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Rob's High Intensity Training Log


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Salsa verde....now your talking:)

 

Found a couple of good EB recipes on line, love them...

 

Chocolate chip cookie EB's...

-2-3 scoops of rice, hemp or soy protein powder

-1 cup of almond meal

-1/2 cup of almond butter

-1/4 cup of maple syrup

-1/4 cups of dairy free mini chocolate drops

Mixed them all up into a dough like consistency, roll into to balls and refrigerate.

 

Lemon and blueberry EB's...

-1 1/2 cups of cashews

-1/2 cup of shredded coconut

-1/2 cup of dried blueberries

-3/4 cup of pitted dates

-Juice of one fresh lemon

-teaspoon of lemon zest

-teaspoon of vanilla extract

Mix in a food processor (bar the coconut) until it the mixture is a dough like consistency, then roll into small balls, and roll in coconut.

 

These suckers taste great and well keep ya going strong:)

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11-3-15

Flat V-Grip D-B Flyes

Underhand Pulldowns

Seated Cable Rows

D-B Shrugs

* One set to vanilla failure per movement

 

16-3-15

D-B Power Lateral Raise (slight hitch at the start of the movement)

Incline D-B Curls

Lying BB Triceps Extension

Triceps Press-down

D-B Hammer Curl

*One set to vanilla failure per movement

 

Both workouts were performed at home, no upper body pressing movements at the moment, my left shoulder has been giving me some jip for a while. The V-Grip flyes are great, they really ease the strain on the shoulder:)

 

Rob.

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18-3-15

1. Le Extension - 2 sets to failure (one set regular full range, one set zone training)

2. Seated Leg Curl- 2 sets to failure (one set regular full range, one set zone training)

3. Calf Presses - 1 set to failure in zone training style

3. Static Crunch (on a pulldown machine, using ab slings) - one set to failure

 

20-3-15

1. Pec Deck Flye - 2 sets to failure (one set regular full range, one set zone training)

2. Stiff Arm Pulldown 2 sets to failure (one set regular full range, one set zone training)

3. BB Shrugs - 1 sets to failure (one set regular full range with a 3 second hold in the contracted position, hat tip to B&B:)

4. Weighted Back Extension (2 working sets of 12 reps to sub failure)

 

Happy with how the last few workouts felt (less systemically fatigue), I've decided to go with all direct isolation work for a while, for a couple of reasons, the main reason is because I want to focus on more specific strength training vs general strength training. I'll keep to the same movements for the most part, however how perform them (ie cluster sets, zone training, static holds, 1 1/4 reps, regular full range, piston reps, occlusion sets etc), rep cadence, load, volume, frequency will change from week to week to proved the muscle with a new challenge.

 

I'm also training every other day for the time being, want to see if it has a positive effect on my overall conditioning (after all, summers just round the corner:) so I'll be keeping a closer eye on my bodyfat level, I had a trainer at my gym measure it, its... gulp...currently 18.2% (at 248lbs).

 

Anyho, have a great weekend

Rob

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Oh man if I did ab crunches to failure I'd probably have a hard time getting along the next day if you know what I mean. How are you going to split things up going to failure every other day? Or are you? I wish I could get a good grip on my bf%. I started cutting again for the most part a few weeks ago, but it seems like I might still be eating too little.

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Lol, yeah, no fibre needed:)

 

Shouldn't be too bad Chris, its all isolation movements (a bit less systemic fatigue, but more localized), but if it takes too much I'll just take an extra rest day or two. Truth be told, I don't actually enjoy training unless its to failure (bar low back work), I feel like am missing something if I don't.

 

When you say you might be eating too little, are you feeling low in energy? I know if my strength is negatively effected, I need eat more.

 

Rob

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Maybe low in energy, yeah. More hungry all the time. Hungry prior to, during, and obviously after training. Hungry almost right after I eat lunch too. I'm restricting to approx 2000 calories per day, where maintenance is around 2600. So, if I'm cutting for long periods of time, and I just on a constant plateau and not really building muscle, or am I making slow gains?

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Hey mate,

 

600 calories below maintenance should be plenty, but there's so many variables, insulin sensitivity being one, I know guys who've consumed as little as 1400 calories (high carb ratio), been well under their maintenance level of calories and still found it very difficult to drop BF. Only when they increased their fat intake and decreased their carb intake did they drop BF.

 

After a several year layoff (after suffering a stroke), my BF went up to almost 30%, for me, keeping my carbs at around 50%, fat 25-30% and protein 20-25% along with intermitted fasting worked. Another key was eliminating cardio and steady state activity, both made me hungry, decreases my strength and caused loss of muscle. Training to failure is another key, the stimulus needs to be of a high enough order to provoke change, the flip side of that, is that you need to closely monitor the volume and frequency of your workouts. Another big factor to consider is stress, not just from intense training, but from everyday life, if your stressed, you wont build muscle and you wont be able to immobilise fat.

 

Rob

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That's interesting what you say about other peoples' experience. I cut down to 1600 calories/day for a couple years, and ended up losing 96lbs. However, when I went on an unrestricted raw diet, that climbed back up about 14lbs. Now, I'm finding it difficult to drop pounds, even on a cut. I think I'm pretty sensitive to insulin, as I tend to get very hungry out of nowhere; and sometimes find it difficult to achieve satiety. For example, most days I'll put down about 400 calories of lentils/beans/vegetable, but then almost immediately feel hungry for some kind of fat (i.e. peanut butter). It's almost like I can taste the peanut butter just thinking about it. Perhaps that indicates an increase in fat is necessary?

 

Stress? I have that in spades: mortgage, enormous student loans, low pay yet promising job, little prospects due to the market. yeah, stress is a definite factor.

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Same here, I get hungry out of nowhere from time to time, for example, about an hour or two after a high carb breakfast (lets say oatmeal and fruit) I'm ravenous and sometimes actually feel like am going to keel over if I don't eat something right there and then. But if I eat a reasonable amount of fat in with my breakfast or even go without breakfast am fine. I recently heard someone describe a high carb diet as like putting a sheet's of paper on a fire, they burn up real fast and you'd need to keep adding more to keep the fire alight, were as with fat, its like putting a log on the fire, it'll burn much slower and will keep you going much longer before you need to add more to the fire. For me, I've found coconut oil and MCT oil to be the best sources of fat for energy (have you tried these?), I've heard a lot of people say the same. Avocados, nuts / nut butters and seeds would be further down the line for me.

 

Here again Chris, am the same as yourself, every now and then I get a real strong craving for something, for example am actually not a massive fan of salad's, but every now and then I get a mad craving for one (now with salsa of course:), well why would my body be crave that salad? Obviously my body must be lacking in something, whether it be roughage or maybe a certain vitamin or mineral am not sure, but its clear my body is telling me something. Listen to it, it'll keep ya right:)

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23-3-15

1. Leg Extension

- 6 cluster sets of 3 reps each (125kgs) - last cluster set to failure*

2. Seated Leg Curl

- 5 cluster sets of 3 reps each (16/20 plates) - last cluster set to failure*

3. Calf Press

- 1 set to failure with 2/3's of the stack (ZT style)

4. Seated Crunch Machine

- 7 cluster sets of 5 reps each (45kgs) - last cluster set to failure*

 

* 10 second rest pause between each cluster set.

 

Legs were like jelly after this, the cluster sets are nasty, still, really enjoyable:)

 

Its funny to me, but for years I was lead to believe that compound movements were the "mass builders", and all isolation work are good for is "shaping and defining" lol, but after 24 years of self experimentation and with a much better understanding of biomechanics, I know realise that notion is far from the truth. Nothing has added size to my chest better than machine flyes, machine and D-B lateral raises have capped my shoulders better than overhead presses or upright row variation's every have, so am excited to see what effect an all isolation only HIT program will produce on every major muscle group, so far so good:)

 

Over the years I've met and spoke with many experienced trainer's who came to the same realization, John Martini the Mr NI BB champion being one of them. He told me it was only when he began using pre exhaustion (and HIT) did he take his physique to the next level, Mike Mentzer, Dorian Yates, Markus Reinhardt also found the same to be true (not only with themselves, but also with thousands of their clients). I've done my far share of pre exhaustion over the years, however I've recently been mulling over something that John Little said with regards to pre exhaustion, that is, once you have "directly" worked a muscle to failure, it makes the compound movement redundant / overkill. I completely agree with him.

 

With regards to compound movements, I've came to the conclusion that they are great for "general" strength, for metabolic conditioning, but they don't release anywhere near the amount of HGH as people think they do. I've also found their a great way of frying the CNS, since eliminating compound movements from my training, I no longer have that feeling of general / systemic fatigue for days after a workout like I used to. On a side note, I don't anyone to get all butt hurt, if someone is powerbuilding and or powerlifting, that person of course needs to practice the keys lifts and salt in assistance movements, but for me, am looking to optimize hypertrophy, that being said, I've no intention of ever getting up on a stage in a pair of budgie smugglers, waxed and covered in baby oil....not my cup of tea:) I do this as its a wonderful activity in and off itself.

 

Have a great week

Rob

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Same here, I get hungry out of nowhere from time to time, for example, about an hour or two after a high carb breakfast (lets say oatmeal and fruit) I'm ravenous and sometimes actually feel like am going to keel over if I don't eat something right there and then. But if I eat a reasonable amount of fat in with my breakfast or even go without breakfast am fine. I recently heard someone describe a high carb diet as like putting a sheet's of paper on a fire, they burn up real fast and you'd need to keep adding more to keep the fire alight, were as with fat, its like putting a log on the fire, it'll burn much slower and will keep you going much longer before you need to add more to the fire. For me, I've found coconut oil and MCT oil to be the best sources of fat for energy (have you tried these?), I've heard a lot of people say the same. Avocados, nuts / nut butters and seeds would be further down the line for me.

 

Here again Chris, am the same as yourself, every now and then I get a real strong craving for something, for example am actually not a massive fan of salad's, but every now and then I get a mad craving for one (now with salsa of course:), well why would my body be crave that salad? Obviously my body must be lacking in something, whether it be roughage or maybe a certain vitamin or mineral am not sure, but its clear my body is telling me something. Listen to it, it'll keep ya right:)

 

Yeah man, that analogy with carbs and fat makes sense. When I did the 80/10/10 diet last year, I could physically feel myself start to burn the carbs. It was like jet fuel, fast and hot, and then nothing. When I did permit myself some fat, it was like sprinting on wet sand. I still try to keep fats low, and don't really cook with them ever. I actually have a pretty bland cooking style, apparently. People say "this is really good, and I love the flavor, but you just don't cook with salt." And it's true. So, yeah we have coconut oil here for various things, but I don't really reach for it often. I'd love to eat more avocados, but they tend to be of shit quality here unless one is in the midst of summer. When I do eat fats though I have to be very careful. I could eat a whole jar of peanut butter with just a spoon in one sitting. Must be something I picked up as a kid.

 

Salsa on salad is the way to go! Who needs dressing after that? I just ate a whole head of green leaf myself!

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  • 2 weeks later...

First off, happy Easter everyone:)

 

So today was my first workout in a week today, which went brilliantly, I've started training again in my father in laws garage, training with my nephew and using only free weights. I've terminated my isolation only workouts in favor of a powerbuilding schedule for the next few months, depending on how I get on ill maybe stick with it.

 

Todays workouts was...

Trap bar squat lift - 140kgs x 2 sets of 6 reps (sub failure)

Incline v-grip D-B flyes - 35kg D-Bs x 1 set of 8 reps to failure

Immediately followed by...

Weighted negative dips - BW%+20kgs x 5 super slow negative reps to failure

Lying BB triceps extension - 45kgs x 2 sets of 8 and 6 reps

 

Loved the trap bar squat lift, no lower back issues:) also forgot how good v-grip incline D-B flyes are, for me their the best pec movement in the book

 

Next workout will be in 3 days, it'll consist of Bill Shali style D-B high pulls, heavy rows, hammer curls and weighted back extensions.

 

In the coming weeks ill be experimenting with hip belt squats and front squats, as well as rep ranges, at the moment am happy enough to train twice a week, I may increase the frequency depending on what strength increases are made in the coming weeks/month.

 

Hit it hard

Rob

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8-4-15

Home gym workout

Trap bar squat lift - worked up to 140kgs x 5 reps

Standing military press - workout up to 90kgs x 3 reps

Parallel grip chins (static holds) - bw x 2 static holds to failure

 

11-4-15

Gym workout

Leverage leg press (accentuated negative) - 330kgs x 7 reps

Weighted negative dips - bw +30kgs x 5 super slow negatives

One arm hammer rows - 80kg per arm x 8 reps to failure

 

Great workouts, albeit short, less than 15 minutes each...but super intense. As Mike Mentzer stated many times "bodybuilding is not an endurance contest, its not about seeing how you can mindlessly endure! Trigger the bodies growth mechanism into motion, then get the hell out of the gym, go home, rest, recover and grow".

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15-4-15

Gym workout

BW - 240lbs

1. Leverage leg press

340 x 3 reps, followed by a ten second rest pause, followed by a static hold to failure (resistance held in the position of maximum motor arm).

2. Weighted negative dips

BW + 40kgs x 5 super slow negatives

3. Parallel grip chins

BW + 15kgs x 2 static holds to failure

4. BB shrugs

140kgs x 3 reps, followed by a static hold to failure

5. Calf presses

145kgs (stack) x like a billion reps, lost count (note to self- chain more weight to the stack)

 

Cracking workout, felt like a billion bucks afterward. Shortly after, id a good soak in a hot bath, problems happened when I could barely get out due to triceps and pecs being so fatigued from the negative dips lol.

 

Must say, the negative dips are developing thickness and density in my triceps like nobody's business, I started using negatives because of a shoulder injury/problem, but the results am seeing have been pleasantly surprising. What I may try to implement, is negative leg presses, am using a hammer leg press at the gym, so on the positive portion, I could have my training partner/nephew help me out (plus I can press of my knees), and then take a good 8-10 seconds to complete the negative portion with a heavier resistance. We shall see...

 

Anyho, gonna need a good several days to recover and overcompensate from todays workout, time for some R&R:)

 

Take it easy

Rob

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Hey mate, at first I noticed the negative dips with the weight and thought damn man! Then I saw the comment about the tub and had a nice chuckle. That's really solid training up there buddy. I might give some of those negatives a try. Nice work man.

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I'm sure we've all been their with the bath tub dips:)

 

Negative only/accentuated training is great Chris, there's a host of advantages, such as a higher level of stress per unit of time (thus a greater level of muscle growth stimulation), they recruit more fast twitch fibers, help with rehab. Moreover, Negatives oxidize fat-cell content at a faster-than-normal rate.

 

Static holds have their place also, what I now prefer to do with them, is perform 3-5 reps with my 8-10 rep max first as a precursor, i then take a 10 second rest pause, and then i perform the static hold itself to failure. With static's, the goal is to obtain a sequential recruitment and exhaustion of the fibers, while at the same time, reduce wear and tear - as your not having to move in and out of positions of disadvantaged leverage that impinge on the joints and connective tissue.

 

"Only when the intensity is increased, ie.,overload, will there be further growth"

Arthur Steinhaus (regarded by many experts in the field as the father of western physiology)

 

Negatives and statics are a great way for the advanced trainee to safely further increase intensity.

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You had me at faster fat cell content oxidizing. Great info man. I'll incorporate these in on Tuesday. I've been doing some finisher sets on specific parts, so static holds and negatives would be an excellent choice to change up.

 

Hope you're having a good weekend mate!

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Just one thing to keep in mind with these Chris, negatives cause more friction and thus microtruma, so there's a greater level of DOMS, and when I first used static holds, I was prone to intense cramps for 1-2 days after a workout. What I find helps is a hot bath after this kind of workout, though you may need to make like a seal to get out of the tub lol.

Best

Rob

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Hey mate, do you know anything about macronutrient calculations? For example, I calculated what I believe is my lean body mass at 139lbs. Am currently 170lbs, approx 18% body fat. I'd like to drop that number to 10% over the next 16 weeks, and plan to consume approx 2000 calories per day (maintenance is about 2400).

 

The macros for what I ate today were as follows: Calories - 1980; Fat - 45g; Protein - 87g; Carb - 243.

 

I went to his If It Fits Your Macros website, which has a calculator that says I should be consuming the following amounts:

 

Calories - 2097

Protein - 111g

Fat - 49g

Carb - 303

 

As it stands now I am fairly close to these numbers. But, how the hell am I supposed to consume 24g more protein, and 60g more carbs in under 117 calories????

 

5.2oz of this tofu I have makes 24g protein, but it's 217 calories alone.

9oz of bananas (the highest carb fruit I have right now) is 58.5g carb, and 225 calories.

 

So, to meet the figure I've described above, I'd have to consume an overage of 325 calories, which would still be under maintenance, but not low enough to result in adequate fat loss.

 

Is this horse-shit? What gives?

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I've not actually been on that site Chris, I've been following the advice from Dr Darden's bodyfat breakthrough book (highest rate of fat loss and muscle retention/gain study ever recorded), he advocates a ratio of 50%carbs, 25%pro and 25%fat. I spoke with him about a year ago, he advised me to reduce my calories to no more than 1900 per day (@240lbs). He also advocates drinking your water ice cold. By the way, in the study, he trained all the particapitans only once or twice per week with negative accentuated training...no cardio.

 

So going by his advice, your 2000 calories would be made up of 250grams of carbs, 125grams of pro and 55grams of fat, when/if fat loss slows down, reduce your calories down to 1900, and then down to 1800 and so on. How does that grab ya?

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I've not actually been on that site Chris, I've been following the advice from Dr Darden's bodyfat breakthrough book (highest rate of fat loss and muscle retention/gain study ever recorded), he advocates a ratio of 50%carbs, 25%pro and 25%fat. I spoke with him about a year ago, he advised me to reduce my calories to no more than 1900 per day (@240lbs). He also advocates drinking your water ice cold. By the way, in the study, he trained all the particapitans only once or twice per week with negative accentuated training...no cardio.

 

So going by his advice, your 2000 calories would be made up of 250grams of carbs, 125grams of pro and 55grams of fat, when/if fat loss slows down, reduce your calories down to 1900, and then down to 1800 and so on. How does that grab ya?

 

Interesting stuff. And yeah, it sounds possible. If calories per gram of protein, carb, and fat are 4, 4, and 9, respectively, the number of each you mention would result in 1995 calories per day. But, woulnd't this be based upon foods that are either purely one macronutrient, or a combination thereof. Seems like it would take some serious consideration to meet the formula exactly. But maybe that's overkill - leave it to me to over-think things.

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Lol, well the fat would be 55.55555555555556, but I thought I'd keep it simple;)

 

Not sure what you mean with foods based on one macro? What he's saying is, irrespective of how many calories your consuming at a given time, 50% of those calories should be derived for carbs, 25% pro, and 25%fat.

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24-4-15

BW - 237lbs

Trap bar squat lifts - 160kgs x 8 reps

Weighted negative dips - BW + 40kgs x 7

Weighted parallel grip chins - BW + 20kgs x 2 static holds to failure

Fat bar biceps curls - 30kgs x 8 reps

 

All were to failure bar the trap bars. On the trap bars I raised the bar of the floor by 6", at 6'4 and the floor is a long way away:)

 

Up on all lifts, just goes to show what 9 days rest can do, the fat bar curls were great, didn't need anywhere as much weight, but I felt it a lot more.

 

Have a great weekend

Rob

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Lol, well the fat would be 55.55555555555556, but I thought I'd keep it simple;)

 

Not sure what you mean with foods based on one macro? What he's saying is, irrespective of how many calories your consuming at a given time, 50% of those calories should be derived for carbs, 25% pro, and 25%fat.

 

I was asserting that in order to easily meet the macros exactly, one would need foods comprised of purely fat, purely protein, and purely carbs. Impossible, yeah.

 

Also, dude you're 6'4"? 240lbs? You should be on the rugby field!

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