AYCE notes... and an epiphany or two...

Monday, 31 March 2014
AYCE Anterior
37 min, 234 lbs

[Rather than devote a separate time just for warming up, I used my "ramp-up" sets as the warm-up for each exercise. I may have been a little too hasty in that regard, but it wasn't really a problem. I'll try some usual stretching and shaking next time.]

DBP:
225 x 1, 2, 2
235 x 2
245 x 2
255 x 2*
[* my spotter was grabby, but I'm sure I could have gotten them without his overzealous pawing]
-
FSQ: 
205 x 4
225 x 2
235 x 2
245 x 2
255 x 2
265 x 2
-
Dip: 14, 12
PU: 10, 10
-
db supinated press: 100 x 10
[I'm not sure what to call this exercise. It's based on the idea of "scooping" to activate the pecs. Like a chicken press, bring the weights low, but then arc them upwards into a squeeze. Sort of a chicken flye, I guess. Very fun.]

+ + + 

Today was a very fruitful workout. Maybe even a sort of milestone. I think I PR'd on my FSQ (though I'm not concerned with a PR: my goal is to get 4 reps at 285 lbs, at which point I'll bring back squats into my routine).

A possible PR was nice, but the real benefit was the two-fold insight I had about AYCE. First, I need to do an upper-body semi-split (anterior/posterior or push/pull). Second, it's called "Squat Every Day", not bench press or row every day! The upper body simply cannot keep up with the rigors which daily leg work is meant to provide. My legs haven't really been sore for a couple weeks. This will not do. Happily enough, then, today I realized the problem: I am basing the intensity of my upper body exercises on the intensity I want for my legs (which is unsustainable), while I'm limiting the volume which my lower body needs based on a reflex for symmetry. Instead, I need to divert more volume to my legs and less to my upper body.

Lest I keep rambling, let me just lay it out:

AYCE Anterior
DBP / db press - 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2
FSQ / HSQ / OSQ - 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2 
neck press / dip / pullover / db flye / underhand BP - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5   

AYCE Posterior
CLSQ / DL / SDL / RDL / JSQ - 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2 
MP / one-arm press -  5, 4, 3, 2, 2
Pendlay row / Rope row / T-row / PU -  5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

(The slashes indicate options I can choose depending on how I feel or what I think needs more work.) 

The simplicity of this program, like Even Keel, but even more so, is among its most attractive features, so I don't want to over-think it. At the same time, I'm experimenting into a new approach to training, so it's enjoyable cutting out excess exercises and going for the essentials with heavy low-rep sets. It's too distracting right now to try to figure out what percentages to use for the above reps. I'm just going by feel these first few weeks--and today felt just about perfect. Nonetheless, I will use a ratcheting principle to guesstimate weights from one workout to the next. It's what Perryman calls your daily minimum: imagine right now what you could do on various lifts if you just walked into the gym and hit them cold. That's your daily minimum, your confidence-boosting warmup-baseline. By the end of the workout, you should have gone heavier than your baseline, of course, so you then use that number as your rule of thumb for a new daily minimum over the ensuing workouts. Mind you, this is different from a mechanistic, highly regimented planned progression scheme. Sometimes you'll simply perform sub-par and punch the clock based on your older baseline--and that's perfectly fine. Why should one bad workout--and they will happen!--derail your progress? Why should you shackle yourself to such a fragile and finicky regimen? Train your body, not a set of numbers. The key is to show up, get the lifts in, and keep developing a "fatigue-hardened" neuromuscular system.

Now, Perryman acknowledges the awkwardness of fitting the DL into a daily regimen like this. I have learned two things about the DL: 1) I go heavy when I do it, and therefore 2) I must not do it twice in too short a time (i.e. once a week is not a bad idea, as it worked out when I was doing Even Keel in Taiwan). I think I will execute the DL every fourth AYCE Posterior workout. I did one last Wednesday and Friday, and will do another tomorrow, so I'll go for the DL on Thursday.

Again, though, what makes high-frequency training counter-intuitive is that it focuses more on consistency than rigid programming. The goal is to develop athletic preparedness, with daily (perhaps sometimes even will-o-the-wisp) attempts for 1RM, so, unless you simply stop training, it's almost impossible to "derail" your program with a bad workout or more. By contrast, highly regimented programs only work like they are supposed to if you "conquer" every workout as prescribed. As Perryman notes, though, we've got to stop seeing the weight as the enemy, and see it simply as a tool for athletic improvement.

AYCE notes...

[The following is a projected workout scheme for tomorrow (Monday). I'll update it with my actual results when I get home tomorrow.] 

Monday, 1 April 2014
All You Can Eat (AYCE) Heavy
min,  lbs

Warm-up (10 min.) - 
-
i) DBP: 260 x 1, 255 x 1, 250 x 1, 245 x ?
-
ii) FSQ: 265 x 1, 260 x 1, 255 x 1, 245 x ?
-
iii) Dip:
iv) Pull-up:

P.S. Taking the weekend off meant that I did a lot of yard work, and messed around with a BOB I got from a relative (including gloves and sand!).

P.S.S. Here's a practical review of a similar product. And here's a few practical tips on usage from the say reviewer.

For my money the best combo is 1) placating hands up high ("whoa, whoa, let's just go easy"), 2) face rake, 3) palm strike to the face, 4) either hand blade to the neck or hammer fist to the face, and then 5) a shin scrape and either knees or front kicks to the torso to finish things off. That's basically Drossos's tips 4 and 5.

One of the best techniques I ever learned was from a former Secret Service agent: keep your hands up high, with your elbows almost at shoulder-level, and your dominant foot back. This allows you to ward off all head strikes, block torso strikes and kicks simply by tucking your waist to bring your elbows down, and keeps your fists primed to deliver hammer blows, palm strikes, and hand blades, as well as giving you leverage for any kicks or knees you want. Truth is, while I've had a few confrontations and did well in my one season of wrestling, I've been in "a real fight." It's not something I want. I abhor violence. At the same time, though, I want to be prepared if the need should arise. So... elbows up, mates!

Meanwhile, these are also good tips from a guy who actually knows what he's talking about.

AYCE notes...

Friday, 28 March 2014,   
AYCE Light, 42 min.  

Warm-up (10 min.)
-
i) MP: 5, 3, 2, 5 @ 115, 125, 135, 105 lbs
-
ii) CL: 5, 3, 1, 5* @ 145, 165, 185, 135 lbs [*CL into FSQ]
-
iii) Gironda neck press: 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 115, 125, 135, 145 lbs 
-
iv) Pendlay row: 5, 3, 2 @ 155, 175, 195 lbs

I'm loving what I'm reading in Parryman's Squat Every Day. A sophisticated but humble analysis. The irony, of course, is that what he's explaining is neither a surprise nor a bed of roses: if you train almost every day, you're going to "feel it." Aches, tenderness, stiffness, slight fatigue, etc. After every workout I have indeed felt pretty grim and sore ("Never Again!"), but by the evening... and especially by the next day... I feel remarkably better. Perryman does not at all deny the need for rest; he just rejects the overweening obsession some people have with the idea of it. For, in reality they are training leagues below what makes for true, physiological overtraining.

I realized yesterday what I like most about this approach (for now!). It makes me feel like an athlete again! Instead of seeing weightlifting as a detour from my normal life, or, worse, as some burden which I must fit in every few days, it is simply a part of my lived routine. When I did crew in middle and high school, we ran, did pullups, pushups, rows, jumpies, erg drills, etc., and then did hundreds of strokes on the water--almost every day for months. Obviously, I'm no spring chicken, but I'm also not training as hard now as then. Yet, I am undoubtedly stronger and more powerful than I have ever been. The bottom line is, if I wanted to be good at rowing, I had to develop muscle memory and work capacity for that skill; it only makes sense that I must do the same if I want to be good at lifting weights. Instead of mere "fitness," I am pursuing to improve in a sport. Now all I need is to keep cardio/plyo conditioning in the mix. 

Ohh, how I long for a Concept II ergometer! All things in time....

Now, we're off to the Eucharistic Congress. 

AYCE Heavy notes...

Thursday, 27March 2014
All You Can Eat (AYCE) Heavy
40 min, 233 lbs

Warm-up (10 min.) - a lot of hopping, shaking, swinging, and stretching 
-
i) DBP: 225 x 5, 245 x 3, 255 x 2
-
ii) FSQ: 195 x 5, 225 x 3, 255 x 2
-
iii) Dip: 12, 11, 10
iv) Pull-up: 11, 9, [5-10 minute discussion with a couple high-school guys who asked me some questions {not counted in workout time shown above}], 10 

Hoo-boy! It's a good thing that "how you feel is a lie," because I feel pretty worked! I'm glad I went "lighter" today than on Tuesday. I spent time at lunch today calculating the 75/85/95% 1RM weights for today's workout 5-3-2 rep-scheme. I think it's a reasonable set-up, but it may turn out to be better to go with a 70/80/90% ratio on a 5-5-5 rep-scheme.

I will almost certainly still hit the gym tomorrow, but if not, I'll do some kettlebell and box jump drills at home. Either way, I'm taking the weekend off. There's a Eucharistic Congress downtown beginning tomorrow evening, and I may be having dinner with my brother's family Saturday.

SMILES: I felt more secure on the DBP. I lurrved feeling my abs go completely rigid for my final FSQ.

FROWNS: Meh. 

As for tomorrow, I'm projecting the following:

AYCE Light Friday, 28 March 2014,   min. 
Warm-up:
-
i) MP: 5, 3, 2 @ 115, 125, 135 lbs
-
ii) CL: 5, 3, 1, 1 @ 145, 165, 185 lbs
-
iii) Gironda neck press: 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 105, 115, 125, 135 lbs 
-
iv) Pendlay row: 5, 3, 2 @ 155, 175, 195 lbs

Wheels within wheels...

I realize I went a little too heavy yesterday and today. No--hardee har-har--this is not because my back or legs are seizing up on me this evening. I just realize how hard it is to be humble in sports, and perhaps especially in weightlifting, and how prevalent the temptation is to go too hard.

Case in point, when I got to the gym today, I saw some older guy today flinging around way too much weight with partial reps and flagrant body English. Granted, something tells me he's going through a midlife crisis, and is overcompensating, since, every time I catch a bit of his chats, he notes how he not only does weights, but also bikes, swims, etc.

Midlife crisis or no, he embodies the bitter pill of athletic progression: It's terribly hard to limit oneself to a modest but effective regimen for a sustained amount of time. This is why Wendler's 5-3-1 program is hated by some gym rats: "It's too simple and too slow!" Maybe I just need to buy the book for myself, run the spreadsheets, and go for it.

Obviously, though, I'm torn. I achieved what I wanted by completing Mass Made Simple. I know Even Keel works for me. I like what I'm reading in Squat Every Day. Yet, I also like the freedom of mixing in other kinds of workouts on a 3-day split with the 5-3-1.

Someone make it stop! 

In any case, for right now I'll just stick with almost daily training along the guidelines I'm learning as I read Squat Every Day. If I don't hit a wall, if I see results, and if Perryman's book doesn't turn me off by the end of it, I'll stick with AYCE till the end of the school year--though don't be surprised if I tweak it down a day or mix in more speed/power days.

Which... of course...

Brings me back to the 5-3-1!

Am I overthinking things?

Probably.

Certainly.

It's what I do.

Am I, however, letting all this thought get in the way of consistent and gainful workouts? No.

On that note, I am soooo happy to report than I think I experienced ZMA heaven last night. I took it by 9 PM, got to bed before 11, and woke up feeling wonderfully refreshed. I even recall having a dream! (Of course, it was about teaching, so maybe it was a nightmare?)

AYCE notes...

AYCE Light
26 March 2014, 50 min. 

Warm-up:
-
i) MP: 5, 3, 1, 11 @ 115, 130, 145, 105 lbs
-
ii) CL: 5, 3, 1, 1 @ 135, 155, 185, 195 lbs
-
iii) Gironda neck press: 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 95, 115, 135, 155 lbs 
-
iv) Pendlay row: 6, 4, 1/1 @ 135, 185, 205 lbs

Today's workout was a little longer than I liked, since, mea culpa, I got caught up in a little chatting. I was also more circumspect with some moves (the press and the clean), as I am still not 100% technically confident (plus, they're hard!). Weirdly, I kept bumping into things today. I went barefoot on the press and the clean. It will be interesting to see how I feel tomorrow. Not that it matters too terribly much, since "how you feel is a lie", because, sometimes, more really is more.

SMILES: I loved the Gironda neck press! Glad I brought it back into the mix. It was nice to do some heavy rows for one. That's the one thing I disliked about Mass Made Simple: very little back work. 

FROWNS: My clean form is dumpy. This was especially clear on the last rep at 195 lbs, when I could almost feel the bar stop around chest height. I simply did not pop my hips forward with enough speed.

I did some foam rolling while watching a documentary tonight. Here's to ZMA, milk, and sleep.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

I finally decided to go beyond the preview pages available via Kindle and purchase Matt Perryman's Squat Every Day. I like what I've read so far and am going to try the approach in conjunction with my Even Keel program. What tipped my hand is that they actually overlap in important ways: big, complex lifts at low volume + some accessory movements.

The only difference is the change in frequency. In the past couple weeks I've felt the urge to hit the gym more frequently; it really is a healthy addiction. So I'll simply limit the workouts to four, instead of five or six, lifts, and mix in some speed/power drills (box jumps, jump rope, medicine ball, bounding, short sprints, boxing, kettlebells, tire flips/rolls, etc.) on days I just don't want to be under the bar. That's a certainty, so I might as well plan around it in advance. Besides, as Perryman notes, the title of his book is not meant to be taken literally. Five, maybe even four, days a week is sufficient.

I am still not sure how to set up my programming as far as intensity goes. My understanding--or at least my working premise--is that I should work up to a 1RM every time I'm under the bar. Although I just tried out the rep scheme today, to get a feel for it, and paid no real attention to percentages of 1RM, 2RM, etc., I will shoot for four sets on "big lifts" scaled to a conservatively low 1RM:

80% x 5, 90% x 3, 100% x 1, 65% x MAX REPS

So, assuming I could 1RM 265 on the FSQ, I would do 215 x 5, 235 x 3, 265 x 1, and then max reps at 175 lbs. I think it would be similar for my DBP.

In any case, what I did today was...

All You Can Eat (AYCE) Heavy
44 min, 233 lbs

Warm-up
-
i) DBP: 225, 235, 245 x 3; 205 x 12
-
ii) FSQ: 225, 235, 245 x 3; 185 x 10
-
iii) Dip: 13, 10, 8
iv) Pull-up: 10, 7, 6

Tomorrow I will try the following:

AYCE Light

i) MP
-
ii) CL
-
iii) Gironda neck press: 
iv) Pendlay row:

As you might be able to tell, this second day is a lighter day. In a way, it's meant to be supplemental to the big lifts on the first day.

SMILES: Going heavier on the FSQ felt great in my quads! I did better on dips than I expected. I think letting my feet hang (knees pressed together), instead of lifting them to my waist, made it easier.

FROWNS: I felt some unusual stiffness/pain in my right wrist on the FSQ. I didn't feel as secure as normal on the DBP. It felt hard to set firmly and tightly on my traps and shoulder blades.

All together now...

I do one of these posts every few months. I sift through my archives to compare my latest regimen with past programs, and then do a little reminiscing. This time, however, I'm going to put it all in one place on the sidebar. I'll also be pretty terse with the reminiscing (aren't you lucky).

One of my earlier and larger recon-and-reminisce posts is here, wherein I explain why I stayed with what I call the Even Keel regimen. This article says it all, bluntly.

Not too long before that, I laid out what the Even Keel regimen is. In this post I want to present, on one sheet, as it were, all the permutations of it that I've used so far, so I can draw upon them as I advance with the regimen. I had forgotten some of my favorite exercises, the fruit of much research, until tonight's recollection!

Oh, and here's an entirely different scheme I devised a while ago, based on a floating three-day split. Considering how highly Dan John praises the 5-3-1 program, I have a feeling that my inspiration from Dan John on this point is due in part to the 5-3-1 program, which, yes, I also want to give a try when the time comes. 

Lastly, I find very much to agree with in this video by Elliott Hulse. Such simplicity is all I really have in mind with my Even Keel program (though, this program is intriguing in a similar way all over again!).



In any event, here are the various elements of any Even Keel regimen I would want to do, with some "Tens" mixed in on occasion.

Even Keel 1A: SQ: 5x5 db (D)BP: 5x5 SDL/RDL/suitcase DL/CL/SN: 6,4,2 - PU: reps x 3 (unilateral) db MP: 12,9,6 db hammer/ Zottman/spider curl 12,9,6

Even Keel 1B: DL: 5,3,2,1 pullover-press/Gironda dips: reps x 3 FSQ/HSQ/BSQ/ZSQ/ one-shoulder-SQ: 5x5 - Kroc/Pendlay row (or Cobra pulldown): 5x5 db guillotine: 12,9,6 spider/hammer/Zottman curl 12,9,6

Or...

Even Keel 2A  SQ :  db DBP :  SDL : - db MP : Squeeze-press : PU (neutral grip) :

Even Keel 2B HSQ/ZSQ/BSQ/FSQ/unilateral SQ : db guillotine/Gironda dips : DL : - Cable flye-away :  Kroc/Pendlay row :  db curl :

Or...

EVEN KEEL 3A Warm-up & Stretch (I) DBP: 2-3-5, 2-3-5 # (II) CX: 8-6-4 # (III) [F]SQ: 10, 6, 2 # (IV) PU: # bdw reps db-P: 10, 10, 10 #

EVEN KEEL 3B Warm-up & Stretch (I) Dips: # bdw (II) DL: 6, 4, 2 # (III) FSQ: 10, 6, 2 # (IV) Chin-ups: # bdw reps db-P: 10, 10, 10 #

Hypothetical week (practice neck bridging, headstands, hand balancing every day): 

Mo: Even Keel 1A [gym]

Tu: Grip Day! [home] 

W: Shrug Day! [gym] 

Th: walk/jog/box/kb/mb/dino-db [home]

Fr: Even Keel 1B [gym] 

Sa/Su: rest/whatever [home]

If I needed more rest, the pattern would simply be shifted that many days later. I want to incorporate more unilateral versions of the above, by the way. I'm going to make little tickets for all my favorite exercises (cf. 1A/1B), divided into little buckets for each kind of movement they achieve, and, except for fixed lifts in every workout (e.g. SQ, DL, etc.), I'll just pull out tickets at random from one workout to the next. I'm excited! 

Stop me before I kill--myself--again!

Well, no, the workout wasn't all that bad.

The point is that I did "The Tens" tow days in a row.

Today, in about 45 minutes, I did the following (some weights are approximate):

- i) DBP, ii) EZ bar curl, iii) tricep rope cable pressdown, iv) close grip sternum cable row, v) FSQ
@ i) 185/165/165/185, ii) 50/50/50/60, iii) 40/40/50/50, iv) 120/120/130/140, v) 135/135/155/155 lbs 

- i) db press, ii) close-grip EZ bar curl, iii) wide-grip tricep cable pressdown, iv) wide-grip low cable row, v) FSQ
@ i) 55/55/60/65, ii) 50/50/50/60, iii) 40/40/50/50, iv) 120/120/130/140, v) 135/135/155/155 lbs

When I finished set #6, I took at least five minutes to rest for the last two. I was going for time, really, and I ended finishing in under 50 minutes.

Gym update...

Between the end of spring break looming and some gnarly yardwork into which I've foolheartily thrown myself the past few days, I was in a real funk by late Friday afternoon. I ended up taking a nap with my kids and talking some things out with my wife, and finally got myself out the door with an hour left before the gym closed. I was really not up for an Even Keel workout, especially because it would have involved Serious Deadlifting, so I decided to try out the brainstorming I did based on Kali Muscle's high-volume approach.

In the span of 45 minutes I did the following sets of 10 reps over the weight ranges shown:

- DBP, EZ bar curl, close-grip tricep cable pressdown, seated cable row, FSQ, DL
@ 135 lbs, 50-60 lbs, 40-60 lbs, 90-120 lbs, 135 lbs, 135 lbs 
10, 10, 10, 10

- db press, close-grip EZ bar curl, wide-grip tricep cable pressdown, cable lat pulldown, FSQ, DL
@ 50-60 lbs, 50-60 lbs, 40-60 lbs, 90-120 lbs, 135 lbs, 135 lbs 
10, 10, 10

2 min REST between set couplets

In other words, I started with 10 DBP at 135 lbs, then did 10 curls at 50 lbs, then triceps, rows, FSQ, and DL. Less than a minute later I did 10 db presses, curls, triceps, etc. Then I rested about two minutes before starting another pair of 10's. I liked the intensity and will keep something like this in the mix on days when I'm rushed or simply not up to an Even Keel workout but need to "pump some iron." However, the next time I do this--which might be today!--I will cut out the DL and go a bit heavier on chest and back.

"A good sore..."

My triceps felt the most sore a day after my "Carpe Ferrum" workout, though I was pleased to feel some soreness in my biceps, as well. Most intriguing was the soreness I felt in my upper abdominals and upper/mid back muscles--all thanks to front squatting!

This afternoon I got around to cleaning up the garage again and then settled into the following:

(I)
2.5 min double-end bag
60 sec rest 
2.5 min heavy bag
60 sec rest 
30 sec/30 sec L/R stagger sledge swing
30 sec/30 sec wide-leg high striker
60 sec rest
20/20 KB swing @ 35#
10/10 KB snatch @ 35#
1-2 min rest

(II)
[REPEAT (I)]

The weather was extremely humid but pleasantly cool. My sorry ass could barely keep my gloves up on round two of my boxing drills. The most annoying aspect of our new house is how muddy the backyard gets and stays. This made my tire-sledge drills a little annoying. I'll see how I feel tomorrow for an Even Keel "B" workout (probably in the evening).

Oh, by the way, Gravity is a very good movie. 

Bodybuilding brainstorming from Kali Muscle...

Day 1, 3, 5*

bb curl - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 60

db incline curl - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 25

db hammer curl - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 25

EZ preacher curl - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 40

db flye - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 50

--

DL - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 205

SQ - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 185

FSQ - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 135

calf raises - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @100

--

Day 2, 4, 6*

bent row - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 125

snatch - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 125

db shrug - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 185

cable row - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 90 

-- 

db tricep extension - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 50

DBP - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 185

rope pushdown - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 40

IBP - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 105

db pullover - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 @ 50

* All weights in pounds.

That was fun... (UPDATE)

I'm back from my "free day" workout. It turned out to be exactly the workout I was hoping for. I didn't train lackadaisically, but I also didn't feel rushed in the least. It's nice to know that a workout I thunk up pretty much spontaneously turned out to fit my intensity and time parameters like a glove. That shows me that I've accrued enough instincts to know what ingredients should go into a solid workout. This is not a boast, mind you, but rather a reminder, to myself: Confidence, Persistence, Patience, Humility. The key is to stick with what works... and to keep on sticking:

A natural-law argument for the virtue of weightlifting? HT to Elliott H. via Elliot B.

Since I'm sure you're dying to know, here's what I did:

17 March, 2014
"Carpe Ferrum" workout
230 lbs., < 60 min.

Overhead Squat:
8 @ 45 lbs.
8 @ 95 lbs.
7 @ 115 lbs.

[I had to get out from under the bar on rep 8 of the last set. Interestingly (right?), I set the bar from a hang clean, rather than from a back squat. I didn't use the Smith machine, but it is an option, "if you must."]

Farmer walk:
30 sec. @ 90 lbs. x 3

FSQ:
135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205, 215, 225 lbs. x 3

[The idea here was to do triplets until my form started to deteriorate. In my earlier post about this workout, I said that I can front-squat about 65% of my back-squat, but apparently that was a low calculation. I based it on the fact that I most recently back-squatted 315 lbs x 4, and a few days later front-squatted 205 x 4. But, as I mentioned in my notes about that latter workout, I was feeling fatigued, and, what's more, ended a tough workout with FSQ. I was pleased, but not "stoked", to realize that I capped off a set of 30 front squats at 225 lbs. My guess is that I could crank out four good FSQ at 250 lbs. or so, which means I can actually front-squat about 80% of my back squat. Granted, if I went for a four-rep max on the back squat, I could probably do 350 lbs. or more, so the ratios are still pretty tentative. (I just don't like 1RM's for some reason.) In any case, I will continue with FSQ until I can do 90% of my 315x4 back squat (285 lbs. x 4). In udda woids, a ways to go!]

EZ-bar curls:
8, 8, 8 @ 70, 80, 90 lbs.

db pullovers:
10, 10, 10 @ 50, 60, 70 lbs.

+ + +

Today wasn't too intense, and I have a feeling that I'll be back in the gym for Even Keel B on Wednesday. Fun times. Now I'm going to drink it up for St. Patrick's Day with a range of fine micro-brews, and, despite a twinge in my conscience, some obligatory Guinness.

Free day...

I'm feeling frisky, so I'm going to head to the gym for, well, whatever strikes my fancy.

I have in mind some of the following:

KB swings
OSQ
Farmer walks
FSQ
bb curls
db pullovers

Also, I'm going to be replacing my SQ with FSQ for the next few weeks. Dan John advised cutting out high-rep back squats once Mass Made Simple was over and I can only front-squat about 65% of my back squat. I like working my quads more, anyway, so giddy-up. When I get "back" to squatting, I'm also going to try a higher-bar squat.

Gym regimen - March 2014

EVEN KEEL "B"
Saturday, 15 March 2014 

Warm-up & Stretch
(I)
Dips: 10*, 10, 10 @ bdw
[Body English and resetting on the first set!]
(II)
DL: 6, 4, 3 @ 225, 305, 355 lbs. 
(III)
Chin-ups: 7, 10, 8 @ bdw
[Also used Body English on these.] 
db-P: 10, 10, 10* @ 65, 70, 75 lbs. 
[Glad I asked for a spotter on last set.]
(IV)
FSQ: 8, 6, 4 @ 185, 195, 205 lbs.

+ + +

A friend of mine saw this recent post and teased me about it in my own hypothetical words: "So, because I'm burned out on this intense regimen [Mass Made Simple], I'm going to replace it with this intense regimen [Even Keel]." He's probably more right than I'm willing to admit, but, hey, I gotta to do sum'n to keep busy. I grew more tired as the week progressed. Yesterday I got home and mowed and trimmed the yard, tidied the garage a bit more, and ended with two sets of 25 KB swings at 35 lbs. Then I had my smallish Lent-Friday supper, went "onto" the bed to "rest" at 7:30 PM... and awoke again at 7:30 AM. "I needed that," I said as I woke up and read my daily entry in Divine Intimacy. Apropos, I think my (admittedly not terribly hardcore) Lenten fasting has taken me down a notch, probably mainly because for two months I was used to an almost steady intake of calories, protein, and fluids. I need to do a better job staying hydrated.

Meanwhile, it's spring break! 

As for today's workout, much of the difficulty, aside from any general fatigue or dehydration, arose from the fact that I haven't done some of today's motions in a couple months. Dips were astonishingly difficult, really because of the stretching involved in good dips. I've been doing bench presses for a while now, but pressing is all about compression. I realized earlier this week that stretched-exertion is a key to strength. Farmer walks, deadlifts, pullovers, pullups, dips, big-stone carrying, etc.--any motions that require contracting the muscle fibers while the larger muscle is stretched, are as difficult as they are beneficial.

Smiles: 
- Deadlift felt pretty good, but my grip needs some time to return. I used chalk and a hook grip on my last set.
- I felt a little vindicated by completing almost three whole sets of ten on the dumbbell press.

Frowns: 
- The tightness in my shoulders on dips was a good, but humbling signal. Dips are here to stay.
- I would have liked to do better on my front squat, so maybe I need to re-arrange the order of the exercises.

Active recovery...

Thursday, 13 March 2014 
230 lbs., 20-25 min. (?) 

3 min. double-end bag

2 min. heavy bag

8 lbs. SLEDGE-AND-TIRE x 3
10/10 staggered log split
10/10 low trunk chop
5/5 wide-leg high strike

KB swings
25/25, 25/25 @ 35 lbs.

-------

Cleaning the garage is a great excuse to workout, and vice versa. I got my heavy bag stand weighted down again, rigged up my double end bag, rolled Ferdinand into the firmest patch of soil in the backyard... and tidied up a couple other things in the garage. (Moving sucks.) It felt great to get the gloves back on my hands.

However, I could "feel the time away" from the fairly intensive cardio-conditioning that I'd been doing at the end of last year, before getting back under the bar these past two months. Having released myself from ALL BULKING ALL THE TIME, I'm stoked to be able to return to my full menu of "active recovery" (or "greasing the groove") exercises on "off days" after a heavy lifting day.

Lastly, it now makes perfect, "lived" sense that KB swings--and, really, all KB exercises--are meant to be done one-handed. (Here's an excellent interview with Valery Fedorenko for more insight along this line.) I felt much more core activation and loading of the posterior chain. I took a nice walk with the family yesterday and semi-forced myself into this workout today--hooray!--but I will not get back into the gym until Saturday, at the earliest.

Stay tuned.

Gym regimen - March 2014

Tuesday, 11 March 2014
231 lbs, 55 min.

Warm-up

(I)
DBP: 2-3-5, 5-5*-5* @ 235 lbs
(My spotter on the penultimate set surprised me by helping/exhorting me to go for 5 reps, and then I got the same treatment on the last set, for which I was more prepared. I dislike "grabby" spotters, but my pecs need forced reps, so it's all good.) 
(II)
CX: 8-6-4 @ 115, 125, 135 lbs (CL/MP/FSQ)
(I didn't feel as "amped" on these as last time. But at least I got them done.)
(III)
SQ: 10, 6, 4 # 225, 275, 315 lbs
(I decided to "take it easy" by not adding any weight over against my last workout, but getting one more final rep was victory enough.)
(IV)
PU: 10, 8, 6 # bdw
db-P: 10, 9, 7 @ 65, 70, 75 lbs
(My arms straight-up dropped at (what thus became) the end of my penultimate and ultimate sets. Good stuff. I should get a spotter next time. FORCED REPS!)

+ + +

Having finally gotten my hands, or, feet, on a reliable scale, it seems that my initial weight measurements were heavy by a few pounds, which skewed my projected goals, as well as my measured weight gains along the way. The good news is that I have gained the same amount of lean-body mass since early January, but the bad news is, my gym's scale sucks.

As for some truly good news, my family is back from Taiwan! It was a wonderful reunion and, boy howdy, are my kids adorable. Of course, I'm now back on "active duty" as a husband and La Casa Bougis is a tornado of cleaning and furniture juggling. It's taken me some time to get used to having an infant and a toddler around again, so, between the cleaning, the projected costs we have for bringing the house into order, and the heightened awareness of my kids almost-tumbling-and-dropping-or-eating-things-left-and-right, my stress levels were pretty high when I headed to the gym this afternoon. As such, I decided to stick with my previous workout, so as to spare myself the mental irritation of having to think about a new workout scheme. I'll have to go for the deadlift next time.

Despite having gotten an unusually ample amount of sleep in the past few days except for one very late night, I could have gone for another day of rest: today's workout was very "mental" and I will not be back in the gym until I feel fully recovered (which allows for residual muscle soreness, by the way--it's the hormones and nervous system that you need to assess most carefully). 

It's hemorrhoid-makin' time!

Fear not, I have not been so hobbled.

I am merely being "cheeky" about one of the all but inevitable side effects of Serious Squatting.

In my most recent post I noted that I am relieving myself of accelerated bulking, and am seeking to build on the plateau to which Mass Made Simple has brought me these past six weeks. The workout below is one I shall be using for the foreseeable future, with some tweaks, which I'll explain presently. Meanwhile, if you needed any proof that I am not giving up on bulking--I do still have until March 18!--be aware that after Mass tonight, I got a large fries and two 1/2 lb. burgers from Wendy's. (They were amazingly good. [As filling as they were, by the time I finished writing this post, I was hungry again. Oatmeal-apple-and-protein time!]) For the next week I shall be putting special effort into hydrating.

As for my workout today....

Saturday, 7 March 2014
235 lbs (?), 60+ min.

Warm-up

(I)
DBP: 2-3-5, 5-3-3 # 235, 225 lbs
CX: 8-6-4 # 115, 125, 135 lbs (CL/MP/FSQ)

(II)
PU: 10, 8, 6 # bdw*
*(I admit to cheating with a little body English. Naughty, naughty.)   
SQ: 10, 6, 3 # 225, 275, 315 lbs
(In a throwback to my old circuit-style of training, I alternated between pullup and squat sets, though next time I'll move pullups to part III.)

(III)
db-P: 10, 10, 6 # 65, 70, 75 lbs

+ + +

- Despite a twinge in my knee yesterday, I had a great workout today. KB motions generate very peculiar angles and stresses, so squatting did not aggravate the joint in the same way.

- Sure enough, I prefer the decline bench press. With the db presses at the end, here's to hoping that my pecs are actually sore for once! I made sure to lower the dumbbells closer to my sternum than my collarbone, so that the eccentric tension was more in my pectorals than my anterior deltoids.

- The complex felt great, though I would like to be clearer about my clean technique.

- I've neglected grip training for too long, so it was nice to feel my forearms "fried" a bit today due to the pullups.

- As mentioned, the sudden jump in weight on my squat left we with a certain "tingling" in my nether regions after I got home, but I will simply have to increase my fiber intake (Fruit! Kale! Oatmeal!) and focus on stabilizing my abdominals and lumbar better than ever as the weight goes up. What ruined me a few years ago when I attempted the "Squats and Milk" bulking routine, was the combination of internal stress and the amount of time I had to defecate and wipe my bum because of all the eating I was doing. There was just too much going on downstairs, and I hated feeling so full all the time, so I bailed on "SMR" about halfway through. This time bulking, however, a very high quality protein supplement allowed me to eat less food matter, which required less digestion, which produced less etc., and my bum has thanked me.

I did not even really "think" about my squat progression. I just threw the plates on, knowing that being able to do over 20 squats at over 200 lbs had equipped me to go significantly heavy for fewer reps. When I finished, another fellow gave me the thumbs up and remarked, "No belt? No knee wraps?" At that point we had a nice conversation, in which I mostly gave him some pointers and encouragement. If nothing else, I did my job by enlightening him to the much ignored good of goblet squats and overhead squats (on a Smith machine, if need be).

As mentioned above, I shall persist in this routine for a while, although next time I shall replace the complex with the deadlift, do dips instead of the DBP, and do front instead of back squats.** As such, this routine is so similar to my old Even Keel routine that I might as well call it that. (Welcome back, old friend!) I'm genuinely curious what I shall be able to "pull off" on the deadlift. It's been a while, and having neglected formal grip training for a season will, I suspect, be a limiting factor. Given the perhaps uniquely intense demands which deadlifts put on the CNS, I am considering a further guard against overzealous burnout by replacing the DL with a SDL on Even-Keel-B days if I feel overtaxed.

As for the progression on this Even-Keel-A workout, I will not increase weight until I can complete all the desired reps. (No duh, right?) I respond much better to quasi-bodybuilding high volume than to powerlifting intensity, so I will use reps rather than poundage as my index. For example, since I dropped down to 225 on my second set of DBP, next time I will try for as many reps as I can manage at 235, and only once I can do two legitimate sets of 2-3-5 at 235 will I add any weight (5 lbs) for the next workout. It follows that I will "reward" myself by adding 5 lbs to my complex and squat (the latter which I first envisioned as a 10-6-2 progression, but I couldn't resist that final, third squat).

My current goal for pullups is three sets of 10 "good" reps. I'm not interested in adding extrinsic weight until I can do three sets of at least 15 reps at bodyweight. As the rest of my body continues to grow due to the other exercises, this is no small challenge.

Lastly, my current goal for the dumbbell press is three sets of 10 at 65, 70, and 75 lbs, at which point I'll shoot for the same rep-scheme at 70, 70, and 75 lbs, until I eventually can do three sets of 10 at 75 lbs. After that, I shall start the cycle again scaled up by 5 lbs.

Say it with me now: Double Progression Is Your Best Friend--And All The Programming You Really Need.***

Well, that, plus confidence, patience, humility, and rest.

Stay tuned.

• ** Here's a summary of what I have in mind for the next several weeks: 

• EVEN KEEL "A" Warm-up & Stretch (I) DBP: 2-3-5, 2-3-5 # (II) CX: 8-6-4 # (III) [F]SQ: 10, 6, 2 # (IV) PU: # bdw db-P: 10, 10, 10 #

  EVEN KEEL "B" Warm-up & Stretch (I) Dips: # bdw (II) DL: 6, 4, 2 # (III) FSQ: 10, 6, 2 # (IV) Chin-ups: # bdw db-P: 10, 10, 10 #

• *** My "Double Progression" axiom is to be taken in a minimal sense. There is a vast array of progression methods, so I do not mean to say that double progression is all you would ever need (or want), only that, if you want to avoid complexities and overthinking, Double Progression is totally sufficient for making gains (all hail The "KISS" Principle). I am also aware that Jim "5/3/1" Wendler poo-poo's the triplet-style programming that I've shown above, and that Dan John highly praises the 5/3/1 program, so I really do want to get into it at some point. For now, though, I want to stick with a regimen that I know works for me, isn't as mentally distracting during Lent, and that I can do while (hypothetically) reading Wendler's book before diving into his program on the fly (which was my mistake with Mass Made Simple).

Mass Made Simple - Time to reassess...

Week 7 of Mass Made Simple is for assessing one's progress and recalibrating one's goals and methods going forward. By the end of MMS (Mass Made Simple), my immune system and sleep were getting a little buggy, Lenten fasting threw my nutrition routine off, and then I mildly strained my knee Thursday night doing some double-KB "recharge" work. (In fact, I had been doing KB drills since Tuesday. KB bench press rocks!) Basically, I hit a wall, and it's time to restrategize.

From early January till now I've been hitting the weights pretty hard and have put on a good 20 lbs of lean body mass, so the quest has hardly been a failure. Did I reach 240 lbs? No, but I am not done bulking. I am simply releasing myself from the accelerated pace at which I've been bulking for almost two months. Weight training itself (as opposed to "augmenting athletic training with weight resistance") is a mega-marathon type sport. Some of the savvier gurus on YouTube, for example, have been weight-training-itself for 15-20 years. I've been doing weight training for less than four years, with a fairly significant hiatus in year three. I've learned a lot and I've gained 50 lbs since I began, and have enjoyed very satisfying gains in the major lifts (MMS helped my otherwise always lousy bench press quite a lot). Now it is simply a time to learn more, and build on a plateau.

I know what movements I want to train, so it's just a question (as always) of effective programming. Each person must adapt successful principles to his own needs. For me, for instance, I need a lot of volume for my chest, whereas I need a lot of power for my back and legs. I also do not enjoy losing whole-body mobility and agility by letting weight training crowd out calisthenic and gymnastic training.

OHS: overhead squat
FSQ: front squat
SQ: (back) squat
DL: deadlift
SDL: snatch deadlift
CX: complexes
MP: military press
OAP: one-arm press
DBP/db-P: decline bench press OR flat dumbbell press
DIP: dips
PU: pullups
CL/SQ: clean/into-front-squat

The above are the motions I prefer and which I believe research will bear out as the most efficient. However, given the demands of the DL, I will only do it every other workout.

So, what will I try today, mainly to get my mind back in the game and climb over the wall of stalled motivation that I ran into last week? Depending how my knee responds....

DBP: 2-3-5 x 2 @ 235 lbs
CX: 8-6-4 [CL/MP/FSQ] @ 115 lbs
PU: bdw for reps
SQ: [will report after workout]
db-P: 10 x 3 @ 70 lbs

For now I’m in a free-flow mode, discerning which program I want to pursue next. I’ve been interested in the 5-3-1 program for a while, so we’ll see. One thing that I do want to restore, is my grip training regimen, with a strong bodyweight dimension to all my training. This video was very "moving" ;) to me when I watched it last night. Enjoy!

Mass Made Simple - Day 13

Sunday, 2 March 2014   
232 (233?) lbs, 60+ min

Warm-up
-
BP : 3, 3, 3, 3*, 4* @ 235, 230 lbs 
          *[Minimal but just-right amount of help.]
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 70 lbs
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 3 @ 60 lbs
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
Complex : 2 x 5 @ 135 lbs
SQ : 10, 3, 3, 10, 24 @ 155, 185, 205, 225, 205 lbs

+ + +

I took yesterday "off", since over half of my day was spent on exemplifying my 2nd and 3rd degrees in the Knights of Columbus. Then I spent the rest of the day tidying the house (The Never-Ending Move). The last couple days I have tooled around with my kettlebells (yes, I now have two 35-lb KBs, which are much harder than using just one!).

During my warm-up I stretched much more conscientiously than usual this time. Bench press was the only serious challenge today, but even that felt pretty good. Since I was brushing up against closing time by the time I got to squats, I did these much more intensively than previous workouts. I also kept my feet a little closer in order to work my quads more. Squats felt very good. Going for a straight 24 at the end was very gratifying.

Mass Made Simple - Day 12

Wednesday, 26 February 2014   
231 lbs, 60 min

Warm-up
-
BP : 2 x 5 @ 235 lbs 
          [I did 3 reps on the last set, with a minimal but just-right amount of help from a spotter.]
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 3 @ 60 lbs
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 70 lbs
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 3 x 3 @ 135 lbs
-
SQ : 10, 3, 27/13 @ 155, 185, 205 lbs


+ + +