Finished Cycle 5

Cycle 5 was a recovery cycle. I was getting over a back injury acquired while squatting or overhead pressing.

The injury is not 100% recovered, but I feel strong enough that I'm able to squat and press again with nearly what I was lifting before the injury.

The final Overhead Press workout today came out to:
145lb x 1s x 5r (a new PR)
120lb x 5s x 10r (another PR)

It seems insane that my BBB (big but boring) set is approaching 80% of my heavy work set.

Lifted and Ran. Good day.

Bench Workout:
190 x 1s x 10r
160 x 5s x 10r

Run: 2 miles, 18:42

Running was a bit tough due to soreness, but as always left me feeling great afterword.
Lifting felt phenomenal. Weights were all flying up.

Goodnight!

If it ain't one thing . . . it's O'reilly Media

Finally had some free time today and I thought I would donate it to the 300$ online Python class I signed up for with O'Reilly Media.
Unfortunately, while the O'Reilly books are great, their online Python instruction is exactly the opposite.
Ellipse, their online version of Eclipse, is buggy at every turn.
Many of the examples provided in the text do not work.

Especially frustrating is that rather than fix these examples the staff told me "Yeah, there are some known issues with the examples. Just don't spend too much time on them if they don't work."

Rather then give out this caveat, WHY AREN'T THE EXAMPLES FIXED? The examples are on a webpage, it's just basic HTML to fix them!

While I always felt the books were a bargain, O'Reilly's online Python class is leaving me felt like I've been swindled.

Super Wendesday

Today is both squatting and running.

Wendler writes in the 531 book that there's no reason you can't do this. Your squat may initially go down, but Wendler claims you'll build up the endurance to eventually handle both fine.

Ran 2 miles in 18:40 this morning. While it's a personal record for me (at least past 3 year personal record), 18:40 still fails to meet even the minimal standards for the Army. I'm happy for the progress, but there remains a long way to go.

The squat workout tonight will look something like:

B SQUAT:
275 x 1s x 5r
200 x 5s x 10r

Bicep Curl: 100 x 6s x 5r (up to 8 sets if it's feeling easy)

Lower Back Extensions: 10 x 5s x 15r

111 Posts . . .

111 posts into this f*cker and I still haven't deadlifted 500lbs.

This is mainly because I've been detracted and keep pursuing other objectives, whether they be career, academic, or other fitness goals.

Doing squats tomorrow night, a solid step in the right direction toward a 500lb deadlift.

Also running in the morning.

Running does nothing to advance me toward my deadlift, probably acts as an impediment due to opportunity cost.
However, my mood is elevated the whole day after I run. In addition, there's something to be said for having a ticker that won't run crap-out before my 60th birthday.

27 April 2011

Ran 2 miles this morning.
Been running 2 miles most mornings for awhile.

Was very sore when I started out this morning (did squats two days ago, ran last 2 days), actually turned back around to quit.
Then as I turned back I asked myself "How badly do you want it?"

So I ran the 2 miles afterall.

Lifting tonight!
Gonna be OHP'ing 155.

"Ain't nothin' in the world more expensive than free."

"Ain't nothin' in the world more expensive than free."

Good OHP Day

OHP'd 150 for 3 reps.

Back when I was heavier and used a belt the highest I managed was 150 x 5 x 5. (Or was it 3x5?)

Regardless, it feels good to be approaching my old records lighter and beltless. Will be a big day when I pass them.

Bench weights have been LOW since I introduced the pause. I actually haven't benched over 200 in months now.

Going to Start Eating Greens

1) Making it a priority, starting with my first meal, to eat greens regularly. Going to make a cabbage salad tomorrow for lunch.

2) Finally beginning to recover from back injury. Recuperation squats are getting easier. Wherewas 175 x 5s x 10r was tough a week ago, 185 x 5s x 10r was easy today.

big feat by someone with big feet

Did my first pullup yesterday in what's going on a year.
It's a start.
:)

Benched today.
Got 160 x 11 with the new power-lifting pause on each rep.
That pause makes all the difference.

Think my max, with regular form, still probably about 245.
I look forward to testing in a bit and finding out.

Also been either running or kettlebelling every day for the past few days.
Think it's helping.

Trying to unfuck my life

Trying to unfuck my life.
It's a truly daunting affair.

At times like this I'm truly thankful for lifting. It's one thing that I can control. That i can progress with.

Running

Talking to the recruiter it has become obvious I need to start running.
The ultimate goal is to run 2 miles in 13 minutes.
This will require some pretty radical changes.
But, I believe it is doable.

I'm going to approach running the in a manner similar to my 531 lifting approach.
Slow steps, and even slow progress, but that progress will be consistent and long term.

So, ran 1.0 mile today in 9:56.
Going to run 1.0 mile everyday, always under 10 minutes, unless it's a Squat or DL day.

After a week or two I'll move it down to 9 minutes. Then 8 minutes. Etc. And once I'm at 7 minutes, I'll start upping the distance.

Slow and steady, slow and steady.

Completed 2nd cycle of 531

This past week:
OHP'd 135 x 8, a new record.
Squatted (without belt) 325 x 4.


Building up my squat, beltless, while losing weight is a challenge. Much more so than building up my squat while fat and belted.

I also concluded my second cycle of Wendler's 531. I like the system, especially for me at this point in my training.

Focus

Read a great article on leangains.com.

Takeaways:

1) Need to keep doing what I'm doing even if weight loss progress slows for a week or two. Water retention can do funny stuff.

2) Need to become OBSESSED with Java.

04 Feb 2011 Recap

(Couple days late).

First week of second cycle of Wendler's 5/3/1.
Today was Bench day.
Workout looked like this.

Goals:
150 x 5
175 x 5
195 x amrap
BBB: 160 x 5s x 10r


Hit all the weights, ended up getting 195 x 9.
I'm happy with these #'s for now. I'm more happy that my lifts continue to climb while my weight drops.


The lift I did was actually a mistake though. To arrive at my #'s I just added 5lbs to every lift I was doing at this point in the last cycle. A few of the lifts may have been off by a few lb's.

My next workout, squat day, cycle 2, week 1, will be (based on a 340 max)

What's your max?340
5 reps * 220.0
5 reps * 255.0
All out reps * 290.0 (Haven't done 290 before, no record to break)
5 sets * 10 reps at 187.5 (2.5lb increase from last time):

Update

Haven't written for awhile.
Since last writing I've:


1) Completed the first "cycle" of Wendler's 5/3/1. (I like it. Wendler is a genius).

2) Lost a bit more weight while continuing to have lifts go up. (Was at 280.1 this past weekend). (Total weight loss = 24lbs).

Week 2 Wendler 5/3/1

Did Week 2, Day 1, of Wendler's 5/3/1 today.
I f'd up and accidentally put in the numbers for week 1 instead of 2 so my workout was a bit off. Instead of doing sets of 3 at a higher weight, I was doing sets of 5 at the same weight as last week. Good news is I was able to get more weight/reps.
On the AMRAP set I got 6 reps as opposed to last weeks 5.
On BBB (Big But Boring) I did 5 sets of 10 reps of deadlift at 225 instead of 200.

Deadlifting 225 is a stupidly light weight, but 50 reps will still make itself felt.

Instead of bicep curls I used Kroc rows as the accessory exercise. They were fantastic at revealing how weak my upper back is. Managed 5 sets of 15 reps at 45lbs. Goal is 5 sets of 20 reps with 100lbs. Deadline for this goal: 5 months, 19 June 2011.

Today's workout was.

Week 2, day 2, deadlift day, 18 Jan 2010
Goals:
260 x 5
300 x 5
340 x amrap
BBB: 225 X 5s x 10r
Accessory: Kroc Rows

135 x 5 @ 8:30
225 x 5 @ 8:39
(1) 260 x 5 @ 8:44 (double-overhand and easy)
(2) 300 x 5 @ 8:52 (got it, no sweat)
FUCK!!!! JUST REALIZED I AM DOING WEEK 1 WORKOUT INSTEAD OF WEEK 2!!! PUNCHED IN WRONG NUMBERS AT HOUSE. WILL HAVE TO COMPENSATE BY UPPING THE NUMBERS. WILL MAKE BBB 225 INATEAD OF 200, SHOOT FOR 6+ REPS ON FINAL SET @ 340.
(3) 340 X 6 @ 9:01 (NICE! Improvement from last week. But also possible that this bar is just less slippery than bar at aquatic center).
****************************
BBB:
(1) 225 x 10 @ 9:06
(2) 225 x 10 @ 9:12 (first rep felt so light and came up so easy that I had to stop and confirm it was really 225).
(3) 225 x 10 @ 9:17
(4) 225 x 10 @ 9:24
(5) 225 x 10 @ 9:32

Kroc Rows:
(1) 45 x 15 (obviously both arms)(forgot to record time)
(2) 45 x 15 @ 9:46
(3) 45 x 15 @ 9:51
(4) 45 x 15 @ 9:55 (had to cheat on last 3 reps)
(5) 45 x 15 @ 10:00

Fin

First Week on 5/3/1

The first week on Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 went well.
The weights look pretty light on paper, but didn't seem quite that light in real life. I may have even over-estimated a bit seeing as how on some of the max out sets I was only able to get 5 reps.
First week ended up looking like this:

09 Jan 2011 Sunday (OH PRESS DAY)
goals:
105 x 5
120 x 5
135 x max reps
5s x 10r @ 60lbs

Bar x 5 @ 2:55
(1) 105 x 5 @ 2:58
(2) 120 x 5 @ 3:04
(3) 135 x 5 @ 3:12 (f#ck!! Maybe I overestimated my 1RM).

(4) 60 x 10 @ 3:19
(5) 60 x 10 @ 3:23
(6) 60 x 10 @ 3:29
(7) 60 x 10 @ 3:33
(8) 60 x 10 @ 3:38

(1) Pushup x 5 @ 3:46
(2) Pushup x 10 @ 3:50
(3) Pushup x 10 @ 3:54
(4) Pushup x 10 @ 4:00
(5) Pushup x 10 @ 4:03

NFin







11 Jan 2011 Tuesday
DEADLIFT

Max = 400
65% = 260
75% = 300
85% = 340

MAIN LIFT
Deadlift:
135 x 5 @ 3:25
225 x 5 @ 3:28
(1) 260 x 5 @ 3:31
(2) 300 x 5 @ 3:39
(3) 340 x 6 @ 3:51

BIG BUT BORING:
(1) 200 x 10 @ 4:01
(2) 200 x 10 @ 4:06
(3) 200 x 10 @ 4:10
(4) 200 x 10 @ 4:18
(5) 200 x 10 @ 4:24

Fin


14 Januray 2011 Bench Day
Goals:
145 x 5
170 x 5
190 x arap

Bbb:
125 x 5s x 10r
**************************
Bench main lifts
Bar x 7 @ 7:05
135 x 5 @ 7:08
(1) 145 x 5 @ 7:12
(2) 170 x 5 @ 7:17
(3) 190 x 9 @ 7:24
(Bench BBB)
(1) 115 x 10 @ 7:28
(2) 115 x 10 @ 7:32
(3) 115 x 10 @ 7:36
(4) 115 x 10 @ 7:40
(5) 115 x 10 @ 7:46

(Pushups. 2nd accessory lift).
(1) 10 @ 7:51
(2) 10 @ 7:54
(3) 10 @ 7:58
(4) 10 @ 8:02
(5) 10 @ 8:08

Fin


15 Jan 2011 squats
Goals:
225 x 5
260 x 5
300 x amrap
175 x 5s x 10r
******************************
Bar x 5 @ 11:17 (felt tight, did not get deep)
135 x 5 @ 11:20
(1) 225 x 5 @ 11:25
(2) 260 x 5 @ 11:31 (no problem getting below depth on this set).
(3) 300 x 5 @ 11:41 (did not have a 6th rep in the tank. Might have over-estimated max).

(BBB accessory)

(1) 175 x 10 @ 11:48
(2) 175 x 10 @ 11:53
(3) 175 x 10 @ 11:59
(4) 175 x 10 @ 12:05
(5) 175 x 10 @ 12:11

5 minute kettlebell swing w/ 44lb'er:
80 swings

wrote a Wendler program

Wrote a Wendler 5/3/1 program to calculate your numebrs.

I like Wendler's program so far.

The Diet and the Meal

So I'm doing a diet right now inspired by 4HB.

Idea is to eat strictly slow-carbs 6 days/week, then eat whatever you want on the 7th.

Current vision of a perfect meal is:

1/2 can refried beans: carbs: 33 protein: 11 calories: 175

2 ggs: carbs: 4 protein: 34 fat: 28
1 chicken breast: carbs: 0 protein: 23 calories: 123 fat: 0

frozen spinach:
onions: 0 0 0
guacamole: 30 10 fat: 50
red pepper (if available): 0 0 0 0
-----------------------------------------------------------
67 88 78


The recipe:
-chop 1/3 onion and, optional, chop 1 red peppar
-heat olive oil in pan to medium temp
-add onions and chopped peppar to pan
-cook 4 minutes
-add thawed chopped chicken breast and 1/2 can refried beans
-cook 2 minutes
-add 2 eggs and 1 small bowl of frozen spinach
-cook 2 minutes
-put contents in bowl
-add liberal amount of guacamole

total prep time: ~14 minutes