alek’s log

[alek]

You did the math correctly, and the fatigue is personal. However, I have seen Hanley say that he thinks the formula has limitations as the intensity increases, and I would tend to agree with that. To me 1@8 doesn't feel that bad. Historical I would target my working sets at 375-450 plus the heavy single. Again, volume and the ability to recover are personal. This is just my experience.

Thanks for the input. With just starting to use the hnfm prescriptively, I'm sure it's going to take a bit of time to figure it out. And I'm also sure it'll be different for different lifts. Recently, my H day on bench has been 500+, yet I feel like I could bench again the next day--historically, I've never carried much fatigue from bench day-to-day. However, going from about 16 reps (hnfm = 164) to 24 reps (hnfm = 247) on the volume squat, I can feel a little fatigue carried over in my quads. And like you, that top single @8 doesn't really contribute systemically to any kind of fatigue for me either. Sure, it's "hard" because it's 1@8, but it's pretty easy to recover from it quickly.

Yeah, the curve goes haywire over 90%.

I (personally) wouldn't taper much at all. I'd probably make my last "real session" 96-120 hours out. Then maybe 72 hours of light stuff before the meet. For "light stuff" I really like super snappy sets in the 40-50% range

Since this will be my first meet, I was looking for a plan I could implement more than anything. I'm sure I'll tweak that plan as I get closer, especially since I'm not feeling chronically fatigued during regular training.

Thanks again, gentlemen, for the feedback!

[alek]

3/2/22 Wednesday [Training 25] C2W1D2
Deadlift
405 x 1
425 x 1 @ 9
315 x 4 @ 6,6,6, 6,6,6
Hnfm = 281

Comp bench
225 x 1 @ 7,7,7, 7,7,7.5, 7.5,7.5,7.5, 7.5

Dips
Bw x 8,8,8, 8,4,4

Barbell curls
65 x 8,8,8

sRPE
6

Notes
This session went fine. Widened my stance on deadlift a bit; felt fine. It's hard not to look back at videos pre-Covid, wondering why I'm not as strong as I was then. It's fine. This is fine.

Bench felt good.

[alek]

3/4/22 Friday [Training 26] C2W1D3
Barbell curls
65 x 8,8,8, 8

Ssb
330 x 1 @ 7.5; e1rm = 363
245 x 4 @ 6,6,6, 6,6,6, 6,6,6, 6
Hnfm = 374

Tng bench
200 x 3 @ 6,6,6, 6,6,6
Hnfm = 387

Deficit deadlift
365 x 1 @ 8; e1rm = 396
275 x 6 @ 6,6,6, 6
Hnfm = 257

sRPE
6

Notes
When I calculated how many reps it would take to get near an hnfm of 375 for ssb, I said to myself there's no way I'm doing ten sets of four. Shut up, self.

Bench was easy; gonna add 5 pounds next week.

[alek]

3/7/22 Monday [Training 27] C2W2D1
Barbell curls
65 x 8,8,8, 8

Comp squat
380 x 1 @ 9; misgroove
285 x 4 @ 6,6,6, 7
285 x 3 @ 6,7
Hnfm = 245

Tng bench
185 x 5,5,5, 5,5,5, 5
Hnfm = 464

Neutral grip Pullups
Bw x 4,4,4, 4,4,4

sRPE
7

Notes
Tired. We took the two small monsters, I mean children, camping this past weekend. If you ever go to Dahlonega, GA to the gold museum, you can see a small cubby/space/whatever that they keep dark. When you shine a flashlight on the bricks, you can see gold flecks in the brick. Camping with two small children is kind of like gold flecks in shit.

Misgrooved the top single on squat, and I was just fatigued during the volume. Bench was fine; did it without a belt. I normally put my belt on whenever I bench [math]\geq[/math] 185. First time doing the neutral grip pullups in a while. They started out really easy, but by the 5th and 6th set, they were pretty hard. Did I mention I'm tired?

[augeleven]

Camping with two small children is kind of like gold flecks in shit.

Can confirm. I’m hopeful for this season though - mine are 6 and 8.

This analogy wins

[alek]

Camping with two small children is kind of like gold flecks in shit.

Can confirm. I’m hopeful for this season though - mine are 6 and 8.

This analogy wins

Good luck...

Mine are 4 and 6; it was our first trip with both kids. Our last camping trip was when my wife was 8 months pregnant with the second kid. They really like sleeping in the tent and doing campfires in the backyard. We thought, "Oh, it's time we try a true camping trip." Oh. Boy.

[augeleven]

We’ve gone at least a couple times a year since forever. Our first camping trip with with kids was with a 9 month old - she slept in her car seat in the tent.

We stayed for a week in a provincial park north of Toronto when they were 1 and 3 - that broke me. Things I’ve learned:
1) it’s easier to go in bigger groups, especially if they have kids too
2) it’s worth the extra money for the more tame, RV-park, playground and swimming equipped, KOA style campgrounds. Kids have no appreciation for national forests and wilderness areas.
3) A kid’s plastic bucket is the multi tool of toys. Infinite uses
4) a 4 year old is gonna play in the dirt. And get really really really dirty. This is no less stupid than leaving your perfectly functional house to sleep in a nylon box. Lighten up (I’m talking to younger me at the provincial park here)
4a) Let the kids do what they want (obviously within reason). If they have fun camping younger, there is a better chance you have that partner for an Aconcagua or Denali summit when they’re older. The mud baths are an investment in a possible thru hiking partner

[alek]

We’ve gone at least a couple times a year since forever. Our first camping trip with with kids was with a 9 month old - she slept in her car seat in the tent.

We stayed for a week in a provincial park north of Toronto when they were 1 and 3 - that broke me. Things I’ve learned:
1) it’s easier to go in bigger groups, especially if they have kids too
2) it’s worth the extra money for the more tame, RV-park, playground and swimming equipped, KOA style campgrounds. Kids have no appreciation for national forests and wilderness areas.
3) A kid’s plastic bucket is the multi tool of toys. Infinite uses
4) a 4 year old is gonna play in the dirt. And get really really really dirty. This is no less stupid than leaving your perfectly functional house to sleep in a nylon box. Lighten up (I’m talking to younger me at the provincial park here)
4a) Let the kids do what they want (obviously within reason). If they have fun camping younger, there is a better chance you have that partner for an Aconcagua or Denali summit when they’re older. The mud baths are an investment in a possible thru hiking partner

Thanks for the tips. As much as the weekend was not relaxing nor really enjoyable, we’re already talking about going somewhere else in the fall—daddy don’t camp in the heat. We also bought a State Park Pass that gives us two free nights at any state park. Talulah Gorge State Park seems really nice, and my wife and I would really like to go there.

We—my wife and I—are used to backpack camping more than car camping, but I ain’t backpacking with small kids.

Things that went well:
1) Cooking - we bought a simple, single burner butane stove—Gas One GS-3000—for hurricanes and shit, but it also doubles really well as a camp stove. Like it was just awesome. It holds a can of butane inside, and you can fit a ~12 inch pot/pan on the burner. It also gets super hot—it boiled a liter of water in a kettle super quick.

We brought one of our regular kitchen non-stick pans to cook, which worked well for cooking sausage and eggs for breakfast. Coffee was great in a GSI Java Drip pour over. We had Mountain House/Similar for dinner one night.

2) The second campfire - the first night, I tried to make a fire in the ring at the site, and it was just awful. I’m not saying I’m an expert or anything, but I usually can get something going. Both my wife and I had trouble really getting it going, even with kiln dried firewood. I think it was because the wall of the ring was too high. The second night, I piled a bunch of pine cones into the ring before putting the firewood in, and presto, much better fire.

3) Our tent/sleep system - We have an REI half-dome 4 person tent. With all the backyard camping we’ve done, we’ve got a good system down for that, and it went really well at the park.

4) Hiking - even for being little, the kids are good at traipsing/hiking around. We kinda do it a lot though. They do a decent job of behaving while having a good time. My son was constantly trying to pick up the tiny fiddler crabs near the marsh, barking in pain/fright when they’d pinch him. It was great.

If you ask them, the kids say they had a great time, and both were disappointed that we weren’t staying longer. I guess I should just chug a beer every hour or take some a bunch of Xanax.

[EricK]

Come for the good looks, stay for the wisdom. We'd like to go camping at some point but the little one isn't even 2 yet...

[augeleven]

I took my eldest on a couple of backpacking overnighters when she was around 1-3. Changing a diaper in the wilderness is infinitely easier than getting your 6 year old daughter to pee in the woods.

[alek]

Come for the good looks, stay for the wisdom. We'd like to go camping at some point but the little one isn't even 2 yet...

Yes, auge is quite handsome and smart. A real keeper if you ask me.

One smart decision we made was to camp close to home for the first trip in case of “emergencies”. Well, on night one, I had to go back to the house to pick up some stuff before bed. I walked in, saying, “I miss you, House.”

[alek]

I took my eldest on a couple of backpacking overnighters when she was around 1-3. Changing a diaper in the wilderness is infinitely easier than getting your 6 year old daughter to pee in the woods.

I know you know this, but there’s something magical about having only one kid to take care of. During the camping trip, when the younger one went to bed, the older was so much more helpful, calm, and behaved. So taking one child on a backpacking trip I could see doing, but two? Nope.

[broseph]

I took my eldest on a couple of backpacking overnighters when she was around 1-3. Changing a diaper in the wilderness is infinitely easier than getting your 6 year old daughter to pee in the woods.

I know you know this, but there’s something magical about having only one kid to take care of. During the camping trip, when the younger one went to bed, the older was so much more helpful, calm, and behaved. So taking one child on a backpacking trip I could see doing, but two? Nope.

Can confirm. It’s like how locusts get triggered into plague frenzy when the population density gets high enough.

But with kids, they frenzy when the population density = 2.

[alek]

I took my eldest on a couple of backpacking overnighters when she was around 1-3. Changing a diaper in the wilderness is infinitely easier than getting your 6 year old daughter to pee in the woods.

I know you know this, but there’s something magical about having only one kid to take care of. During the camping trip, when the younger one went to bed, the older was so much more helpful, calm, and behaved. So taking one child on a backpacking trip I could see doing, but two? Nope.

Can confirm. It’s like how locusts get triggered into plague frenzy when the population density gets high enough.

But with kids, they frenzy when the population density = 2.

Lord help you if you tell them they’re about to go someplace exciting. Then it’s a super frenzy.

[alek]

3/9/22 Wednesday [Training 28] C2W2D2
Barbell curls
65 x 10,8,8, 8

Deadlift
405 x 1
425 x 1 @ 7
445 x 1 @ 10
365 x 3 @ 7,7,7
320 x 4 @ 6,6,6, 6
Hnfm = 412

Comp bench
225 x 1 @ 7
235 x 1 @ 8?
245 x 1 @ 8.5?
255 x 1 @ 9?
260 x 1 @ 10
265 x 0
225 x 1

Dips
Bw x 3
Bw + 30 x 3
Bw + 40 x 3
Bw + 50 x 3,3,3

sRPE
6

Notes
Incorporating the heavy triples into my deadlift programming after the single(s). They were easy today. Will bump up by 5 pounds next week.

Bench was feeling really good, so I thought about pushing for a pr. The singles at 235, 245, and 255 went up much easier than I expected, so I loaded up 260. As you can see from the video below, the pause probably wasn’t long enough for a competition, but it still moved really well. Even for a touch and go rep, that’s only 5 pounds off my lifetime pr. After it, I went for 265, deliberately pausing a good bit, and it got almost half way up. 275 might actually happen at the meet. #holyshit

[alek]

3/11/22 Friday [Training 29] C2W2D3
Leg press
Sled + 360 x 5,5,5, 5,5,5, 5,5

Tng
205 x 3 @ 6,6,6, 6.5,6.5,6.5
[math] HNFM = \displaystyle \frac{18}{\left( 1 - \frac{205}{260} \right)^2 } = 402 [/math]

Rdl
185 x 8,8,8, 8

Dips
Bw x 7,7,7, 7,7,7

Assisted Neutral Grip Pullups
-40 x 10 @ left elbow pain

sRPE
6

Notes
Lotsa back fatigue from Wednesday. Was pretty sure I wasn't going to be able to do SSB as I was warming up with just the bar. A plate on each side was uncomfortable, and a plate and a 25 was a no-go. That's why I usually do conventional deadlift on Friday--I have two days to recover. I'm going to tweak the heavy triples on Wednesday--may go to three doubles or something--until I can do more than the easy 4's @6 while not interfering with Friday's workout.

I'm going to just go back to regular pullup grip; the neutral grip is really messing with my left elbow connective tissue. That's probably why I hadn't done them in forever...

[JohnHelton]

What do you use to generate the LaTeX code?

[alek]

What do you use to generate the LaTeX code?

I think there's a thread or topic around here somewhere that went into it a bit, but to generate the LaTeX, you can typeset in between

Code: Select all

[math]

and

Code: Select all

[/math]

What I typed to generate the code in that post is

Code: Select all

[math] HNFM = \displaystyle \frac{18}{ \left( 1 - \frac{205}{260} \right)^2 } = 402 [/math]

In the full editor, there's also the 'equation' tag that does the same thing while centering whatever you typeset.

I've been using LaTeX for roughly 18 years for writing papers and classroom stuff. I love it. It's pretty excrutiating--well that's a little dramatic--for me when I must use Word/Powerpoint or some other desktop publishing software.

[JohnHelton]

Yeah. I thought your job had probably equipped you. I will continue to type my equations like a layman.

[alek]

3/14/22 Monday [Training 30] C2W3D1
Alt db curls
30’s x 10,10,10

Comp squat
315 x 1
335 x 1
355 x 1
380 x 1 @ 8
285 x 4 @ 6,6,6, 6
[math]HNFM = \displaystyle \frac{4}{\left( 1 - \frac{315 + 335 + 355 + 380}{4 \cdot 412} \right)^2} + \frac{16}{\left( 1 - \frac{285}{412} \right)^2} = 157 + 168 = 325 [/math]

Tng
185 x 5,5,5, 5,5,5, 5
[math]HNFM = \displaystyle \frac{35}{\left( 1 - \frac{185}{260} \right)^2} = 421[/math]

Pullups
Bw x 2
Bw + 15 x 1
Bw + 30 x 1 @ 8
Bw + 15 x 4,4,4

sRPE
6

Notes
With just counting the reps at 285 in the fatigue metric, 168 just doesn't feel right. So I took the average of the singles above the volume weight and plugged that into the fatigue metric, yielding 157 from those four singles alone. The sum, 325, certainly feels more accurate in terms of the fatigue accumulated. For your nerding.

Happy pi day!