AYCE was nice but...

Yeah. 

But seriously, AYCE quickly became an addictive program, but... 

I want to have more time for other training modalities. 

I'm just not enough of a gym rat to do a daily gym session. 

Perryman helped me exorcise the specter of "overtraining" but I found AYCE too hard to program, and I wasn't seeing the gains I expected from it (blame my poor sleep lifestyle, I know). 

So I'm going back to what I know works for me: Even Keel! 

This will give me more time for recovery, more time for grip training, and more time for "just messing around" with plyometrics, kettlebells, tires and hammers, sprinting, handstands, and so on. 

One adjustment I'm making compared to how I did Even Keel in Taiwan, is the rep scheme: for big, compound lifts I'm using a 5x5 scheme, while for smaller exercises I'm going for more volume. Another change is that I'm switching over to dumbbells on as many exercises as I can. One more tweak is that I will throw in unilateral lifts and compounds at times. I also struck upon what I hope is a sustainable and successful programming method, albeit with help from an old stand-by, the deck of cards conditioning challenge. As my millions of readers know, I am prone to adjusting things from one week to the next, as I love to try out new exercises and methods. For a while this adaptability was making me insecure and confused, but then it dawned on me that I should just work with my impulse for novelty. So, this weekend I wrote down my favorite exercises, divided into five groups (squat, deadlift, pull/row, press, and curls [because even I am allowed a little lifter's vanity]). I will be making cards (or straws or tickets) for each exercise, storing them in five different cups (or buckets or whatever), and then pretty much drawing them at random to fill in the following grid: 

A
squat (heavier)
chest/triceps/shoulders
deadlift (lighter)
chest/triceps/shoulders
back/pull
biceps

B
deadlift (heavier)
chest/triceps/shoulders
squat (lighter)
back/pull
chest/triceps/shoulders
biceps

The hub of the workout is the squat and deadlift, so I can always expect to do those lifts every time. I think this will keep things mentally stimulating, and will prevent muscle adaptation. I like the idea of not knowing exactly what challenge I'll be facing until about an hour before I get to the gym. I realize that "imaging" is very important, but this program does not work against imaging. Everything I'm doing here is to help me a) get better at squatting and deadlifting, and b) get stronger overall. Imaging is there to help me become more and more efficient with the first parameter. The variations on a muscular theme are there to achieve the second one. 

Anyway. 

Until I make my Lifting Lotto, here's what I've got projected for tomorrow: 

FSQ: 5x5 @ 265 
db BP: 5x5 @ 90 
SDL: 6, 4, 2 @ 225 
PU: reps x 3
db MP: 12, 9, 6 @ 60, 65, 70 lbs
spider curl: 12, 9, 6 @ 50, 60, 70 lbs   

I'm excited about presenting some exercise that will crop up in the upcoming workouts--I discovered some very neat ones this weekend, as a matter of fact--but I'll let the pattern emerge over time. If I lay it all out now, I'll just look even worse for, inevitably, changing it in a couple weeks. ;) 

Patience... Humility... Confidence... 

AYCE notes...

AYCE Posterior
Tuesday, 1 April 2014 
40 min, 225 lbs

[I have no idea what's up with my weight. I've just taken too many inconsistent weighings over the past few months. I guess I should ratchet all my estimates down by 8 lbs. I don't even know. I was over 230 in February, but I drop weight very easily, and the body always tends to its natural functional weight. On the bright side, this means I'm that much closer to cleaning my bodyweight and that much closer to a double-bodyweight back squat! I got pretty close to a double-bodyweight deadlift back in Taiwan, if I did not in fact hit it. And then if I used straps...!] 

Warm-up (6 min.): motions, stretching, shaking

CL: 5, 4, 3, 2, 2 @ 155, 175, 185, 190, 190 lbs

MP: 5, 4, 3, 2, 2 @ 135, 140, 145, 150, 155 lbs

Pendlay row: 5, 4, 3, 2, 2 @ 155, 175, 195, 205, 215 lbs

CLSQSQ: 5 @ 135 lbs

+ + +

Compared to my projections from yesterday, I did one set less volume. I think next time I will do six sets via 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2 reps. "Large and low." I felt a bit distracted when I got started. Maybe I'd had too much coffee and vitamin B. Setting good form on the clean, however, is a great way to get focused. Posterior chain to the rescue! The "CLSQSQ" was something I threw on at the end, for kicks. I really liked the speed of banging out two FSQ after a CL.

SMILES: Felt good to go heavier on the row. I may have gotten a PR for the standing press. Meh.

FROWNS: I still struggled with getting my hips forward quickly enough on the CL. My years of rowing experience are helping me, though, since a clean is basically a vertical rowing stroke. Starting slowly from the floor actually helps (good video, great music). I was annoyed to find that no bar at the gym has freely rotating sleeves. That makes the plates stick and totter at times. I think I'll need to curtail my urge for MOAR WEIGHT in order to focus on speed and tight hip-extension.

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.