veggiesasquatch Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 If you still need it let me know... This is something I read once which helped me stop destroying myself each session: quote from Charlie Francis. “A body under recovery will always seek homeostasis. So it is always better to undertrain than to overtrain. You will still supercompensate, but not to the degree. Once you overtrain, your body will plummet and fight to retain a balance. Smaller CNS demands over a longer period of time result in more acceptance and greater improvement. While the rush to get more done leads to uncertainty down the road.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 If you still need it let me know... This is something I read once which helped me stop destroying myself each session: quote from Charlie Francis. “A body under recovery will always seek homeostasis. So it is always better to undertrain than to overtrain. You will still supercompensate, but not to the degree. Once you overtrain, your body will plummet and fight to retain a balance. Smaller CNS demands over a longer period of time result in more acceptance and greater improvement. While the rush to get more done leads to uncertainty down the road.” I actually got a copy last night and I'm about to start reading through it in a bit. And that's a great quote - I think I'm going to write it down and put it on the front my next notebook log since I'm going to start a fresh one just for 5/3/1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 I forgot to post this (written on Saturday): 02.10.12 Work Out Day/No QvC: Bummer City Friday was one of those days when, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t keep my PMA. A laundry list of small annoyances occurred, none of which should have, but did, end up affecting my performance in the gym, chiefly the fact that I forgot my pre-work out food and I woke up feeling weak, fluffy, and unmotivated. As such, I’ve opted to take today – Saturday – and tomorrow – Sunday – off completely and just hit harder than ever on Monday. This is probably a good choice seeing as for the past four weeks I’ve been doing a “2 day on, 1 day off, 3 day on, 1 day off, repeat” so I probably haven’t been giving myself nearly enough recovery time and I’d really like to get the most out of my last four weeks of PHAT without killing myself in the process. With that said, here are my – terrible – numbers from Friday. Clean and press 8x45 Jump squats 8x45 Notes: Both of the previous were additional warm-ups to try and shake the shitty feelings I was having. Eh. Barbell bench press 6x3x65 Notes: Perfect form which was great except I’m pretty sure I should have used lower weight since better form requires more exertion. Chest press 13x70 2x12x70 Notes: See above. Incline dumbbell bench press 1x25 2x12x20 Preacher curls 2x10x30 1x12x20 Hammer curls 12x15 15x15 Notes: Above and these were super-sets with the incline. Flyes 15x25 10x20 Concentration curls 2x15x10 Tricep pushdowns with the V-bar 10x90 10x80 10x70 10x60 Notes: Burn sets to feel okay about something. Macros~50/160/204 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 14, 2012 Author Share Posted February 14, 2012 02.13.12PHAT Week 9, Day 1Upper body power dayQuake v. Crunch: Day IV I don’t believe in determinism. I don’t believe things just happen. I don’t believe in fate. I believe in determination. I believe in making things happen. I believe in free will.I also don’t believe in short cuts, taking the easy way out, or cheating the system. I believe in head-on, giving it your all, and earning the reward.Two days away from the gym and inside my head was a good reinforcement of these beliefs.Because nobody is going to lift the bar for me. Nothing is going to make my writing appear on the screen. Nobody or nothing but me. And if I want these things to happen, I have to give them one hundred percent and be at one hundred percent, every day, every minute, every second, day-in and day-out. Driving myself into a rut and out of my mind with unproductive negativity isn’t going to cut it any more.If I’m going to be negative, which there is no doubt that I won’t be from time-to-time, I need to use it as fuel, not water to drown in. If I’m going to put my body through a beating, I need to use it to come back as a fortress, not to stay in a constant state of rubble.For the last few weeks, I’ve been all about the, admittedly clever, twisting of “working out” into “outwork.” While it looks and sounds good, it’s flawed. Because the things I do aren’t chores; they’re not labors. They are a choice; they are love. Love for the iron, for the word.My new philosophy: work less, do more.The results of this? Energy: Pumped.Motivation: “Two hundred pounds is two hundred pounds.”Mentality: “Rise above.”Weight: 123lbs (finally sticking)Puffed on some Reese’s and hit the rack … Leg extension warm-ups10x6010x70 Barbell squats5x1407x1605x1757x1755x180Notes: I did more reps on some of the sets but I lost count. My goal today was to train squats, not just hit my numbers. Oh, and I went to fail on the 180s. Expect that in the next QvC video. Leg press6x4306x4106x360Notes: Lower weight but ass-to-ankles. Stiff-legged deadlifts8x1258x1308x135Notes: Got sweaty on these. Leg curl10x7010x80Notes: No care about raising the weight on these – the burn is there from them and that’s what I need, not big numbers. Standing calf raises10x19012x200Notes: The fact that I can hold these is accomplishment and an indicator that my grip strength has definitely improved since I started struggling with the higher weight, hence the shift to seated a while back. Leg extensions2x10x140Notes: Didn’t focus on the lock out but I’m leery of going any higher on these even though I know I could. Calf press on the leg press10x20510x225Notes: Calves of fire. Post-Work Out AssessmentReese’s Puffs has been my favorite pre-work out, thus far, in terms of taste, texture, and affordability. Still no crash, no heaviness, no discomfort. Just insane post-work out hunger and early on-set DOMS. Macros46/200/200Insane. I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Playing catch up: 02.14.12Upper-body power dayQuake v. Crunch: Day X In sticking with yesterday’s new mantra, I decided to go back to the basics - watching technique and form videos, reading articles about improving strength, contemplating my goals for the next twelve months, and reflecting on areas of my lifts (and life) that need improvement. After doing this, I decided to tweak my bench a bit, focusing on pulling the bar from the rack, keeping my elbows tucked, getting my arch even higher than ever and widening my stance. I don’t think I ever truly bench pressed until yesterday because, for the first time, I understood and felt why it’s a compound lift. And even though there was no weight increase, those sets were some of the most satisfying and intense ones I’ve ever performed. What’s interesting about that, though, is that I hit an OHP PR right after those sets and while I should be exceptionally proud of it, i find it to be a little tainted. My form was dodgy and I feel a bit dirty for “taking” it. Definitely going to work on making sure my elbows are out, back is straight, and head movement is quick. All-in-all, a solid session. Energy: Sky high.Motivation: “Everything I do, I do it big.”Mentality: NMA.Weight: 123lbs (One pound increase after a month of calorie increase …)Last bite of Reese’s Puffs before attempting to set some PRs. Barbell bench press 5x45 5x55 5x65 5x75 5x80Notes: Pulling the bar makes a world of difference. Standing barbell overhead press 5x45 5x50 5x55 5x60 5x65 5x70Notes: Everything but the 70s was pretty perfect - will get it. Assisted dips 7x70 3x80 10x80 Assisted pull-ups 2x5 (Close-grip) 2x5 (Wide-grip) Rack chins 2x10Notes: From the floor. Standing dumbbell shoulder press 10x15 5x15 (Phone rang) 10x15 12x10Notes: No care about the lower weight. EZ-Bar strict curl 15x20 10x30Notes: Paused at the bottom, absolutely no assistance from body movement. Super bro. Tricep pushdowns with v-bar attachment 8x140 4x130 8x90 4x70 12x70 Notes: Burn sets. Post-WO AssessmentTons of energy, tons of hunger. Success. Macros55/160/210 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jungleinthefrunk Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Killer phoWill watch video when done watching body of proof lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jungleinthefrunk Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Killer ohpWill watch video when done watching body of proof lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jungleinthefrunk Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 OMG SPINACH PIE IS THE SHIIIIIIT. Awesome new avatar btw... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Meech - Thanks about the avatar. It makes me look way more badass than I actually am. And I fucking love spinach pie. So good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 02.16.12Lower-body hypertrophyPHAT Week 2, Day 3QvC: Day XI I went to work at 12:00 p.m. For the following eight hours I was faced with all the things about my job that have been grating on me for the last four months. By 8:11 p.m., and after a serving of overnight oats devoured in approximately two minutes, I had two thing on my mind: crushing deadlifts and finding a new job. One down, one to go. Energy: On point.Motivation: To keep getting stronger.Mentality: Get some.Br-oatmeal engaged Leg extension warm-ups10x6010x70 Barbell squat (speed work)3x3x1403x3x135Notes: I must have instinctively loaded the 45s because I didn't even notice I was 15lbs over what I should have been speeding squatting today until my fourth set. They felt good so I just dropped the two 2.5s and went with it. I got these done in less than two minutes, counting one water break. Barbell deadlifts5x1355x1553x1703x1753x1804x1851x1852x190Notes: I did the sets of three to save some for the 5x185 I wanted to hit which I would have had if my palms weren't so fucking sweaty that the bar slipped out of my hands. As soon as I dropped it, I went for the last rep anyway. I have video of the whole set but I'm almost too disgusted to upload it. I knew I had it so I went for one rep of 190. I got two. Fuck it. Leg press12x27012x290Notes: I should have just went for the 2x12x300 like I wanted. After the pro/con nature of my deads, though, I didn't want to push it too much even though the first set was a piece of cake. Leg curls15x9015x80Notes: Rep increases on both sets. Standing calf raises2x15x20015x190Notes: If only the rest of me progressed as quickly as my calves. Leg extensions2x15x130Notes: Yawn. Calf press on leg press20x16015x175Notes: Yawn again. PWO-AssessmentI don't know if it was because I, legitimately, was in a rage after work or if it was the oatmeal but, holy hell, I got through this session in an hour and five minutes, warm-up included. I haven't gotten as sweaty as I did today during a session in a very long time. And I loved every single second of it. MacrosI totally bungled my nutrition for the day. Before working out, I only had eaten about 400 calories, leaving me with a huge number to fill before hitting the sack. I'm still working on them but, as of now, my numbers currently are 35/147/179. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 02.17.12PHAT Week 9, Day 4Arm and chest hypertrophyQvC: XII To say that I "slept" last night would be a gross exaggeration - six hours of nightmare-esque dreams broken up by waking, not once, but twice soaked in sweat is better described as "hellish." I generally run a pretty high body temperature and since it's been warmer the past few days, my apartment has been unbearably hot at night, to say the least, hence the night-fever.Making matters worse, about four hours into my shift at work, I got so light-headed I felt like I was going to pass out. Luckily, I was able to leave early and quickly downed a serious amount of fluids and carbohydrates (as well as haphazardly thrown together shake) since I'm 99.9% certain dehydration and a nearly negative blood sugar level was the culprit. Fifteen minutes doing so, I felt immensely better but still opted to lay down for a bit to make sure I was right about the cause of my sudden, and relatively scary, shitty feelings. Forty five minutes later, I felt ready to eat some oatmeal and hit the gym. Session went great and, afterwards, I worked on some v-logs and, finally, bought groceries that will last me, hopefully, for the majority of the week - picked up some PB2, hemp bread, hazelnut milk, cashews, hummus, and a new imperial stout to try out. Oh, and I'm going back on something I previously said: I bought the two new flavors of Clif Builders Bars - Crunchy Peanut Butter and ... S'mores. Come at me, gains. Speaking of ... I stepped on the scale today and it read 123.5. I think the 123 has stuck. Let's just hope I don't get stuck at 123. In another news, I'm taking tomorrow's day off from work as a rest day. Yeah, I know I said it makes it hard to hit my calories and I go a little crazy. Worse comes to worst, I'll do some "active recovery" conditioning and non-traditional cardio sometime after I hit up the local farmers market and before I see some friends. Tomorrow will probably also be a day that I end up drinking with said friends so hitting my numbers won't be as hard. Come at me, even more gains. (Paused) Barbell bench press3x5x653x5x603x5x55Notes: I should have been doing paused a long time ago - every rep needs to be performed as if I were competing and I refuse to ever get flagged for a "touch and go" bench. Chest press2x12x8012x70Notes: I still hate using machines but I can't say it hasn't helped me out. Hammer curls2x20x15Notes: Assistance is just that - it assists. I'll bump the weight on these when I get tired of increasing the reps. EZ-Bar strict curls[/i]15x2015x3015x40Notes: Chasing that Elite bro-status. Dumbbell flyes15x2515x20Notes: These hurt my elbows today. Bad fucking news.[ Concentration curls2x15x12Notes: See Hammer and EZ-bar. Tricep pushdowns with V-bar attachment10x10012x9015x80Notes: These were harder than with the rope attachment, especially after all the bench sets. Good burn, though. Farmer's walkTreadmill: 7.0 incline/4 mph15lbs in each hand20 minutes of one minute with weights in hand, one minute withoutNotes: For trying these out for the first time, I went lighter than I thought I should. Plan on doing these at least two times a week to improve grip-strength and to get in some non-traditional cardio for health benefits since treadmill pushes will be a no-go at my gym. PWO AssessmentI made note of this in today's v-log but it won't be up for a bit - while oats don't make feel "heavy," I've definitely felt fuller during these last two sessions than the ones after eating cereal. Not a bad thing yet, just an assessment. I'll be interested to see how this affects heavy squats, though. MacrosEdited: 46/181/221 Misc.http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzknlfLKtI1r3mlz8.pngFebruary 17, 2012 http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly249dj0TW1r3mlz8.jpgJanuary 17, 2012; December 14, 2011 http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzknrlgVDg1r3mlz8.jpgSeptember 05, 2011 What I seeFrom September to December, a definite “shedding” of the excess fat I was carrying but not a substantial amount of muscle growth. From December to January, triceps definitely grew but I also look, well, fluffy. From January to February, less fluff, especially around my tris, maybe a wee bit more mass in my biceps but my shoulders definitely are the most noticeable difference. Conclusion: The progress I’ve made, and specifically this past month, are what I’ve been trying to achieve since September - slow and steady gains. Only onward and upward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 Mini-Update So, the same thing that happened on Friday happened today - monster headache leading to a woozy-vertigo-esque feeling transitioning into full-on dizziness with the potential for me to end up face down on the front end of my store. Needless to say, I was sent home early and, though I'm not one to panic, per se, I am a bit miffed by this new trend. And as I don't currently have a physician here in Cleveland, I'll be dragging my ass to urgent care in approximately six hours to find out exactly what is going on so my last two day updates/videos from the past week will be going up either tomorrow or Tuesday. Hopefully Tuesday because that'll mean I'll be able to work tomorrow and, now that I'm down 11 hours on this check, I definitely need the shift. Fingers crossed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 02.18.12PHAT Week 9, Rest DayHand and liver hypertrophyQvC: N/AGettin' all English major on you ... While a few weeks ago I bemoaned the idea of making a day off from work also a rest(less) day, I learned last weekend that sometimes the body wants what the body wants and the mind needs what it needs. Or, put much more clearly, I'm slowly growing to appreciate, and learning how to, the act of channeling the intensity I put into my work outs back into other areas of my life.By not having to guess when would be the most likely time the rack would be empty on a Saturday, I didn't have to rush around and break my day up around hitting the gym. Instead, I was able to do and accomplish the things I wanted as I saw fit and, because of this, I was infinitely more productive and pleased. While I like usually aim to get out of bed earlier, I allowed myself a few extra hours of snoozing until, around 10:00 a.m., I dressed quickly, and made my way to the Shaker Square Farmers Market for the first time (it should be noted that, when not indoors and not in the winter, the Shaker Farmers Market is ranked in the top ten farmers markets in the nation). Because of its renown, I had relatively high expectations for the experience despite knowing winter markets usual center around things like eggs, jams, jellies, and other non-produce related finds. Regardless, I took the time to genuinely appreciate each booth and its offerings, asking vendors how they concocted things like Drunken Pumpkin Butter and Hemp Jam Cookies, sampled six different types of handmade salsa, and even ran into the boy who sold me my beloved Bianchi Timber Wolf a few months back. For the first time since moving to Cleveland, I found myself feeling something akin to, if not exactly like, what I felt when I lived in Mount Vernon, IA: a fleeting sense of community and genuine appreciate for the people surrounding me. Of course, these feelings were just that fleeting but they were enough to set the (extremely posi!) tone for the day. After the farmers market, I went home, made myself brunch and then set off to my current favorite haunt,Phoenix on Coventry, in hopes of writing and editing some poetry, articles, and applications. For six hours, I maneuvered my hunched body back-and-forth from laptop to notebook and while, when I look back on the work I was able to finish, it doesn't seem like much, knowing how long and drawn out the writing process is (at least for me), I'm generally satisfied with what I accomplished. Before heading home for the evening, I also decided to wander around Coventry for a bit, making sure to stop in my favorite shop (Heart & Sole Sneaker Boutique), check out a joint I hadn't bothered with before, and loiter around Mac's Books for roughly forty five minutes, checking to see if they had copies of my favorite books for sale (a weird past-time of mine) and, if they did, running my thumb along their spine before moving on. And while I use to feel awkward about walking into small shops without the intent of purchasing anything and, subsequently, walking out empty handed, I've long abandoned those feelings as I've found so long as I'm not breaking, stealing, or destroying anything, nobody really cares. With one of the better, if not best, days in recent memory under my belt, I returned to my apartment with one of those dastardly zero-calorie sodas in tow to sip on with a few ounces of whiskey until I deemed it the appropriate hour to retire for the evening. In short, Saturday was the most productive rest day I've had in months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 02.19.12PHAT Week 9, Day 5Back and shoulders hypertrophyQvC: XIII Monday was ... a little unsettling. As I mentioned in my mini-update, I've been getting intense headaches that lead to light-headedness, slight nausea, and generally undesirable results. It happened again an hour into my shift at work and, after barely being able to stand up for longer than a minute or two without feeling like I was going to keel over, I decided to go home, pound nearly a gallon of water, lay down, and decide if hitting the gym would help or exacerbate the headache. After two hours spent napping, eating, and pounding fluids, I decided that I would go to the gym and take it "light" and see what happened - the longer I stayed in my apartment and thought about the potential reasons behind these new developments, the more anxious and nervous I became. My mother was the proud owner of two brain tumors in her youth and is currently kick multiple sclerosis's ass up-and-down the Ohio River and all I could think about was, "what if?" Definitely extreme conclusions to jump to but, since I don't tend to get sick and I was left alone with my thoughts, it's where I ended up. The iron's always helped me take my mind off things and, even if I only did a few light weight sets, I knew it would help. I scarfed down my pre-work out oatmeal and got underneath the bar at around 7:15 p.m. with only a couple of others who are part of the Saturday Night Lift Crew (priorities, I guess?). And even though I had the intention of taking things easy, I suppose that's still a relative concept for me - the weights were light but the level of intensity I brought was pretty high. Managed to get the work out in under fifty minutes even with extended rest periods between lifts and, because my girlfriend is a wonderful person and knew I wasn't feeling at the top of my game, I came home to a Chipotle burrito ordered to my extremely anal specifications (no rice, extra black beans, veggies corn, lettuce, mild salsa, and hot salsa). Luckily, I've since found out the source of my headaches/dizziness: I've developed a tendency to get migraines, brought on by extreme light sensitivity, stress, and allergies. Doc said that it could also do with me dropping my caffeine intake and maybe even needing to eat more (?!) since I'm on my feet so much and go to the gym five times per week. Guess it's time to reevaluate those macros and start preparing myself for "forevergaining." In fact, I took the first step toward that by working on some new food concoctions since I'm hoping to start adding those adventures into my blog via v-logs and recipes. Did somebody say there's been a(n) (earth)Quake®? Let me help you lift that rubble over your head ... Standing barbell overhead press8x453x5x605x554x553x555x552x3x50Notes: Finally feeling noticeable progress with these; every time I perform them, I feel stronger, former gets tighter, and I contemplate falling in love with them the way that I used to love rows. Rack chins2x121x13Notes: From laying flat on the floor. The last set was a bit of a doozy so I probably won't start adding weight until I can crank out 20 reps at a time. Once weight can be added, though, they'll probably replace BOBR until I start 5/3/1. One arm dumbbell rows2x15x30Notes: Cranked these out like Soldier Boy. Feeling it today. Cable rows3x12x100Notes: I'm not a huge fan of these since they still tend to tweak my back a little bit. I think I'm going to transition to the seated row machine (ugh) and see how that feels. Close-grip lateral pulldowns2x15x80Notes: These were infinitely easier than the last time I did them. Felt strong as hell banging them out and barely rested between the two sets. Side lateral raises2x20x15Notes: Assistance work simply assists. That said, I'll be bringing the weight back up to 20lbs next time since these felt like nothing. Barbell shrugs15x20020x200Notes: Still my favorite assistance exercise but grip is going to hell with these. More farmers walks it will be. Upright cable rows15x10015x90Notes: Cables shmables. Macros48/144/240 Breakfast: scrambled tofu, TVP, and veggies, mini waffles and peanut butter. Dinner: Extremely specific Chipotle burrito. Misc.OHP made me feel pretty strong so I snapped some photos once the gym cleared out.http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzpicpVWx91r3mlz8.jpg http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzpicyrmAN1r3mlz8.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mini Forklift Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Damn girl, all of your food photos are making me hungry http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzknlfLKtI1r3mlz8.png You look badass in that photo, can't wait to see how you get on with the 5/3/1 programme. I think you will love it. When do you realistically think you will compete, is this year a possibility? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulados2 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Quote: “If my mind’s the weapon, then my heart’s the extra clip.” – The MovielifeLike it! ______________expandable steel baton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veggiesasquatch Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 Damn girl, all of your food photos are making me hungry http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzknlfLKtI1r3mlz8.png You look badass in that photo, can't wait to see how you get on with the 5/3/1 programme. I think you will love it. When do you realistically think you will compete, is this year a possibility? Agree here. Defiantly see a difference. The general shape to those guns look notciebly different.your face also looks more chiseled to me (in a good way) A little fluff is always good for p'lifters The point on rest days was interesting. My shift patter is over a 4 week rota so when I lift is dictated for me though I get my lifts in during the week (which in itself is a challenge when I have to work 60hrs) but when I get my lifts in & it's my weekend off you can best your life the most ill do is clean my house, the rest is spent playing music, eating & gaming on Xbox. Once you have those set big lift days it'll click (I'm aware that shift patterns could disrupt set days for you?) so I hope you come enjoy full on rest days...I savour them now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 21, 2012 Author Share Posted February 21, 2012 You look badass in that photo, can't wait to see how you get on with the 5/3/1 programme. I think you will love it. When do you realistically think you will compete, is this year a possibility? Thank you! I wasn't going for badass with the photo but it turned out better than I expected since it's nearly impossible to get a solid progress photo of yourself with an iPhone. In terms of competing, I'd like to have quite a few cycles of 5/3/1 under my belt as I've only been lifting "properly" since September so I feel like my numbers still have a lot of room for improvement. Since my working total is around 445, I wouldn't mind my competition total coming out somewhere around 545. Plus, since my weight keeps bouncing back and forth between 121-123lbs, I'd be looking to compete at a higher weight class than what I'm currently sitting at - which is exactly what I want/need to push me to get serious about making gains and finally getting over my FFK-syndrome - and that'll take some time (it took me a month to put on one pound). So, after that long-winded response, I was hoping to compete sometime after September/lifting for a solid year as I think it will be a good marker of progress and indicator of where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going to go. Quote: “If my mind’s the weapon, then my heart’s the extra clip.” – The MovielifeLike it! One of my favorite lines in any song, ever. Glad you like it! Agree here. Defiantly see a difference. The general shape to those guns look notciebly different.your face also looks more chiseled to me (in a good way) A little fluff is always good for p'lifters The point on rest days was interesting. My shift patter is over a 4 week rota so when I lift is dictated for me though I get my lifts in during the week (which in itself is a challenge when I have to work 60hrs) but when I get my lifts in & it's my weekend off you can best your life the most ill do is clean my house, the rest is spent playing music, eating & gaming on Xbox. Once you have those set big lift days it'll click (I'm aware that shift patterns could disrupt set days for you?) so I hope you come enjoy full on rest days...I savour them now. Thank you! Yeah, my face is definitely the thing that's become most noticeably different - I've only had my current job for four months and some of my co-workers have commented on how different my face looks like from the first time they met me. My shift patterns change every week with no way of regulating them from what days I have off to what shifts I actually work - some weeks I'll have three days at work, one day off, and then four days back there; other weeks I'll get lucky and get two days off in a row and then work five straight. On top of that, my hours aren't set either - I could work 2:30p.m.-10:00p.m. one night and the 7:30 a.m.-3:00p.m. the next morning. I think the constant "go, go, go" nature of trying to hit the gym, get to work, and do other things is why, when I don't have to work or go to the gym, I get so anxious. Definitely gotten a lot better about it, though, and I really loved yesterday's rest day, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jungleinthefrunk Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 you look so bad ass and buff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synny667 Posted February 21, 2012 Share Posted February 21, 2012 I want your Rollins band shirt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divamom Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegansludge Posted February 23, 2012 Author Share Posted February 23, 2012 02.21.12PHAT Week 10, Day 1Lower-body power dayQvC: XIV After taking a lot of time to look into the logistics of competing, I decided it was time to be completely honest with myself. I need to train for competition during every session. I need to focus on my big lifts and getting my form perfect. Squats need to be deeper, bench pauses need to be longer, deads need to be pulled faster. My ego, like all the things about the world that clutter my head, needs to be left outside the gym door. If a squat doesn't break parallel, the rep doesn't count.If my ass comes off the bench a fraction of an inch, the rep doesn't count.If I pull a dead, in the slightest, with my arms, the rep doesn't count. What does that mean exactly? It means dropping weight and and not adding any until I can perform the amount reps I want with perfect form consistently. All of these single sets of 5 and one- or two-offs have been great to make progress but if I want to keep making progress, I shouldn't be short-changing my working sets. If I have to stay at the same weight for the next three weeks before starting 5/3/1, so be it. I want the numbers I set as my 1RM for that program to be accurate - I want to get as much out of every single cycle so that, when my one year of lifting rolls around in September, the numbers I'm putting up are numbers I've earned. So, while I was going to apologize for the amount of sets on my squat from yesterday, I'm not going to - I video'ed every single one to check my form and depth and refused to call it quits until I was satisfied with both. Because, if I can't go ass to grass with a certain weight, I'm lying to myself and compromising my long-term progress just to put up "big" numbers. So, the only reps I "counted" were the ones that broke parallel by more than an inch and now I can see where my consistent numbers are. Taking a few steps back to take even more forward in the future. Barbell squat10x453x5x952x5x1152x5x1353x1353x1553x1651x1653x170 Standing barbell calf raise2x20x200Notes: Meh. Leg press2x6x3608x270 Stiff-legged barbell deadlift8x1358x1408x145Notes: These are always sweat-inducing. Seated leg curl12x10010x90Notes: These were super-setted with extensions. Leg extensions2x15x150 Calf press on the leg press12x22015x235 Macros63/139/198A bit of guestimating here as I went out to dinner last night and got Thai curry so these aren't necessarily the most accurate. Not stressing over it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mini Forklift Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Your squatting is equally impressive as the amount of work you continued to put in after them !! Nice stuff, love your training ~ and your journal/videos rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jungleinthefrunk Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Re: your squatsDid I mention I hate u? ---I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.161119,-74.041712 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
divamom Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I feel like a girly-girl man reading your workout. Holy moly, woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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