Platypus lifts/reads

[SeanHerbison]

All these people doing their new years resolutions, I suppose. Hopefully they quit.

That's the spirit.

[platypus]

1/1/17

Bodyweight work:
Hammer chins (1,2,3)x3
Pushups 15x4

Notes
- Still sick. With the exception of bootcamp, I have never intentionally done cardio while sick. Or at all, really. But I'm planning to do some low intensity cardio tomorrow even if I'm not recovered. I don't have anything serious, just a cold and a bit of a fever.
- Reading HIT the Mike Mentzer Way right now. Mentzer had a really good physique, judging by the photos. And was completely off his rocker, judging by the text.

[SeanHerbison]

- Reading HIT the Mike Mentzer Way right now. Mentzer had a really good physique, judging by the photos. And was completely off his rocker, judging by the text.

That applies to a lot of pro bodybuilders*. Here, take a look at Tom Platz's "Ballistic Quiz", especially his answers to #3 and #8.

* Well, maybe not the good physique part, what with the ubiquitous turtle shell abs nowadays.

[platypus]

1/3/17

Cardio
Went for a brisk walk this morning, fasted. 10 minutes in I realized that the inside of my house was warm and dry, and contained Kleenex. Suddenly, my priorities shifted. 10 minutes later I was back home.

Bodyweight work
Hammer chins (1,2,3)x3
Pushups 15x4

Lifting
Press 127.5x5x2, 127.5x7


Chins 10x7, bwx6

Deadlift 335x6


Notes:
- Put on flats, ditched the belt, focused on my form, and played it conservative. Deadlift was infinitely better.
- I've worn that shirt twice and it already has a hole in the armpit. I can either throw it away to cut off the sleeves and go for a painfully bad highschool football look.
- These last couple weeks I've experienced the first real progress on my upperbody strength since taking myself through a linear progression in 2016. I've pressed a bit more weight using the 3.0 form on the Texas Method when I did SSOC last year, but my five rep PR with the 1.0 was 125lbs until just recently. And the 225lb bench a couple weeks ago was a 20lb PR. For chins the best I've done was 17.5x7 or maybe 8, so I'll be passing that up soon, too. I'm really, really stoked. My 205lb bench, 125x5 press, and 17.5x7 chin-ups were all set in 2016. I did PR squats (+70lbs), deads (+20lbs), and press 3.0s (+20lbs) in 2017 though so it wasn't a waste, just not as good as I should've made it.
- I need to figure out how to combine my lifts into one video the way some of you guys do it. What app does that?

- Reading HIT the Mike Mentzer Way right now. Mentzer had a really good physique, judging by the photos. And was completely off his rocker, judging by the text.

That applies to a lot of pro bodybuilders*. Here, take a look at Tom Platz's "Ballistic Quiz", especially his answers to #3 and #8.

* Well, maybe not the good physique part, what with the ubiquitous turtle shell abs nowadays.

I got a 70.

A few months ago I posted a video on the SS forums of an interview with Konstantin Konstantinovs. He talked about the importance of bloodletting, and how the phases of the moon affect training, amongst other equally bizarre statements. It's humbling to know that I am far outlifted and outsized by people who believe this sort of thing. There's actual retarded people in the special olympics lifting more than me so clearly a lack of knowledge isn't why I'm not a monster yet.

[SeanHerbison]

- I've worn that shirt twice and it already has a hole in the armpit. I can either throw it away to cut off the sleeves and go for a painfully bad highschool football look.

Option 3: ignore it and wear it anyway.

- I need to figure out how to combine my lifts into one video the way some of you guys do it. What app does that?

I use DaVinci Resolve, which is easy enough for basic editing/combining, though there are definitely simpler options.

[platypus]

1/4/17

Hammer chins (1,2,3)x3
Pushups 15x4

Notes:
- Still sick, but all hopped up on mucinex so I felt somewhat better
- Started The Search for the Giant Squid. The title says it all, really. Nonfiction.

[platypus]

1/5/17

Bodyweight work
Hammer chins (1,2,3)x3
Pushups 15x4

Lifting
Bench 182.5x5x2, 187.5x10


Curl 62.5x13, 55x12

Squat 325x5x2, 325x6


Notes:
- The fever must've gotten to my brain, because I was pretty much incapable of thinking during this workout. Misloaded the bar for my first two sets of bench, and miscounted my last set of squats. Thought I did four so when I watched the video and saw six, I was pleased. That's a really pathetic looking miss though.
- I turn 21 on Sunday. I still can't do 21 chinups. So I'll be losing that bet, and will have to eat a lb of sugar free gummy bears. I wondered why my buddy wanted to make the bet for the sugar free kind, so I googled it. Apparently eating sugar free gummy bears = several hours on the toilet.
- I quit doing BJJ. There was some drama in the club I didn't want to become a part of. Now I need to find a new martial art to fill the hole in my life.
- Forgot to mention this earlier, but I got a piano keyboard and I'm learning to play with the joytunes app. Very pleased with the app and the keyboard so far.

[Wilhelm]

Have fun with your new musical endeavor.
Tell your friend he's a big meanie head.

Your bench reps look great.

[SeanHerbison]

- Forgot to mention this earlier, but I got a piano keyboard and I'm learning to play with the joytunes app. Very pleased with the app and the keyboard so far.

Huh. I've got a midi keyboard and have been considering getting (back) into playing a bit. I'll look into that app.

[platypus]

1/6/17 Saturday

Hammer chins (1,2,3)x3
Pushups 15x24

Notes:
- Back in good health.

- Forgot to mention this earlier, but I got a piano keyboard and I'm learning to play with the joytunes app. Very pleased with the app and the keyboard so far.

Huh. I've got a midi keyboard and have been considering getting (back) into playing a bit. I'll look into that app.

I really like it. It teaches everything: where to put your hands, which finger to use to press a key, and it detects if you're playing the right notes.

[platypus]

1/8/17 Monday

Cardio
45 mins fasted walking

Bodyweight work
Hammer chins (1,2,3)x3
Pushups 15x4

Lifting
Incline press 115x5x2, 115x11


Chin 12.5x4, bwx4

Squat 330x5x2, 330x7


Notes
- Feeling out my technique on incline press. I expect to make rapid progress on these as I get the movement down.
- I don't understand recovery at all. I completely bombed chinups, but managed +5lbs and +1 rep on squats.
- In an unfortunate turn of events, I have taken a break from my giant squid book to read Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl: Wide-Eyed Wonder in God's Spoken Word. Judging by the cover, it's pop spirituality by an evangelical protestant. The sort of thing that I mentally file as "do not read", along with Twilight and Cosmopolitan. My girlfriend gave it to me for my birthday. I gave her Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and she actually read it, so common courtesy calls for me to read this one for her.
- Squatted in flats again today. I think I'll stop bothering with weightlifting shoes, at least for the time being.

[peez]

- I quit doing BJJ. There was some drama in the club I didn't want to become a part of. Now I need to find a new martial art to fill the hole in my life.

If you have a judo club in the area, why not give it a try? All the clubs I've been to attract an even-keeled, low-drama crowd. And it may complement your BJJ skills rather well.

[platypus]

1/9/17

Hammer chins (1,2,3)x3
Pushups 15x5

If you have a judo club in the area, why not give it a try? All the clubs I've been to attract an even-keeled, low-drama crowd. And it may complement your BJJ skills rather well.

There is a judo club, and I'll definitely give it a shot. Thanks, peez.

[platypus]

1/10/18 Tuesday

Cardio
45 mins fasted walking
1 mile run - 8:23

Bodyweight work
Chins (1,2,3)x3
Pushups 15x5

Lifting
Press 130x5x2, 130x7


EZ curl 65x13, 55x8

Deadlift 340x8


Notes:
- First time running a mile in almost two years. I've had an ongoing contest with a buddy of mine since freshman year of highschool to see who could run a mile the fastest. When we graduated my best was 6:27 and his was 6:26. He recently ran a sub-six minute mile. I have my work cut out for me.
- I really didn't think that 7th rep of presses was going to go up, but my layback was on point today.
- Deadlifts went well, too. Still building my way up to a real rep max while maintaing solid form.
- Got some new Chuck Taylors as my Vans have too many holes. The Chucks fit great, although I definitely shouldn't have gotten the high tops. The extra 20 seconds spent putting on my shoes could be put to much better use.

[platypus]

1/11/17

Bench 185x7 video
Squat 315x9 video

> I signed up for 12 weeks of online coaching with John Sheaffer (used to be the nutrition guy for the SS forums, runs Greyskull Barbell). Today began three days of testing my ability on various exercises, then next week the actual training begins. I'm pretty stoked. I've been using programming and diet from his books since I started this log and things have gone well so far.
In addition to my results on the physical tests, I'm supposed to send him a detailed breakdown of my goals. This one is tough because my goals are sort of a vague "get stronger and more jacked." So I'll be thinking about specifics for the next couple days.
> I'm done embedding videos in the log unless they're particularly interesting. I'll continue to include links, but embedding the video was making the log cluttered and hard to follow. On an unrelated note, youtube is now detecting the background music in my vids and banning them from some countries due to copyright concerns. There is no hope for the world.
> Another embarrassing miss on squats today. Watching myself just kinda set it down on the pins without a struggle makes me realize I need to really work on my intestinal fortitude if I want to make intensity-based training work.

[Wilhelm]

Nice, @platypus!

You've been working hard, and this seems like a good next step.

Best success to you!

[platypus]

Thanks @Wilhelm! You're the one who's really been crushing it lately. We're tied on squats now, and I wouldn't be surprised if you beat me to 405.

[SeanHerbison]

> I'm done embedding videos in the log unless they're particularly interesting.

Personally, I prefer them embedded in logs rather than as links, but that's just me.

On an unrelated note, youtube is now detecting the background music in my vids and banning them from some countries due to copyright concerns.

Yeah, I've had to deal with that too, and it gets really annoying. The purpose of copyright is to protect the artists' monetary interests. So how does it being in the background of a lifting video hurt that?

"Ah yeah, I could go listen to Disturbed's new album on their channel, where I can hear the song clearly, but instead I'm going to go watch this dude lift so I can listen to 25 seconds where the song is garbled in the background."

Yeah, makes total sense.

[platypus]

1/12/18

Max dead hang chin-ups - 7 reps
Max pushups in 2 minutes - 23 reps
Max situps in 2 minutes - 36 reps

> Day 2 of testing my abilities on assorted exercise tasks. Abysmally low numbers for a 21 year old male, but that will change soon.
> I just started eating almonds. They're delicious! I don't know why I had never eaten an almond before.
> It now says "mammal?" under my username. Very interesting...

Personally, I prefer them embedded in logs rather than as links, but that's just me.

I'll return to embedded video for maximum entertainment value then. When I need to reference something I look at my paper log anyway.

[platypus]

1/13/18

Deadlift 405x1, 425xF (several attempts)


Max burpees in five minutes - 45

> I pulled a very doable 415lb deadlift a few weeks ago, and I definitely have not gotten weaker since then. So now I'm trying to figure out where I went wrong today. 425 should've been easy. It might be the lack of practice on heavy singles. 415 was the last one I did, and that was after several weeks of pulling a somewhat heavy single each week. It's also possible that I'm just not fully recovered from deadlifting wednesday and squatting thursday.
In either case, I know that I'll definitely need to peak for my spring meet. I can't just walk in and expect to PR my 1rm.
> JP mentioned that his usual strategy for training people is to find out what they hate and make them do a bunch of it. I'll have to pull a Brer Rabbit and convince him I love burpees.
>These were the goals I listed for the upcoming twelve weeks:

• Squat 340x8, overhead press 150x8, and deadlift 405x8

• Be able to do 40 pushups and 15 chin-ups

• Grow a bigger upperbody, especially shoulders and back

• Take my waist down from 39" to 35"