vegansludge

02.17.12 PHAT Week 9, Day 4 Arm and chest hypertrophy QvC: 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 press 3x5x65 3x5x60 3x5x55 Notes: 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 press 2x12x80 12x70 Notes: I still hate using machines but I can't say it hasn't helped me out. Hammer curls 2x20x15 Notes: 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] 15x20 15x30 15x40 Notes: Chasing that Elite bro-status. Dumbbell flyes 15x25 15x20 Notes: These hurt my elbows today. Bad fucking news.[ Concentration curls 2x15x12 Notes: See Hammer and EZ-bar. Tricep pushdowns with V-bar attachment 10x100 12x90 15x80 Notes: These were harder than with the rope attachment, especially after all the bench sets. Good burn, though. Farmer's walk Treadmill: 7.0 incline/4 mph 15lbs in each hand 20 minutes of one minute with weights in hand, one minute without Notes: 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 Assessment I 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. Macros Edited: 46/181/221 Misc. http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzknlfLKtI1r3mlz8.png February 17, 2012 http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly249dj0TW1r3mlz8.jpg January 17, 2012; December 14, 2011 http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzknrlgVDg1r3mlz8.jpg September 05, 2011 What I see From 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.

02.16.12 Lower-body hypertrophy PHAT Week 2, Day 3 QvC: 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-ups 10x60 10x70 Barbell squat (speed work) 3x3x140 3x3x135 Notes: 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 deadlifts 5x135 5x155 3x170 3x175 3x180 4x185 1x185 2x190 Notes: 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 press 12x270 12x290 Notes: 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 curls 15x90 15x80 Notes: Rep increases on both sets. Standing calf raises 2x15x200 15x190 Notes: If only the rest of me progressed as quickly as my calves. Leg extensions 2x15x130 Notes: Yawn. Calf press on leg press 20x160 15x175 Notes: Yawn again. PWO-Assessment I 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. Macros I 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.

Meech - Thanks about the avatar. It makes me look way more badass than I actually am. And I fucking love spinach pie. So good.

Playing catch up: 02.14.12 Upper-body power day Quake 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 5x80 Notes: Pulling the bar makes a world of difference. Standing barbell overhead press 5x45 5x50 5x55 5x60 5x65 5x70 Notes: 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 2x10 Notes: From the floor. Standing dumbbell shoulder press 10x15 5x15 (Phone rang) 10x15 12x10 Notes: No care about the lower weight. EZ-Bar strict curl 15x20 10x30 Notes: 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 Assessment Tons of energy, tons of hunger. Success. Macros 55/160/210

I get two days over the weekend off. Monday-Thursday Upper body & Tuesday-Friday lower. I would use deads on a back day but now I use them with ghr & front squats...Seems to be working. I obviously get why people track macros....If you plan on competing in a bb shows then it's obvious you need a very tight grip on what you eat. I personally just listen to my body but I make sure to get plenty of protein no what my appetite is like. It's a different kettle of fish I think for those of us wanting to basically move a barbell. Yesterday each time I ate 2 hours later I was hungry, So I ate as my body is clearly using the food due to recovery which is what we are all after....but I certainly wouldn't not eat just because It's not "time", Even if it's just a handful of mixed nuts & dried fruits. Even 150g of dried wholemeal pasta went right through me with veggies, Protein ect.... I do the 2-days on, 3-days off with PHAT since it fits my work schedule the best. I didn't think it was adding up but I came back feeling so much better after those two days off. I'll probably set up 5/3/1 the same way you have it, though, my two days off in a row will be dependent on my haphazard schedule. I've become less strict with counting my macros than I was, say, two months ago when I was measuring my food and all of that neurotic shite. Now that I've pretty much figured out what works and doesn't work for me, it's easier just to hit my protein and fill my calories. Back's looking thick, mate. Definitely can see serious progress.

02.13.12 PHAT Week 9, Day 1 Upper body power day Quake 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-ups 10x60 10x70 Barbell squats 5x140 7x160 5x175 7x175 5x180 Notes: 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 press 6x430 6x410 6x360 Notes: Lower weight but ass-to-ankles. Stiff-legged deadlifts 8x125 8x130 8x135 Notes: Got sweaty on these. Leg curl 10x70 10x80 Notes: 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 raises 10x190 12x200 Notes: 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 extensions 2x10x140 Notes: 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 press 10x205 10x225 Notes: Calves of fire. Post-Work Out Assessment Reese’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. Macros 46/200/200 Insane. I know.

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

I'm not a "smilies" kind of person but ... when I read this, my face looked a lot like this:

Damn, mate, I really hope you start feeling better soon.

Macros?! Damn, I feel special. It's funny, though, because I tested the waters this weekend and the only thing I really tracked was my protein intake and I took two days completely off in a row. Haven't done that since I was doing StrongLifts back in October, I think.

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.

Such an awesome and thorough post, mate. Thank you so much. Once I get a hold of the e-book, I plan on devouring it. Seeing the progress I have made, recognizing what did/didn't work, and knowing where to go from here on out is such a great feeling. I'm in this for the long haul and I'm stoked to keep moving onward and upward.

Numbers look solid and you are looking strong, mate! You're going to crush the meet.

So fucking true. Been following the log again - just haven't had the chance to respond until now. You're definitely right about the progress of cycles - the first couple look like a cakewalk but, once you look further down the road, it gets a little hairy.

Progress report: 8 Weeks of PHAT Since admitting my shortcomings as a program “designer” and checking my ego at the door on December 26, 2011, I’ve been following Layne Norton’s PHAT program with a few very small alterations. I did a four-week recap on January 18, 2012 that “refined” my program, goals, nutrition, and future. As I am halfway through week eight of the program and I have two days off from work in a row, with one also being a recovery day, I thought there was no better time than now to put up yet another in-depth analysis of my training and nutrition for the last few weeks. With all of this “excess” time on my hands, and inspired by another log’er’s recent post, I took this round of recapping a bit more seriously: I looked over my actual work-out notebook where I write down immediate feelings, reactions, and numbers while in the gym and … I did some mathematics and found some averages. I’ve organized my “research” very much like a science experiment, comparing my initial “hypotheses” with my actually “results.” If this were a term paper, I’d entitled it, “Personal Results: The Opposite of Bro-Science.” The Quake v. Crunch experiment is already proving this little “truth” to be somewhat false; I’ve been really responsive to pre-work out nutrition and foresee it as a mainstay in my practices until it stops being beneficial. I’ve also found myself reverting back to having a shake post-work out because I’ve become ridiculously hungry after leaving the gym and want something in my stomach as soon as possible. None of this actually happened. Instead, my average macros for the last ten days have been 40/130/194, with the carbohydrates being adjusted – painstakingly – to account for fiber intake. It should be noted, as well, that there are small things I do not track, such as the inclusion of any creamer in my coffee or sampling I do while at work. Regardless, this still puts my average intake at a startling low number and, thus, explains why my weight has remained static. Okay, so I’ve been doing this, though, the only real fluctuations that have occurred have been on days following any alcohol consumption. Yeah, I still don’t have any measuring tape … Moving on … Since including pre-work out nutrition and making sure I get a minimum of seven hours of sleep every night, the “zapped” feeling I described here has disappeared. This allowed me to determine why certain lifts felt as if a plateau was imminent and what to do about it before potentially ruining my progress with an unnecessary deload. What I found was: 1.) My bench form needed some correction so, instead of taking time completely off from it, I lowered weight and am only increasing if my form is perfect for a full set of five reps. 2.) Barbell rows, even lowering weight to 70% of my maximum with perfect form, are not currently friends with my lower back. I am in the middle of a two week deload from them altogether. 3.) I should have moved traditional deads to hypertrophy days weeks ago so that I was maximizing both of my leg days without killing myself in the process. 4.) I still think I’m an idiot for not following PHAT as strictly as possible: the ratio of sets to reps is written as such for a reason – the produce results. Simple as that. I will not be running another cycle of PHAT, at least not in the immediate future. I have also decided that once this cycle is over, I will be taking 3-4 sessions to deload and then I will be moving onto 5/3/1. This decision should have been a no-brainer but, like with most things regarding my training, I like to over-think things and draw them out. Unnecessarily. I had been considering 5/3/1 for quite some time but PHAT appealed to me because of the volume – I like long training sessions and I like the burn that comes from them. I also thought it would be a program that would finally get me into tacking on mass without being concerned about aesthetics. Well … yes and no. Thankfully, somebody put put things into perspective for me: His point, while it makes the most sense, was something that went completely over my head when it came to choosing PHAT. Yes, it’s a high volume program that leads to great strength gains but it’s a program geared towards bodybuilding, something I am, honestly, not interested in. I came to the decision quite some time ago that I want to be a powerlifter - I want to be strong year-round and I want to keep getting stronger.* In order to pursue this, I should be following a program that is designed to do just that and only that. If that post wasn’t reinforcement enough, shortly after, another lifter I really look up to put up an exceptional analysis of the relationship between his programs, his progress, and the relationship between the two and if he were on a gaining, losing, or maintaining cycle. Of course, the conclusions he drew make the most sense: when one is gaining, one is also seeing increases in strength because of the added calories. So, it’s time to put my money where my mouth is. If I want to get stronger, I have to actually commit to getting stronger instead of straddling the fence about it all. When I start 5/3/1, I will be continuously bumping up my calories so that the scale moves 0.5lbs a week as to keep fat gains to a minimum but to insure that I am, in fact, getting the most out of my efforts. So, to summarize: After this week, four weeks of PHAT left. After those four weeks, three-to-four sessions deadloaded, focusing on stretching, active recovery, and making sure form is locked and loaded on bench, squat, deads, and overhead press. Start 5/3/1 with a calories at 2,100. Run 5/3/1 until I plateau; keep increasing calories until I get fat again. *I have nothing against bodybuilding or bodybuilders. It’s just not for me. I’d much rather compete at my strongest than my leanest. However, I admire and respect every natural bodybuilder out there because the dedication, determination, and effort put into that is just as trying, taxing, admirable, and exceptional as that put forth by any raw powerlifter.

So inspirational, thanks, mate!

Deads are my favorite lift, hands down. If I could train only them for an hour straight, I would. I'm getting more and more antsy about switching to 5/3/1. Until then, it's my goal to get that 180x5. It's crazy to think that just six months ago, I was starting back from scratch at 45lbs. Thank you for the kind words - especially about the squats, I was a little scared it wasn't going to happen. And every time I start filming a new video, I feel pretty silly since I feel like my personality doesn't translate well onto v-logs and that I'm mostly just rambling to myself. So it's good to know not everyone thinks that's the case. What're you having for your cheat meal this week?!

Whenever someone asks me what it is about lifting that I love, I always tell them, "Read 'The Iron' by Henry Rollins; it's what inspired me to start lifting and perfectly articulates how I feel about it." Mad props.

Confirmed. I don't really do much on there other than click the "like" button on random shit so look out for that.

02.09.12 Outwork/QvC: Day VIII Lower-body hypertrophy day No joke, nutrition yesterday was an absolute disaster, explaining why, after crushing deadlifts today, I was ravenously hungry and on the verge of crashing pretty hard once I got home from the gym. Luckily, my girlfriend is a pretty decent human being and came home from school and immediately made us an epic pan of spicy black beans, TVP, tomatoes, peppers, and onions for lunch. Once refueled, I packed my bag and took off to Phoenix where I am currently seated, working on about five different things while slugging back the first of what will probably be a couple cups of good coffee. In it for the medium-length haul this evening so I want to keep this entry pretty brief as I’m this close to finishing up my 8-week recap of PHAT and that’s a bit more important than talking about listening to early 2000s hardcore in the gym today. I will say, though, that after such a heavy dead day, I cut out some of my assistance work so my session didn’t take forever (no front squats, seated calf raises or glute kickbacks and less sets on calf presses and extensions) but, to be honest, I worked harder today than most hypertrophy days solely because I could put everything I wanted into deads. Fucking loved it. I also weighed in at a new “high” today but I think it has to do with the fact that I had a couple of beers last night and, subsequently, ending up drinking almost a gallon of water (no joke) before I finished my first set of deads.* Pre-OW Energy: Steady. Motivation: Heavy dead day. Mentality: I will PR deads. I will PR deads. I will PR deads. Outwork Leg extension warm-ups 10x40 10x50 Barbell squats (speedwork; 70% of max) 6x3x120 Notes: Ass to ankles again. These felt light as hell today. Barbell deadlifts 5x135 5x155 5x165 5x175 5x180 1x185 Notes: I don’t like oners. I really don’t. But I knew I had the 185 in me after the set of 180 went up perfectly. I actually got two reps at 185 but the second rep had awful form so I’m not counting it (I’ll be including it in my next v-log to talk about the kind of reps I don’t count). Leg press 2x12x270 Notes: My original target for these was 300 but after those deads, I only got two reps of those out before I realized it wasn’t going to happen today. However, I’m happy with these as I was able to go deeper despite thinking, for a few brief moments at the bottom of the last four reps, that I was going to pass out from exertion. Worth it. Leg extensions 15x110 15x120 Notes: Rep increases with both weights. Considered going for 130 but wanted to leave something in the tank for leg curls which always get neglected in favor of pretty much every other lower-body exercise. Leg curls 15x90 15x80 Notes: Full ROM on these, finally, so weight can increase. Definitely think I’m going to have some serious ass DOMS from these today and I’m okay with that. Calf press on the leg press 15x160 15x175 Notes: Was going to go really big on these today but I wanted to focus on holds instead. 5 seconds for each rep. Killer. Post-OW Assessment Cookie Crisp isn’t that great. I don’t know whatthefuck I was thinking as a kid. With that said, no drag in the gym but I did get pretty fucking drained as soon as I got home but I do think it has a lot to do with how poorly I ate yesterday. Never again am going to take a day off from the gym when I’m also off work. Recipe for disaster. Macros as of 7:00 p.m. 17/99/102 But the lady and I are doing late dinner/dessert and I still have my second shake to down so I’m not worried ‘bout it. Anybody else got an recommendations for sugary, vegan cereals that isn’t Fruity Pebbles?

My lower body is so much stronger than my upper-body so I totally understand how you feel. I start off my week feeling like a tank with lower-body power and then, by the time shoulder day rolls around, my head is out of the clouds and I remember I have a lot of work ahead of me. You'll get there, though, you've got enough determination, dedication, and consistency that all it's going to take is time and patience, both of which I'm pretty sure you're more than willing to put in. Plus, mygod, those lunges and jump ropes. My legs are already tore up from deadlifting today and reading that just made them ache even more.

Just responded. Thought I did last night but my internet is pretty dodgy.

Solid session, mate. You're going to be strong as all hell when the meet comes around!

02.08.12 Rest Day Spent the morning Episodes V and VI of QvC; spent the evening working on my program. Here are the results of the first half. The episode in which I state some controversial opinions. The episode in which I slam four days worth of videos into 6 minutes of YouTube.

Thanks! I will admit, the first week I ran PHAT like it was supposed to be, with all of the assistance work with the designated sets/reps, I felt a little rough. But I'm a big fan of high volume which I think is why I was drawn to the program in the first place. However, I'm really itching to start 5/3/1 so I think I'm going to cut the cycle down by two weeks.