Fossil's Training Log

[Fossil]

Definitely leaning towards albuterol being a true ergogenic aid.

Jump Rope:
5 minutes

1-Arm DB OHP:
35 x 10 L/R
58 x 7 L/R

Very difficult. Placing this first was a strategic decision with the hope that I'd match or beat six reps.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 7

Hit true failure. Wasn't bad at all.
I tried for the eighth rep, it started to slow and I just sat back down. I think I was so cautious about this in the past because I used to do mostly 1-3 reps, with singles being my primary rep range (lol) and failure on a weight that's 95+ percent usually allows you to rebound, coast out of the hole and about halfway up you slow and fight it. If you fail, often times there's no controlling it, so the bar might be falling off you and you might be forced [thrown] backwards, so it's a bit of an ordeal.
I don't necessarily mean dangerous - although it can be of course - in my experience it's more of a gamble on your equipment, body and psyche versus failing with higher reps.

Pull-Up:
BW x [will edit this later - some moron locked the door to the fitness center with the pull-up bar...]

[Fossil]

Jump Rope:
5 minutes

1-Arm DB OHP:
35 x 10 L/R
58 x 8 L/R

This lift is the least amount of fun you can have resistance training.
Difficult, but did it.
Can't wait to do it all again.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 6

Left knee was hurting all day for some reason. Patella was tracking way off too; snapping and popping when I bent it. After I squatted, the mid-point hurt with just bodyweight squats...
As ridiculous as this sounds, I think it was because I pushed the incline walking too hard yesterday - used a different treadmill and went faster (to get it over with) and today the area under the kneecap / tendon was sore to the touch.
Never again. Nonsense reason to not hit reps.
To be completely honest though, the 7th rep would've been a grinder and I think going to complete failure on FS might be something I never do again.

Pull-Up:
BW x 8
BW x 4 [full grip]

Did the second set [forgive me Mentzer] to make up for missing these last session.
Full grip felt great and the plan is to eventually transition to that, but not before I can hit 10-12 BW reps with a thumbless grip.

Also, if you're reading this and wondering if I think "HIT" is "the answer," I don't, and it's not.
I was just at a point where I wanted a reset that let me push the intensity with as little work as possible, and I know this will run it's course but things are still feeling decent, knee thing aside.
Also, to my amazement, I seem to be "growing into" my bodyweight - scale stays the same but I am looking better each week. Some of that is probably making sure I hit 10k steps a day and eating 95% single-ingredient foods, which is basically how I see myself eating forever. Really enjoying it.
I'll do this until it stops working, but for now I'm accomplishing what I set out to accomplish.

[DanCR]

1-Arm DB OHP:
...
This lift is the least amount of fun you can have resistance training.

I raise you lunges.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 6

Left knee was hurting all day for some reason. Patella was tracking way off too; snapping and popping when I bent it. After I squatted, the mid-point hurt with just bodyweight squats...
As ridiculous as this sounds, I think it was because I pushed the incline walking too hard yesterday - used a different treadmill and went faster (to get it over with) and today the area under the kneecap / tendon was sore to the touch.
Never again. Nonsense reason to not hit reps.
To be completely honest though, the 7th rep would've been a grinder and I think going to complete failure on FS might be something I never do again.

Entirely fair. I've lately been a big proponent of failure, but there's plenty of shit one can do that with that isn't front squats, or, for that matter, nearly anything with a barbell. (Rows perhaps are one exception.) Obviously a different story for you personally with your limited repertoire of movements, but still, regularly missing reps with these movements is just asking for injury.

Pull-Up:
BW x 8
BW x 4 [full grip]

Did the second set [forgive me Mentzer] to make up for missing these last session.
Full grip felt great and the plan is to eventually transition to that, but not before I can hit 10-12 BW reps with a thumbless grip.

Also, if you're reading this and wondering if I think "HIT" is "the answer," I don't, and it's not.
I was just at a point where I wanted a reset that let me push the intensity with as little work as possible, and I know this will run it's course but things are still feeling decent, knee thing aside.

Yup. I've come to accept that - for hypertrophy - for a natural lifter the answer is both high intensity and high volume. It sucks. I'm not sure if that's a goal of yours, though.

Also, to my amazement, I seem to be "growing into" my bodyweight - scale stays the same but I am looking better each week. Some of that is probably making sure I hit 10k steps a day and eating 95% single-ingredient foods, which is basically how I see myself eating forever. Really enjoying it.
I'll do this until it stops working, but for now I'm accomplishing what I set out to accomplish.

Well I'm envious af.

I know that many folks hit 10K steps a day and therefore feel sorta silly asking this, but... fucking how? I get 5K steps a day, which takes me 50 minutes. Where are people getting double that - 1 hour and 40 minutes - every day, not even including additional time spent lifting weights?

[lheugh]

1-Arm DB OHP:
...
This lift is the least amount of fun you can have resistance training.

I raise you lunges.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 6

Left knee was hurting all day for some reason. Patella was tracking way off too; snapping and popping when I bent it. After I squatted, the mid-point hurt with just bodyweight squats...
As ridiculous as this sounds, I think it was because I pushed the incline walking too hard yesterday - used a different treadmill and went faster (to get it over with) and today the area under the kneecap / tendon was sore to the touch.
Never again. Nonsense reason to not hit reps.
To be completely honest though, the 7th rep would've been a grinder and I think going to complete failure on FS might be something I never do again.

Entirely fair. I've lately been a big proponent of failure, but there's plenty of shit one can do that with that isn't front squats, or, for that matter, nearly anything with a barbell. (Rows perhaps are one exception.) Obviously a different story for you personally with your limited repertoire of movements, but still, regularly missing reps with these movements is just asking for injury.

Pull-Up:
BW x 8
BW x 4 [full grip]

Did the second set [forgive me Mentzer] to make up for missing these last session.
Full grip felt great and the plan is to eventually transition to that, but not before I can hit 10-12 BW reps with a thumbless grip.

Also, if you're reading this and wondering if I think "HIT" is "the answer," I don't, and it's not.
I was just at a point where I wanted a reset that let me push the intensity with as little work as possible, and I know this will run it's course but things are still feeling decent, knee thing aside.

Yup. I've come to accept that - for hypertrophy - for a natural lifter the answer is both high intensity and high volume. It sucks. I'm not sure if that's a goal of yours, though.

Also, to my amazement, I seem to be "growing into" my bodyweight - scale stays the same but I am looking better each week. Some of that is probably making sure I hit 10k steps a day and eating 95% single-ingredient foods, which is basically how I see myself eating forever. Really enjoying it.
I'll do this until it stops working, but for now I'm accomplishing what I set out to accomplish.

Well I'm envious af.

I know that many folks hit 10K steps a day and therefore feel sorta silly asking this, but... fucking how? I get 5K steps a day, which takes me 50 minutes. Where are people getting double that - 1 hour and 40 minutes - every day, not even including additional time spent lifting weights?

In 1 hour and 40 minutes I tend to get to 20,000 steps.

[DanCR]

In 1 hour and 40 minutes I tend to get to 20,000 steps.

That makes even less sense to me. Your legs are the length of my entire body!

[lheugh]

In 1 hour and 40 minutes I tend to get to 20,000 steps.

That makes even less sense to me. Your legs are the length of my entire body!

I tend to walk faster when i'm accompanied by an even taller individual (6'8) to keep up. We tend to walk most nights.

[DanCR]

In 1 hour and 40 minutes I tend to get to 20,000 steps.

That makes even less sense to me. Your legs are the length of my entire body!

I tend to walk faster when i'm accompanied by an even taller individual (6'8) to keep up. We tend to walk most nights.

I’ll work on trading my girl in for a taller specimen.

[Fossil]

First off, I wanna say:
Fuck formatting. This is confusing lol.
Edit:
Formatting FIXED

1-Arm DB OHP:
...
This lift is the least amount of fun you can have resistance training.

I raise you lunges.

Valid.

quote=Fossil post_id=338285 time=1715749177 user_id=3508]
Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 6

Left knee was hurting all day for some reason. Patella was tracking way off too; snapping and popping when I bent it. After I squatted, the mid-point hurt with just bodyweight squats...
As ridiculous as this sounds, I think it was because I pushed the incline walking too hard yesterday - used a different treadmill and went faster (to get it over with) and today the area under the kneecap / tendon was sore to the touch.
Never again. Nonsense reason to not hit reps.
To be completely honest though, the 7th rep would've been a grinder and I think going to complete failure on FS might be something I never do again.


Entirely fair. I've lately been a big proponent of failure, but there's plenty of shit one can do that with that isn't front squats, or, for that matter, nearly anything with a barbell. (Rows perhaps are one exception.) Obviously a different story for you personally with your limited repertoire of movements, but still, regularly missing reps with these movements is just asking for injury.

Pull-Up:
BW x 8
BW x 4 [full grip]

Did the second set [forgive me Mentzer] to make up for missing these last session.
Full grip felt great and the plan is to eventually transition to that, but not before I can hit 10-12 BW reps with a thumbless grip.

Also, if you're reading this and wondering if I think "HIT" is "the answer," I don't, and it's not.
I was just at a point where I wanted a reset that let me push the intensity with as little work as possible, and I know this will run it's course but things are still feeling decent, knee thing aside.


Yup. I've come to accept that - for hypertrophy - for a natural lifter the answer is both high intensity and high volume. It sucks. I'm not sure if that's a goal of yours, though.

On most things I can gauge with a really, really high degree of accuracy if the next rep is going to happen and that's probably only because when I gained the most muscular body weight and strength the fastest, was when I did what a lot of folks did in the 2010s and that was max out daily on a few select movements. For almost a year I did that and I think it was mostly only possible because I'd always film the final "warm up" single and see how quickly it moved. That method, though tedious, kept my misses and injuries minimal. And lifting to 95% daily meant I couldn't eat enough if I'd wanted to lol. That was fun but in retrospect, a huge misuse of my time and energy and I would never repeat anything like that again for more than a few weeks.

Also, to my amazement, I seem to be "growing into" my bodyweight - scale stays the same but I am looking better each week. Some of that is probably making sure I hit 10k steps a day and eating 95% single-ingredient foods, which is basically how I see myself eating forever. Really enjoying it.
I'll do this until it stops working, but for now I'm accomplishing what I set out to accomplish.

Well I'm envious af.

This level of simplicity is really the only time I accomplish much of anything in terms of physical changes. It happened when I ran 50-in-20 for the first time, it happened again when I did the "heavy every day" thing, as mentioned above. The real denominator is that they all suck. A lot. Although this "eat like someone from 100 years ago" thing is really easy and enjoyable to me so that's new.

I know that many folks hit 10K steps a day and therefore feel sorta silly asking this, but... fucking how? I get 5K steps a day, which takes me 50 minutes. Where are people getting double that - 1 hour and 40 minutes - every day, not even including additional time spent lifting weights?

When I started tracking steps, it wasn't that difficult to build to 10k but my days would vary wildly because I work at a computer and really don't have to step away from my desk at all if I don't want to. Although, I have always been one to get up and pace around the office, walk to a store for lunch etc and that stuff pays off in dividends. Getting lunch with coworkers at the grocery store next door takes no more than fifteen minutes but adds upwards of 2000+ steps. My [intentional] coffee / breaks breaks and general milling around add 3-5k to that number so by the time I'm home I have 4+ hours to get the remaining 5-2k steps, which is usually hit as I lift. If I still need to hit my goal, I get on the treadmill but have made it a rule to do no more than one mile and it must be done in under 20 minutes, with the number closer to 17-18 most days. I can only walk on a treadmill if I can read lol so it's about the only time I can truly multitask.

[Fossil]

In 1 hour and 40 minutes I tend to get to 20,000 steps.

That makes even less sense to me. Your legs are the length of my entire body!

I tend to walk faster when i'm accompanied by an even taller individual (6'8) to keep up. We tend to walk most nights.

My childhood.
My father is 6'4.

[Fossil]

Probably didn't need to wait quite so long for the knee to feel 100% but figured I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Jump Rope:
5 minutes

1-Arm DB OHP:
35 x 10 L/R
59 x 5 L/R

You sort of have to "throw" the weight off of you otherwise every rep is going to feel like a max effort. I don't use leg drive and never really liked push pressing with a dumbbell but since gravity dictates all things involving our hobby, we must obey it's rules; your torso will invariably move away from the bell to accommodate the change in your CoG. This even happens on heels-together-military presses but it moves your entire body as oppose to just your torso.
When this lift stalls out, I might switch to 1-arm militaries just to really shore up the shoulder musculature and rotator cuff. That lift does absolute wonders for scapulohumeral rhythm. The only drawback - if you can even call it that - is you're forced to lighten the weight.
They're what I consider the pause squat of OHP variations since you can't really use momentum and if you mess up at all, you fail.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 5

Legs had no spring today. Waited too long between session but the knee was thankful. I'd rather be a little weaker today than injured for a few weeks.
Despite getting fewer reps, that top set felt more solid than anything I've done in a long time.
Both legs actively working in sync is honestly somewhat rare for me. My left shoulder mobility is improving steadily and that has helped a lot.
Which brings me to my next observation...

Pull-Up:
BW x 8

Used a full grip - last week after doing that second set with a full grip my left external rotators were extremely sore and I had a lot more RoM in the following days.
Will continue using this grip. Very glad it was my pulling muscles and not specifically my grip that ended the set. Major improvement there.

[Fossil]

Two pounds lighter today.
Felt great, despite being in a fairly bad mood over the last two days: traffic, work and neighbors...

Jump Rope:
5 minutes

1-Arm DB OHP:
35 x 10 L/R
59 x 6 L/R

I wanted to see just how much more difficult "rushing" the other hand would make the set, and as predicted, it was much more difficult than had I wanted 3+ minutes. I knew that of course, but I wanted to gauge the extent.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 7

Top set felt stronger and more stable than the last time I hit seven.
S L O O O O O W progress.
But a + is a + no matter the metric.

Symmetrical loading between my lower body has been a problem since forever, but not so anymore. Big win in that regard. Usually if I hammer any kind of squat for long enough, my right hip starts to hurt so bad I have to reset and I lose all progress.
A few years ago I was hitting 255lbs for singles a few times a week at the same bodyweight - 155 - 157lbs.

Pull-Up:
BW x 9

I have three other variations of each lift that can be used to make four different programs - all of which I am looking forward to trying - but until they are absolutely necessary, I'm not changing anything.

[DanCR]

Symmetrical loading between my lower body has been a problem since forever, but not so anymore. Big win in that regard. Usually if I hammer any kind of squat for long enough, my right hip starts to hurt so bad I have to reset and I lose all progress.

I recall this from the outset of your log. Huge that you’ve overcome it.

A few years ago I was hitting 255lbs for singles a few times a week at the same bodyweight - 155 - 157lbs.

I didn’t realize that you’re that light. Those lifts are really impressive.

[Fossil]

Symmetrical loading between my lower body has been a problem since forever, but not so anymore. Big win in that regard. Usually if I hammer any kind of squat for long enough, my right hip starts to hurt so bad I have to reset and I lose all progress.

I recall this from the outset of your log. Huge that you’ve overcome it.

It's directly related to the mobility of my left shoulder. It's why I gave up back squatting so long ago and why even front squats would eventually cause issues, albeit slower; the subtle "helicopter-ing" of a loaded bar isn't all that detrimental until about/over 1.5 times body weight, at least in my experience. With back squats it was my left IT band and with fronts, the inside of my right hip.

A few years ago I was hitting 255lbs for singles a few times a week at the same bodyweight - 155 - 157lbs.

I didn’t realize that you’re that light. Those lifts are really impressive.

Much appreciated.
You'd think I'd be *much* better at pull-ups lol.

[Fossil]

Had to go hunting for it, but I found it. Wanted to see what I was doing and what was working and not working. The "program" was 20 total reps for a lift, alternating each day with Two DB Clean & Press and Front Squats - absolutely nothing else.
It was definitely effective for a time, but there was no strategy and it didn't allow for any real recovery.
Here's a cross section from that time:

05-12-19

Front Squat:
Bar x 10

Front Squat:
135 x 1
165 x 1
195 x 1
225 x 1
245 x 1
255 x 3 singles
185 x 6
145 x 6

3 singles with 255 are a volume PR

That was the third front squat session within a week.
Numbers generally started to decline in the weeks after that, then I kept switching stuff to accommodate the hip pain and skirt around pushing myself, if I'm being honest.
Reps only work when you do.
At that point - and still yet - my FS 1RM was 275 at 153lbs.
I don't plan on re-testing my 1RM on that or any other lift for awhile but I think I'm in the right lane to finally make some substantive improvements.

[acorn93]

Strong stuff! I think a big front squat is really impressive

[Fossil]

Strong stuff! I think a big front squat is really impressive

Thank you. That was years ago; I just need to get back on that level...

[Fossil]

Jump Rope:
5 minutes

1-Arm DB OHP:
35 x 10 L/R
59 x 6 L/R

Noticed that when I press with my left hand, I stick my right arm out for balance but when I press with my right, I keep my left arm down. Sticking out the non-lifting arm makes the lift harder.
I gotta remember to not do that when I press with my left hand. Also got in the habit of setting my feet a tad bit too wide / rotated when all that does is force you to lean sideways and make the press out of the bottom more difficult. Another fix I need to remember.

Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 5

Disappointing session overall but as soon as I unracked the top set of front squats, I knew the "extracurricular activities" in the days prior had taken their toll. Might have grinded out a hideous sixth rep but I didn't see the point so I set the bar on the pins.
Set was technically very solid despite the wheel spinning.
Pretty interesting that for the first time in many years, my left vastus lateralus feels active / fatigued / "awake" - 100% can be attributed fixing the rotation in my squat. My inner right hip is also no longer chronically tight.


Pull-Up:
BW x 8

Could probably count that as nine but I wont.
Just wanted to see how different a slightly wider grip would feel and I found the answer: less good.

[Fossil]

Jump Rope:
5 minutes

1-Arm DB OHP:
35 x 10 L/R
59 x 4 L/R

There was a reason for this poor performance...

Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
200 x 5

There wasn't one for this...

Dead Hang Chin-Up:
BW x 5

/\/\/\
Something I had to change. I was using pull-ups to eventually [maybe] get to chins but after getting frustrated with my left shoulder gradually reverting to internal rotation I said fuck it and forced things into the position I wanted. Worked with front squats. Been using a tight fist in the rack position for quite a while now after what little external rotation pull-ups gave me allowed me to get a decent rack position and most importantly, no have to fight it.
I spent like an hour yesterday hanging from a pull-up bar with a supinated grip. I could feel stuff "unspooling" and it was extremely uncomfortable, it's something I've put off, disregarded and resigned myself to accepting for too long. The results immediately after are undeniable and my left shoulder moves like my right - I can't deny that kind of drastic before and after.
The position stuff has gotta take priority and as much as I don't want to do it, I think changing everything to be subjective to that goal is necessary. If only to get it done and hopefully move on with better mobility. Or at least "normal" mobility.

My infraspinatus - both sides - are really sore. The left side is sore to the touch. Long time coming.

[Fossil]

Jump Rope:
5 Minutes

Pause Front Squat:
135 x 5
155 x 3
185 x 5
205 x 3
185 x 5

These, along with any other pause lifts, are done with a "two Mississippi" count.

EDIT:
DanCR caught a typo on my part lol.
It has been corrected.

[DanCR]

Jump Rope:
5 Minutes

Pause Front Squat:
135 x 5
165 x 3
185 x 5
205 x 5
185 x 5

These, along with any other pause lifts, are done with a "two Mississippi" count.

Am I reading right that you threw in a two-count pause and added weight for the same reps that you were getting sans pause?