HELTH !

[mbasic]

6-9-2023. Fri

--SEAT'D CHST SPPT ROW--
222.5 x 8 x 4....4's.i.
superset with
--CALF RAISE: 325*12*4
(repeat row weight nx wk)

--NG LAT PULL DOWN, FRONT--
175*8*4
3's.i.

--ONE ARM SEATED X CABLE ROW--
145*10*3
3'

--DUAL FRREMOTION CABLE LAT FLY-
something *10*3

--STANDING HAMMER DB CURL--
20*12
30*12*5
This doesn't hurt my rt. bicep that bad....

[mbasic]

6-10-2023

--CONV. DL--
315*3*2
365*1
390*1
410*1
370*5
meh...back doesn't feel fresh, so stopped DLing

--RDL--
295*8*2

--WALKING DB LUNGES--
55*8*3
Pretty fucken wasted on 3rd set, will repeat 2 or 3 times.

--HBBS--
95*10
135*10
165*10
...still "rehabbing" knee
No fucking energy

Super tired after this, sleepy.
Nap 10-1pm. Weird.

Sunbathed 25 min each side around 2pm

===============

6PM

--DECLINE SITUPS--
20,20
20 but had to swing arms hard last 2
8 spent

--TORSO TWIST MACH--
170*15*3

--THE GAY ASS AB CRUNCH MACH--
120*20
140*17,15

--STANDING LOADED SIDE BEND--
90*15*3

Super tired again, went to bed early

[mbasic]

6-11-2023. Sun

Ass and hams are pretty sore. Front of legs barely sore (oddly).

--INCLINE PRESS--
135*8,*5; 185*5*2; 210*3; 215*1
230*8
225*6*4
4's.i.

--SEAT'D DB OHP: 50's*10*5
↑super set with↓
--SEAT'D CALF: various*15*5
3's.i.

--PEC FLY MACHINE: ∅
This hurts my fucken bicep

--MATX PLT LOADED BP MACH--
180*12*2; 180*10*2
3's.i.

--SEAT'D EZB FRENCH PRESS?--
80*8*3
3's.i.

--CABLE SIDE DELT LAT RAISE --
green machine
17?*12,12,10,10

--STAND'G ROPE CABLE TRI PD--
50*12*3

[mbasic]

6-12-2023

CARDIO DAY !

forty ONE! minutes on the elliptical.
Its like the wise old man said: "Just add sixty seconds from last workout ....progressive overload".
Incline was 45 to 35 ; Level 10-12
HR started of around 120; finished 132 or so.
I have worked out every day nonstop (weights, cardio, or both) for 26 days in a row!

Speaking of cardio, I really HATE the gerbil wheel machines in the gym.
I absolutely HATE slow jogging. Bothers my knees. ( I like sprint workouts, but don't think HIIT stuff is optimal right now)
Walking around the house doesn't do enough, unless its inclined (say hiking up hills in the desert).
I think I'm going to try something weird: drag a small tire behind me with a rope/belt harness while I walk the dog.
....at the soccer complex, there's this long fine granite/dirt walk/running path that loops around the perimeter.

People might say: "weighted vest". I think a vest is lame for this application .... on flat ground, just walking.
IMO, its just going to make your traps tired, and maybe add to joint stress/pain/wear and tear.
A different story if say weighted vest + walking up an incline (and never stepping DOWN)....I'd sign off on that.

--------------------------------------------------------

Other notes: I have been trying to eat more protein and clean up the diet a bit of late.
Shooting for 40-50g protein per meal x 4 meals per day (200g P); whereas before maybe only 30-40g P per meal.
And it seems .... this just winds up being simply more food one way or another.
So I have these huge bowel movements every morning .... daily it seems like what used
to be a "two day-er". Routinely clog the toilet at work.
Probably eating more fiber now than ever I guess.

[DCR]

I have worked out every day nonstop (weights, cardio, or both) for 26 days in a row!

Not doing this is half my problem. At some point last year a friend and I agreed we’d do some form of cardio every day and confirm with each other. It didn’t last a week. I make every fat guy excuse (gotta recover from yesterday’s lifting, like I went full Mentzer, and as if I don’t know the cardio actually would help with that). I just fucking hate cardio and, while I do walk at least 5K steps each day, that’s not a lot and doesn’t do shit, and I don’t have time to spend another hour on it (I get around 1K steps per 10 mins walking).

Speaking of cardio, I really HATE the gerbil wheel machines in the gym.
I absolutely HATE slow jogging. Bothers my knees. ( I like sprint workouts, but don't think HIIT stuff is optimal right now)
Walking around the house doesn't do enough, unless its inclined (say hiking up hills in the desert).
I think I'm going to try something weird: drag a small tire behind me with a rope/belt harness while I walk the dog.
....at the soccer complex, there's this long fine granite/dirt walk/running path that loops around the perimeter.

Yeah. I also need an out of the box solution. I’ve been eyeing barbell complexes, which some internet folks swear by, but I’ve never seen/heard a single person do them or recommend them in real life.

Other notes: I have been trying to eat more protein and clean up the diet a bit of late.
Shooting for 40-50g protein per meal x 4 meals per day (200g P); whereas before maybe only 30-40g P per meal.
And it seems .... this just winds up being simply more food one way or another.
So I have these huge bowel movements every morning .... daily it seems like what used
to be a "two day-er". Routinely clog the toilet at work.
Probably eating more fiber now than ever I guess.

Same. If I eat enough to get that much protein, I take at least four or so shits in the morning, usually beginning around 3:30am. Alternatively, if I try to get the protein from supplements in order to stuff my face less… same result because my stomach hates the stuff.

[asdf]

Yeah. I also need an out of the box solution. I’ve been eyeing barbell complexes, which some internet folks swear by, but I’ve never seen/heard a single person do them or recommend them in real life.

I often do complexes, how about circuits with movements and loads that allow you work with few breaks for extended periods of time?

[DCR]

Yeah. I also need an out of the box solution. I’ve been eyeing barbell complexes, which some internet folks swear by, but I’ve never seen/heard a single person do them or recommend them in real life.

I often do complexes

Please excuse all the questions:

- Do you do them for recomp / fat loss as I’d like to do? Or something else?
- Where do you program them? As a finisher, or on “off” days?
- Is there a sequence or two that you particularly like? One thing that’s made me hesitant is that I have no ability to do a proper catch after cleaning, which seems to pop up in 95% of the suggested sequences.

how about circuits with movements and loads that allow you work with few breaks for extended periods of time?

Also have been considering bodyweight circuits, which I’ve done in the past to amazing effect. I’m not sure what’s mentally kept me from getting into them again.

[mbasic]

I have worked out every day nonstop (weights, cardio, or both) for 26 days in a row!

Not doing this is half my problem. At some point last year a friend and I agreed we’d do some form of cardio every day and confirm with each other. It didn’t last a week. I make every fat guy excuse (gotta recover from yesterday’s lifting, like I went full Mentzer, and as if I don’t know the cardio actually would help with that). I just fucking hate cardio and, while I do walk at least 5K steps each day, that’s not a lot and doesn’t do shit, and I don’t have time to spend another hour on it (I get around 1K steps per 10 mins walking).

Yeah. I also need an out of the box solution. I’ve been eyeing barbell complexes, which some internet folks swear by, but I’ve never seen/heard a single person do them or recommend them in real life.

[ADHD RAMBLESTREAM]

Well .... I don't think cardio has to be every day. But if you mean some significant physical activity everyday (cardio OR lift OR 10K steps)....then yes.


From my research, the "cardio", in my mind for my purposes, has to be:

1- at least 30 min / maybe an hour every now and then
2- "zone 2"/LISS (can converse with someone, but slightly interrupted speaking due to breathing)
3- constant consistent movement
4- none of above should hard enough to really interfere with a strength workout the following day.
5- don't do the cardio the same day and those body parts you just strength trained that same day.

#3 would exclude a lot of things, barbell complexes, HIIT, yard work, and stuff....sadly, maybe even hiking, as going up some steep ass shit is really hard at time, going down a slight easy grade is ..... too easy.

Another problem is, a lot of the stuff you can do this way is all "leg based" crap: treadmills, walking, jogging, cycling, etc.
Then, you have a "leg day" or "squat day" twice a week typically; conflicts with rule #5.

The only other thing that really uses you arms is the elliptical, an arm bike machine, or swimming ?....maybe a C2 rower or an ERG skiier thingy?
I believe to get the vascular angiogenesis benefits, and the mitochondrial benefits, you actually have to use the actual target muscle involved in the cardio. That said, I think leg based stuff is far over-prescribed .... some joint overuse there and what not. What about your whole upperbody and core stuff.

So in my Broscientist opinion ... the elliptical is handy this way (fullbody)....and I really grab the arm-levers up high so I get a long ROM with the arms. Swimming would kill me (would violate rules 1,2, and 4). Don't have access to a C2 right now.

Airbike at slow pace would be good I guess. Now that I think about it, my old airdyne has a set of stationary pegs for your feet to idle....So I guess I could try that for an "arm only cardio". Your torso ungulates a bit and has to absorb the force of the arms so the core is involved a bit too.

fuck .... I can paddleboard ...like race the wife down the river or across the lake. (only on weekend ...likely one day only/week). That's even better upper upper body cardio that the stupid C2 Rower: zero legs, but a lot more active core stuff, and obvs a lot of arms. You can row backwards to hit pushing muscles ....i've done it.

Thanks for making me brain storm DCR ....lolz

[/ADHD RAMBLESTREAM]

[asdf]

Please excuse all the questions

I don't mind the questions at all. I started a new thread to not muck up mbasic's log.

viewtopic.php?t=4620

[mbasic]

6-14-2023

--DEADLIFT --
135*5*2; 225*5*2; ,315*3*2
365*1 ezpz
Then, believe or not, tweaked low back (left side) bending over to put chalk on hands. Could feel it for sure. Set up for a test with 365 again...yep, back tweaked. Fuk

--STEP UP TO BOX--
try just BW....right leg x10,
left left pisses off back
so ∅

I actually think I tweaked this yesterday doing back&biceps, now that I think about it ....I could barely feel something doing bent over delt flys. Thought it was a weird pump.

--BFR LEG EXTENSION --
100*30,12
80*15
70*12
60*15
30' rests

took bands off for a bit

--BFR LYING LEG CURL --
75-40# *24-12r * 4s
30' rests

BFR off

--BAD GIRL MACH--
170*10*5
90sec rests

So fucken pissed off now

[DCR]

It’s going around.

I actually think I tweaked this yesterday doing back&biceps, now that I think about it ....I could barely feel something doing bent over delt flys. Thought it was a weird pump.

See this kind of shit and several of my experiences (not the most recent, but others) make me want to go ridiculous bodybuilder, as in no momentum ever, no body english ever, everything paused, etc. Problem is that level of neurosis carries over into everything, get all panic attacky anytime anyone asks you to help move something / engage in any sporting activity or physical hobby / etc. Turns one into the physical activity version of the diet obsessed douche who pushes the bread basket away at a group dinner and tells everyone why while wiping his flop sweat.

[mbasic]

It’s going around.

I actually think I tweaked this yesterday doing back&biceps, now that I think about it ....I could barely feel something doing bent over delt flys. Thought it was a weird pump.

See this kind of shit and several of my experiences (not the most recent, but others) make me want to go ridiculous bodybuilder, as in no momentum ever, no body english ever, everything paused, etc. Problem is that level of neurosis carries over into everything, get all panic attacky anytime anyone asks you to help move something / engage in any sporting activity or physical hobby / etc. Turns one into the physical activity version of the diet obsessed douche who pushes the bread basket away at a group dinner and tells everyone why while wiping his flop sweat.

yeah, I hear ya. I get pissed because strength training (as opposed to put bodybuilder stuff) is supposed to make our backs more immune to injury and tweaks, and it would SEEM that sometimes folks like us fall into a trap where they are beating themselves up, in the gym, more than what would happen otherwise in just day to day life ....

.....then I have to remember when I went thru a long period of no-training in my mid to late twenties. I tweaked my back at work (car mechanic), I was laid up for 3 days to where I could BARELY move. 1-1/2 days was pretty much "bedridden". 2 weeks was BARELY functioning at all. I missed like 1 week of work! Its was 4 months before back to normal. Nothing has happened anything close to that^ experience for 25 years, and especially since I've been deadlifting. TL;DR: I get these tweaks these days, but they are really minor annoyances ... and heal quickly.

I don't want to be like Rip .... or better yet, My friend's (from high school) dad who lifted/competed in PL. He has some masters National records at the time.... That dude was a mess. Was always leaning on things, breathing hard .... arms permanently fixed in the typically over-pronated gorilla posture. Consantly complaining of ailments (from years of lifting).

[DCR]

TL;DR: I get these tweaks these days, but they are really minor annoyances ... and heal quickly.

You’re right. I’m just pissed. Mornings have been awful and I’m convinced that this fucking stupid mattress paid that my girlfriend loves is making it worse. I’m gonna be back in NY the next three weeks on my hard(er) bed and I swear if my back suddenly gets materially better I’m gonna come back down here and light that pad on fire.

[Hardartery]

It’s going around.

I actually think I tweaked this yesterday doing back&biceps, now that I think about it ....I could barely feel something doing bent over delt flys. Thought it was a weird pump.

See this kind of shit and several of my experiences (not the most recent, but others) make me want to go ridiculous bodybuilder, as in no momentum ever, no body english ever, everything paused, etc. Problem is that level of neurosis carries over into everything, get all panic attacky anytime anyone asks you to help move something / engage in any sporting activity or physical hobby / etc. Turns one into the physical activity version of the diet obsessed douche who pushes the bread basket away at a group dinner and tells everyone why while wiping his flop sweat.

yeah, I hear ya. I get pissed because strength training (as opposed to put bodybuilder stuff) is supposed to make our backs more immune to injury and tweaks, and it would SEEM that sometimes folks like us fall into a trap where they are beating themselves up, in the gym, more than what would happen otherwise in just day to day life ....

.....then I have to remember when I went thru a long period of no-training in my mid to late twenties. I tweaked my back at work (car mechanic), I was laid up for 3 days to where I could BARELY move. 1-1/2 days was pretty much "bedridden". 2 weeks was BARELY functioning at all. I missed like 1 week of work! Its was 4 months before back to normal. Nothing has happened anything close to that^ experience for 25 years, and especially since I've been deadlifting. TL;DR: I get these tweaks these days, but they are really minor annoyances ... and heal quickly.

I don't want to be like Rip .... or better yet, My friend's (from high school) dad who lifted/competed in PL. He has some masters National records at the time.... That dude was a mess. Was always leaning on things, breathing hard .... arms permanently fixed in the typically over-pronated gorilla posture. Consantly complaining of ailments (from years of lifting).

The thing that put me off of PL was the general broken down condition of the PLers. I like the training, I like the idea, I am not interested in being that broken. I think it is the total avoidance of cardio and stretching combined with terrible diets. These days they seem to be getting away from that at least somewhat and realizing that you CAN get stronger without slowly killing yourself. They were all positive that they would sacrifice their gains if they actually worried about general health. The older I get, the more important that flexibility stuff gets as I don't have the buffer that youth provides for abuse.

[mbasic]

The thing that put me off of PL was the general broken down condition of the PLers. I like the training, I like the idea, I am not interested in being that broken. I think it is the total avoidance of cardio and stretching combined with terrible diets. These days they seem to be getting away from that at least somewhat and realizing that you CAN get stronger without slowly killing yourself. They were all positive that they would sacrifice their gains if they actually worried about general health. The older I get, the more important that flexibility stuff gets as I don't have the buffer that youth provides for abuse.

What even worse is you have a certain set of people ( rhymes with Farting Length ), who pretty much that train like powerlifters (the outdated ineffective way spoken in the above) ...but aren't even powerlifters in any way.

[mbasic]

6-16-2023 Thurs

--PWR CLN + OHP--
190(1+6)*1*2
190(1+5) failed 6th ohp
..first sign of The Weakening??
165(1+6)*1*2
4's.i.
...seems craxy to power clean with a injured back, but
tried it out with light weights first, and put extra effort into not
jerking it off the floor. AND, this aint al ot of weight bro

--INCLINE DB PRESS--
80*8*4
3' s.i.
Great success!!! Last week it was 8,8,8,7.

And I did those last two extra backoff OHP sets.
So now IDK what happened on OHP, meh

--LTE--
35+5+grn bar *8,8,7
3's.i.
I went up 5# from last week, didn't get 3x8, but this is an improvement in my eyes.

--MATRIX PLT.LOADED FLAT BP--
180*12,10,8
wasted now

--MATRX SEATD MACH DELT RAISE--
I didn't want to do lat raises standing cuz my back.
70*15
80*15, 13
1:30 rests, machine timer

--STANDARD TRICEP CABLE PUSHDOWN --
60*15
70*12*2

might have rushed things a bit at the end, cuz my wife was waiting on me.

NOTES:

Yeah, the OHP failure? IDK, maybe I got some out of spec plates this week, or last week (light).
DB presses and LTEs went really well. I keep exact track of rest times and everything.
Who knows. Maybe I was "timid" because of my back issues...you flex and extend your back quite a bit(even tho I do these "strict" and upright).
The powercleans definately felt zippier because I didn't do deads yesterday, or any serious leg work at all.
Only up side to all this, I can now rotate my leg-day and my GPP/cardio day around to where I can PwrCln on fresher legs.

As far as the TRT "withdrawal" stuff, I'm into the 3rd or 4th week now. I get sleepy much easier in the afternoons. Sleep isn't as good either. Yep, my sex drive has completely tanked; which wasn't a problem at all before TRT....was always horny.
Hopefully I just get back to my normal pre-trt self. I'm guessing I'm extra-extra-low-T right now of course.
It will be interesting to see how the wife reacts to all this. Every since we've been together, I've had the high libido of the two of us for sure.... hopefully this is temporary. She probably accuse me of cheating .... but she does know what's going on with the therapy, and the obvs implications of going off.

I'm not depressed per se, but I just don't really give a fuck about anything one way or another, and before, that fact made me ... "sad"?.
But now it seems: I just don't care about not caring about anything. Just totally "bleh" about everything.
Stuff goes wrong at my business, and I don't freak out like before .....we'll see how long this lasts or if things change.
I might just be "mental" ....

Body weight is the same; maybe have lost 1 pound over the last 2-3 weeks doubling down on the cardio

I'm going to fast and pull a blood panel on Monday; I'm curious as to my lipids and other shit....and well as T, E2, LH, FSH.
I did get into a urologist finally, nice lady that stuck her finger up my butt.
She says my prostrate is fine. Gave me a letter/note to give to the clinic saying I'm fine. That blood panel I did on my
own shows my PSA went back down (she reviewed that) ....
....but now that I'm into a 3 week break, I think I'll ride it out and see what happens...for SCIENCE !!!

[mbasic]

6-16-2023. Fri PM

CARDIO 35 min
Elliptical

================

6-17-2023. Sat am

--SEAT'D CHST SPPT ROW--
225 x 8 x 4....4's.i.
superset with
--CALF RAISE: 325*13*4
4's.i.

--MATRIX MACH LAT PULLDOWN --
190*8*4
superset with
--SEATED CALF RAISE: 150*10*4
3's.i.

--FACE PULLS WITH ROPE--
#13 height
70*15*3
2's.i. aprx

--DUAL FRREMOTION CABLE LAT FLY-
kneeling
17#*13
20#*12*3

--REAR DELT FLY MACH--
120*8 toasted evidently
100*12,10

--STANDING HAMMER DB CURL--
25*10
35*8*3

--SHOULDER EXTENDED CABLE CURL
20*15*3


==================

6-18-2023. Sun am

CARDIO: Hiking on Silly Mountain
51 minutes

PM
It was so HARD getting up for this mentally. I felt so tired and lazy. Had to force myself.
...babying my low back still....and my knee. Lol

--HACK SQUAT MACHINE --
empty sled *10r *3s;
empty sled *15r *3s
...idk wut to say. These are really fucking hard if you do full ROM, feet close together, and doN'T do a sumo squat.

--WALKING DB LUNGES--
40*5 @fuck me
45*8r * 3s

--LEG EXTENSION --
80*20*3
1:30 rests

[mbasic]

6-19-2023. Mon.

--INCLINE PRESS--
230*8@9
230*8@10.0!!!
225*5
225*5
4's.i.
I guess this progress from last week....2 sets of 8

--SEATED DB OHP--
55*10,10,10,8
3's.i.

--PLATE LOADED VERT.BP MACH--
140*10*2
145*10*2
3' s.i.

--CABLE OH TRICEP EXT W/ROPE--
80*10
85*8@10
80*8,7
2's.i.

--CABLE LATERIAL RAISE--
30*12*3

--STANDARD CABLE TRICEP PD--
70*15,12,10

-----------------------------

PM CARDIO

INCLINED TREADMILL
35Min
speed 2.7
Incline 10
HR was 115-132

Same thing as last time. I did not wmt to do this at all. It was almost like ....anxiety .

Also, I had some weird dizzy spells about 1 hr after the lifting session.

It was May 17th the last time I had a rest day ...of no lifting and/or cardio

[DCR]

--HACK SQUAT MACHINE --
empty sled *10r *3s;
empty sled *15r *3s
...idk wut to say. These are really fucking hard if you do full ROM, feet close together, and doN'T do a sumo squat.

My experience with these machines always is that the first time seems weird and hard as fuck, but your strength on them blows up stupid fast over the next few sessions. It’s almost like your body takes a beat to realize it doesn’t need to protect the lower back, etc. and then gives your legs permission to go batshit. I made that up but pretty convinced of it.

[mbasic]

--HACK SQUAT MACHINE --
empty sled *10r *3s;
empty sled *15r *3s
...idk wut to say. These are really fucking hard if you do full ROM, feet close together, and doN'T do a sumo squat.

My experience with these machines always is that the first time seems weird and hard as fuck, but your strength on them blows up stupid fast over the next few sessions. It’s almost like your body takes a beat to realize it doesn’t need to protect the lower back, etc. and then gives your legs permission to go batshit. I made that up but pretty convinced of it.

I agree. My quads were a little sore for 24-48 hr after. I have been doing leg extensions regularly; but not hack squat machine. I have done 2 & "half" plates per side for tens before, with my feet fairly low on the push plate (quad/knee dominant hack squat). There is no way my 'quads'/knee extensors are THIS weak or "atrophied".

For me, the initial sets of the hack squat machine, my knees feel like they are going to explode....not pain, but I can sense the stress/load there, and that coupled with what you are saying above, plus your muscles are not just warmed up ... it just seems insurmountable when your first get on the machine. This effect, if one was a total noob to strength training (or even a little experienced), you would total say "fuck that, that's bad for your knees like Rip et al say" and would never touch it again.

Another funny thing: I've been consuming a lot of Mike Isretael videos lately. He uses the hack squat in a lot of "mind to muscle" explanations/examples, or 'analog' stories .... how the 2nd and 3rd is always 'better' than the 1st, because "you get your technique dialed in". I laughed at that: "technique" esp. on the hack squat machine ....cuz you are locked in to whatever the machine will allow you to do. But after the other day, I was eating crow a bit now as I remember all this ...

====================================

6-20-2023 Tues Abs/Calves

--STRAIGHT LEG CALF RAISES --
220*15
300*10
340*10
345*10*2
3' start intervals

--SEAT'D CALF RAISE--
140*12*3

--AB CRUNCH MACH--
75*15
100*15,15,10(f11)
3's.i.

--LYING LEG RAISES--
#15*15*3

Note: Just did a little heavier weights than normal with a little bit lower of a rep range.
This was done in the late afternoon/early evening, after making the week's dog food, laundry, dishes, etc.
This was the first time, in a long time, day I was not 'sleepy', tired, and unmotivated going into the gym this late in the day.