle, and in it's place doing HIIT/Tabata, Oly or assistance work. The way I figure it, I have 3 more weeks of triples work (based on workout count), then 2 weeks of singles, then another 2 weeks of RP work based on those singles numbers. It might be kinda nice to focus mostly on strength right now, and save the endurance work for the next cycle.

Dunno; I'll see how it goes.
 
Day 19

Standing Press:  5 x 3 @ 135
I may have hit my triples max here; I did one more set and got 2 reps, and even with a small rest couldn't get that third rep.  I'll keep the load here and hope to get closer to 10 sets.

Squats: 1 x 17, 1 x 14 @ 200
Both sets were base +2 RP.  Damn good burn.

Bench Press: 3 x 6, 1 x 7 @ 205
That last set I used a spotter, and man what a difference.  The 3rd set was shaky, but the 4th set felt like I had 135 on the bar.  The guy spotting me didn't allow me to rack after the 6th rep, saying I had one more in me.  I did.

I've been warming up the past couple workouts with a 5 minute jog.  So far, I believe it's helped get me going; today I jogged a bit over a half a mile, and felt pretty good going into my lifting.

Great workout.
 
Hey tim, great to see you making progress. Hope you can string together some solid weeks. I'm glad to see you doing your triples cycle. I'll be watching..I'm going to give it a try in July. Is there a sreadsheet for that workout or a layout somewhere...I think I asked you this before a while back, but a refresher would be appreciated. Good luck as always and stay motivated!!
 
BAX!  Send me a message with your email and I'll send you my spreadsheet that I use to figure out all my cycles.  That has three triples workout examples in there, in addition to the diamond setup, my HST cycles, SST, etc.  Happy to send it your way.

As always, thanks so much for the kind words!

Day 20

5 min jog (treadmill) at 6.8 (mph?)

Deads:  10 x 3 @ 270
The first half of the sets were hook grip, strapless.  Happy with that; I bought some tape today (finally) that should help going forward.  As in the past couple workouts, these were done in socks, and again the form truly felt great.

BB Row:  4 x 6 @ 170
I played with my head position quite a bit and found a huge difference by making some simple adjustments.  I put my log book and pen on a bench and pointed the pen toward me.  I focused on that pen tip every rep, and blamo - insanely good feeling form.  MAN WHAT A DIFFERENCE!  With this simple adjustment, this lift took on a whole new bit of importance in my mind.  FINALLY I felt the parts of my back firing that I've read about but never really experienced.  I get now why folks rave about this, and why Pendlay so heavily endorsed it.

Chins: BW+5 x 10, 5
The first set was 9+1+static hold for a 5 count at 90 degrees, and the second set was 4+static hold for a 5 count at 90 degrees+1.  Felt those reps in my bi's and lats for about 3 hours after I left the gym.

Great end to the week.
 
Day 21

5 min jog @ 6.9 mph

Standing Press: 4 x 6 @ 125
The last set was clustered 4-2.

Squats: 10 x 3 @ 270
Loved every minute.

I ran out of time for my max effort Bench sets - but I look forward to seeing how the triples go on Thursday.
 
Day 22

BW: 198

5 min jog @ 7.0 mph

Chins: 10 x 3 @ BW+25
I used that high bar again to ensure that I didn't have the opportunity to toe-touch.  Got all 10 sets in without an issue.  PROGRESS!

I had to take a break to take my daughter to school - then back to the gym........

Deads:  4 x 6 @ 260
Straps for the work sets - I forgot to put the stinkin tape in my bag.  Grrrr.

BB Row:  155 x 10, 8
The sets were 9+1, 7+1 RP.

Good stuff.
 
I like how you are going about this. I find 10x3's to be one of the most rewarding set/rep combos.
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Thanks Russ!  I agree - 10 x 3 is incredible for so very many reasons.  I have to thank YOU for laying out your original cycle.
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That said....

Day 23

A test in mental fortitude.

5 min jog @ 7.1 mph

Bench Press:  10 x 3 @ 220
Finally got through my 10 sets at the appropriate load.

Squats:  4 x 6 @ 250
I had to push like crazy to get through these sets.  I did, despite wanting to stop after the 2nd set.

Yes lads, it's happening.  My CNS is starting to complain a bit.  I just was not mentally focused at all today - partially because of a nasty job situation that may have me relocating to Memphis.  If so - I have to find a new gym - so you folks in the south may have to help me a bit.  Stay tuned.

Physically, I'm starting to hit walls - and that's OK.  I've grown DRAMATICALLY this cycle, and my body composition has changed noticeably.  I'll end the triples work after tomorrow's workout and proceed to singles work on Monday.  If the CNS is in full complaint mode during the singles work, I'll heed the warning and deload.  I'm still hoping for 2 weeks of singles and 2 weeks of heavy RP work (for a total of 10 weeks for the cycle), but time will tell.
 
Day 24 (sniff...
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5 min jog @ 7.1 mph

BB Row:  10 x 3 @ 190
Went pretty well, but sets 4 and 7 were actually 4 reps; I missed form-wise on the second rep of the set, so I extended it by one.

Chins:  4 x 6 @ BW + 15
The last rep of the last set was wicked.  I did these on my new favorite chinning bar, and it forced me to push through in a big way.  The pump was incredible.

I had no time nor energy for my deadlift sets.

So, sadly, this ends the triples portion of this cycle.  It's been 6+ weeks in the making with the triples rep scheme.  I'm gonna see how things go next week with the aforementioned singles work.  I'll alternate between push and pull lifts, limiting the number of lifts per day to 1.  We'll see how it goes.
 
Day 25

5 min jog @ 7.2 mph

Singles.  Let me explain how I'm approaching this...  In short, I'm looking for my current 1-rep max - NOT PR's.  In other words, I'm not looking for that load that takes me in excess of 10 seconds to complete the concentric part of a single rep to get to a certain number.  I'm then going to use these 1-rep numbers for max effort RP work.  Even with the smaller muscle groups, I'm limiting this to one lift per session.

Today went about how I expected it to go - meaning there is work to be done next cycle.  
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Standing Press: {95 x 6; 105 x 5; 115 x 4; 125 x 3}
135 x 1;
145 - miss;
140 x 1; **
145 - miss

Ok - 140 it is.  1 down, 5 to go.
 
Day 26

Deadlift: {140 x 10; 190 x 5; 230 x 3; 280 x 2}
320 x 1;
340 x 1 (strapped up here);
360 x 1;
370 x 1

Well, it's noticeably off my 425 PR, and that's pretty much what I expected.  Regardless - this process is giving me tremendous insight into what my next cycle needs to be, and that in and of itself is pretty exciting.
 
Day 27

Bench Press: {135 x 12; 165 x 8; 195 x 4; 215 x 2}
225 x 1;
235 x 1;
245 x 1;
255 x 1;
265 x 1;
275 miss

135 x 25

Well, being 10 off my PB isn't too bad.  I'll do my RP work at 265, and I think that's pretty darn good.  My goal remains a 300+ pound bench by the end of the year.  That last set of 25 was nothing but a test - I wanted to see how much I had left in the tank, even with a light weight.  I expected to get half the number of reps I did, and that makes me pretty happy; my endurance remains good.

Good week - I accomplished exactly what I wanted to, with the right amount of rest in between sessions.
 
THANKS BAX!!!!!

The week thus far has been nuts, hence the delay in getting the WO's going.

Day 28:

Midday fun...

BW: 200

Chins: {BW x 8; +15 x 5; +25 x 3}
BW + 35 x 1;
+45 x 1;
+50 x 1;
+55 x 1;
+60 x 1;
+65 x 1;
+70 miss

HIIT: elliptical, 3:00, :20 intervals
WOW. My cardio endurance is horrid.

The chinning effort was pretty good, if you look at it from the perspective of total weight chinned. I can't honestly be upset with a 265 single given the struggle I've had this cycle with regaining bicep strength. RP work promises to be insane. Cant' wait.
 
Yet again.

Well guys, I've had yet another cycle interruption that has forced me to end my current cycle.  It makes no sense for me to continue with the planned RP work, or the last two rep-max efforts (especially squats) as I can honestly say based on a mini-test that I did, my body has already started it's deconditioning with a now 7-day rest.

So - the last post ends 28 workout days of triples fun with a sprinkle of max-effort stuff in there.  
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This post presents the next cycle that I'm gonna do.  It's been in the planning stages since about the second week of my last cycle, and has been adjusted accordingly.  

Here we go (again)...
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(taken verbatim from my notes in my spreadsheet.....)
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Extended Diamond (another fun experiment with PAIN)

Here we go.  This likely will be a 12-15 week cycle, ripe for summer.  The rep schemes:

Diamond: 5-4-3-2-1-2-3-4-5
8 x 3
Time-based endurance x 2

Tabata HIIT will be a focus each week, as will assistance lifting and Oly lifting.

Hang Clean/Hang Snatch warmup: 2 x 5

Lifts (alternated weekly):

Push:
Squats/Front Squats/E: Hack Squat
Bench/Incline Bench/E: HS Bench; On Diamond set days, 2 heavy (1-rep + 30) sets of negatives will be added at the end of the diamond sets, plus a wind-down set.
Standing Press/Power (Squat) Clean/E: HS Shoulder Press

Pull:
Deads/Romanian Deads/E: SLDL
BB Row/T-Bar Row(non-machine)/E: Cable Row
CG Chin/SA Chin/E: NG Pulldown; On Diamond set days, 2 heavy (1-rep + 25) sets of negatives will be added at the end of the diamond sets, plus a wind-down set.

The hope is for a 5-day workout week, but that may not always be possible.  AT LEAST TWICE PER WEEK, a 4:00 Tabata session on the elliptical machine will be done.  The goal is for 5 days of Tabata work to be done.

Assistance work will be for abs, low back, biceps and triceps, and will be done whenever it makes sense to do so.

The diamond split load will vary by lift, and will range between 2.5 and 20 pounds.

For SA Chin work, rep count will not matter; if no reps can be done with BW, ramp up on a pulldown machine will be done.

CNS will be the determining factor for cycle end, not workout count nor week count.  Additionally, days on which full workouts cannot be completed due to time will defer to Oly/Tabata/assistance efforts.  The goal is 5 WO days, but the minimum to keep progress moving is 3.
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So - I'm gonna figure out starting loads and get going in the next day or two.  Should be fun.
 
Back - FINALLY

Day 1

Bench Press: 3 x 8 @ 170
I felt my very deconditioned shoulders for every rep of the warmup and first two work sets.  By the third set, everything felt smooth again.

Squats:  200 x 5; 210 x 4; 220 x 3; 230 x 2; 240 x 1; 230 x 2; 220 X 3; 210 x 4; 200 x 5
Strict ATG form after the single, and the bar kinda was all over the place between low and high positions.

HS Shoulder Press:  2 x 1:00 @ 60
The return of time-based endurance!  Oh hell yeah!  Set 1 was a crazy 37 reps, and set 2 was 20 reps.  Happy.

No time for Oly or Tabata work today - my body still isn't used to being awake in the 5:00 hour, so I abused the snooze button a bit.
 
False start, offense. Five yard penalty, replay the down.....

After Day 1, work got insane. Caloric intake went to less than half my usual training intake, and with the combination of less sleep, lack of nutrition, and STRESS, I've been nonstop tired.

I had amazing DOMS after that first workout... Loved it - looking forward to more!

I'm hoping to get at least one solid workout in before the weekend. Time will tell.
 
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