AYCE notes... (We have lift-off!)

[Refer to notes below the "END" break for earlier "paradigms" that I have trained with. I am still tinkering with a cyclical training program, based on Dan John's maxim that "Everything works, for six weeks or so". I am currently loving HIT, but also realize that my own (favorite) Even Keel regimen was in certain key ways a HIT program. -- 25 January 2015] 

Here's a tentative, conceptualized outline of my 6-month regimen for ongoing meta-progress:

I. 
HIT (full-body, one-set workouts, ample rest) 
January 1-February 5
REST 9 days 

II.  
Even Keel (full-body, higher volume workouts, ample rest)
February 15-March 22
REST 9 days 

III. 
Attempts For Personal Bests (SQ, FSQ, DL, Grip/Crush)
April 2-May 7
REST 9 days 

IV. 
Olympic Lifts (cf. bottom of this Dan John article) 
OR 
Mass Made Simple (also thanks to Dan John) 
OR 
5/3/1 
OR 
5x5 
OR 
Bodyweight Power
May 17-June 21
REST 9 days 

---

REPEAT THE ABOVE for another six months 

As always, I just don't know, yet I am intrigued enough to keep tweaking, based on what I do know. Meanwhile, come what may, I want to be able to include:

boxing
rowing
trap workouts

in any long-term regimen.

Hmmmm...

--- END 2015-25-01 ---

[NB: After almost six months out of the gym, as of early November 2014 I am doing a three-day split, designed by Schwarzenegger in his old The Education of a Bodybuilder, in order to regain a solid base. Beginning in 2015, I will start a HIT program (as presented by Ellington Darden), which will last for at least 6 months. After that, I think I will return to my lifetime PR goals. Stay tuned! -- 1 December 2014] 

Monday, 7 April 2014
45 min., 226 lbs

Warm-up (9 min.) - movements, OHS, stretching

DL: 5 x 5 @ 285 lbs

Guillotine: 12, 10, 8 @ 135, 145, 155 lbs

ZSQ: 5 x 5 @ 135

PNF (3-4 min.)

+ + + 

This article from Pavel gave me the break I think I needed. I really like training every day, but I've had difficulty figuring out how to program the lifts over a week. 5 x 5 is tried and true, and as simple as a stone. Along similar lines, this interview with Perryman reminded me about the distinction he makes between volume responders and intensity responders. I'm a volume responder, meaning, I need more reps (i.e. more time under tension). What I was doing the past couple weeks offered a decent amount of intensity, but too little volume. And so, in my never-ending variations-on-a-theme progress:

Monday: heavy DL + Guillotine + ZSQ 
Tuesday: heavy BP + HSQ + PU (reps)
Wednesday: heavy FSQ + IBP + Pendlay row
Thursday: light FSQ + db press + PU 
Friday: light SQ + CLP 

As always, except for the primary "big lifts" on the first three days, and squatting every day, of course, the exercises are subject to change (e.g. Kroc row instead of Pendlay row, or OSQ instead, or DBP, etc.). I could have gone heavier today on some lifts, but I'm going to start modestly, shoot for 5 x 5 ten pounds heavier next week, and just keep at it for a while. Oh, and, that's right: I'm throwing some back squat into the mix again. My upper back needs a break from FSQ's--heck, the bar will make for a nice massage! Still, my primary goal is FSQ 285 x 4 before making (high-bar, narrow-ish stance) SQ my bread and butter again. 

The good news is, this weekend I finally got a clear sense of my overall goals. It's so hard to go into the gym without a goal. "Getting a pump" is too short-sighted. I'm not interested in real powerlifting (triple bdw everything, lifting equipment, etc.), nor in bodybuilding per se. My sport is weightlifting: I want to be good at maneuvering heavy weights in classical, primal movements. As such, the cycle I envision are like so:

4 months of sheer strength training (5x5, 5-3-1, etc.) -- POWER

4 months of calisthenics and bodyweight -- MOBILITY

4 months of bulking and building (Mass Made Simple, HIT, etc.) -- MASS

MASS --> POWER --> MOBILITY

Leaning out before bulking makes bulking more effective --> 

bulking gives me more mass to apply to power training --> 

then I will have power to apply to bodyweight skills and more focused kb drills

 Wash, rinse, repeat. It's been many years since I cold say I trained for a sport. In high school it was rowing and cross country (and a season of wrestling, woohoo!). In college it was road cycling. In Taiwan... I sort of floated from one martial art to another, and mantained "general fitness" (when I wasn't de-maintaining it with lots of food and beer and late nights, woohoo!). I realize now, however, that I need the structure of being an athlete in training, even if only on an amateur scale. Indeed, what better way to live than as a lover? Whichever third of the year I choose to emphasize--and right now it's strength and power--I can view the other cycles as off-season, prehab/rehab, etc.  

It's still a work in progress, of course, but I no longer feel like I'm flying totally blind as a weightlifter... simply bewildered with my eyes wide open. (Now I just need an erg to reignite my ineradicable rower's identity!) Best of all, it's amazing how holy and mellow all this exercise is keeping me.Idle hands, and all that.

"7 But avoid foolish and old wives' fables: and exercise thyself unto godliness. 8 For bodily exercise is profitable to little: but godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." -- I Timothy 4

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?)

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


+ + +

Mass Made Simple - Day 11

Sunday, 23 February 2014   
230 lbs, 60 min

Warm-up
-
BP : Max Double: 2*, 2* @ 255, 245 lbs 
          [First rep of each set was solid, but I needed help for the second reps. I'm supposed to do five doubles at 20 lbs below today's max double, so I'll shoot for five doubles at 235 lbs. I can already tell that will be fun.]
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 2 @ 60 lbs
          [I switched arms for each sub-set (2/2, 3/3, etc.), mistakenly thinking Dan John had prescribed doing so for a change.]
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 70 lbs
         [Actually challenging, as/but I kept good form, really felt those rhomboids!]
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 5 x 3 @ 115, 125, 135 lbs
          [These kicked my ass today! There's a real difference between doing five sets of two reps (last week) and three sets of five reps. My cleans at 135 lbs felt ragged, and by the time I got into front squats, my forearms were fried, so much so that I released them and went into the alternative hand posture... which was... ill advised, since I then had no way to get my hands back in place for the press without racking the bar. So... I broke the key rule of complexes and racked it before all the motions were complete. Then I also used a little body English for my presses at 135 lbs.]
-
SQ : 10, 3, 10, 16/12 @ 155, 185, 205, 225 lbs
          [In an otherwise very demoralizing workout, these were a source of some pride. Or, rather, a much needed proof of progress. Actually, only the complexes and bench press were demoralizing, and even with complexes I aimed rather high. Anyway, for squats today I totally concentrated on a tense core and posterior chain, and I hitched the bar lower on my traps than I've been doing the past few workouts. That really helped and I think it will prevent the neck strain I've felt. The last set was to-fifty, but you'll notice that not only did I do a set of 16, but I also ended with 12, just to push myself to 51!]

+ + +

A friend asked me why I'm going heavier for some exercises than Dan John technically advises in Mass Made Simple. The only reply I could think of was that standby, "Go big or go home." Will I reach 240 lbs by March 18? With only 3+ weeks left, it will be very, very tough. But it will be fun!

As for today's workout, while it was prudent of me to take an extra day off, it turns out that a single day of great sleep does not recoup three days of inadequate sleep. I got 16-18 hours of sleep from Wednesday night to Saturday morning, but then went to bed at 6 PM Saturday and woke up at 7:30 Sunday morning. It doesn't help, I guess, that I went kayak fishing with a buddy from 6 AM till noon on Saturday. It didn't leave me sore, but the paddling, exposure and general busyness of the outing left me a bit taxed for my workout today. Whatevs, it was a good time and a passable workout.

Patience, perseverance, humility, prayer.... Stay tuned.

Mass Made Simple - Day 10

Wednesday, 19 February 2014   
229 lbs, 60+ min

Warm-up
-
BP : 2-3-5, 2-3-5 @ 230, 225 lbs 
          [Had a little spotter help on the last reps of the first set, and not a little help {forced reps} on the last reps of the second set.]
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 2 @ 60, 55 lbs
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 70 lbs
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 2 x 5 @ 135 lbs
-
SQ : 10, 2, 10, 12, 12, 4 @ 155, 185, 205, 225 lbs

+ + +

Tonight was hard. I took a nap after work, so by the time I got to the gym, I was not really amped. I did not drink any coffee or Red Bull, but I did have a Cytomax during the workout, which seems to be some truly worthwhile stuff. It took me a while to get my head in the game. I felt a bit defeated, since over the past few days I've felt a little run down. Nonetheless, taking an extra day off was a smart move, since, while I didn't go quite as heavy on the bench, it did feel pretty good. It just takes time.

I was pleased to go heavier on the complexes, but by the time I got to the squats, I was really digging deep. My legs didn't want to give out, but erector spinae got the worst of it. Not "pain" as much as intense cranky tightening. Had to stretch it out! I need to activate my core more. The past couple days I did some KB drills, with not a few swings. Feels good in the obliques. My neck is no longer so strained but there is a slight resistance when I turn my head right and up. Riveting stuff, I know.

At the end of the day, all I can say is, I pushed through, my numbers keep going up, and even one of the main trainers tonight gave me The Nod, saying, "You're bulkin' up pretty good, man."

Good night.

Mass Made Simple - Day 9

Saturday, 15 February 2014   
229 lbs, 55 min

Warm-up
-
BP : 3, 3, 3, 3, 3* @ 225, 225, 225, 230, 235 lbs 
          [Had spotter help me on last rep of last triplet.]
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 3 @ 55 lbs
Bat wings : 10 sec @ 65, 65, 65, 70, 70 lbs
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 3 x 4 @ 125 lbs
-
SQ : 10, 10, 5, 5, 14 (15?)/6 @ 185, 185, 205, 205, 225/225 lbs
          [I think I counted rep 12 at 225 lbs twice. Had that good ol' exertion headache by then.]


--------------------


While I haven't been posting the data, I have been sticking to the "recharge" workouts on the days after my recovery days. The last three or four times, I've used my 35 lbs KB to do swings, cleans, jerks, snatches, and windmills.


My weight keeps inching upwards, but, as always, eating is the hardest part of bulking. I'm off to buy some digestive aid and simethicone pills. They are to bulking what dairy aid pills are to lactose intolerance. They just make life easier. 

I was feeling signs of fatigue in today's workout, so I will take three days off and hit it again on Wednesday. It's better to err on the side of rest rather than injury. My litmus test, believe it or not, is the bench press. I think my shoulders and chest could use one more day of recovery, though I'll probably just do two recharge days in a row after Sunday. My complexes felt really good, though I think I should have gone for 135 lbs, though I did one more complex than the three scheduled by Dan John. Squats were not as brutal as last time, and I went heavier than Dan John prescribed for this workout. Go big or go home, and all that.


Stay tuned.

Mass Made Simple - Day 8

Wednesday, 12 February 2014   
228 lbs, 55 min

Warm-up
-
BP : 2 x 5 @ 235 lbs
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 2 @ 55 lbs
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 65 lbs
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 2 x 5 @ 105, 110, 115, 125, 135 lbs
-
SQ : 10, 3, 3, [up-to-50] 17-13-4 @ 135, 185, 205, 225-225-225 lbs

----------------

For this workout, Dan John called for five doubles at 20 lbs lower than my Max Double from last time. Although I managed 2-3 reps at 245, and then two reps at 265 lbs, last time on the bench, tonight I didn't feel as "amped", so I stuck with 235. It felt decent enough.

It felt very good to go heavier on the complex, though admittedly they were only two-rep sets.

Squats were... brutal. I think I could have crushed out two sets of 17, but I was feeling a strong exertion headache after the first set of 17, so I "went easy" on myself by saving 4 for the end. As Dan John notes, the point is to get "up to fifty" any which way, so I didn't cheat. I just feel like I cheated. ;)

Last night I greased the groove with two sets of KB swings, cleans, clean-jerks, and snatches. I continue to put on weight, but I need to make more time for food prep on my rest day, and must drink more water every day! Good night, and stay tuned.

Mass Made Simple - Day 7

Sunday, 9 February 2014   
226 lbs, 55 min

Warm-up
-
BP : Semi-Max Triple, Max Double @ 245, 265 lbs
[The goal is to two clean reps of as much weight as I can handle. Had minimal help from a spotter.]
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 2 @ 55 lbs
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 65 lbs
[Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)?]
-
Complex : 5 x 3 @ 105, 110, 115 lbs
-
SQ : 10, 10, 10, 5, 5, 5, 5 @ 125, 155, 185, 205, 205, 225, 225 lbs

Mass Made Simple - Day 4

pre-workout projections...UPDATED after workout: actual reps in red

Monday, 30 January 2014   
224 lbs, __ min
 
Warm-up
-
BP : 2-3-5, 2-3-5, 11 @ 195, 185 lbs
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 2 @ 50 lbs
Bat wings : 5 x 10 sec @ 55 lbs
Bird-dog : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2 (tighter form)
-
Complex : 5 x 3 @ 105 lbs
-
SQ : 25 x 3 @ 115, 120, 125 lbs

---------------------

I think I felt some of the benefits of creatine tonight. A certain springiness in my reps even despite my overall distraction (I'm moving house). Must keep drinking water.

I'm surprised I'm doing as well as I am on the bench. I just need to take it slow and steady, especially seeing as I I felt a twinge in my right shoulder when I lowered the bar on the hang clean in my complex sets.

Oh, and speaking of complexes... THEY'RE HARD!!! Good news is that my press ("the limiting lift") felt stronger.

Lastly, the squat set FELT like I thinking heavy squat sets should. Lots of breathing reps (John McCallum would be proud).

Stay tuned.

Mass Made Simple - Day 3

Monday, 27 January 2014   
222 lbs, 55 min
 
Warm-up
-
BP : 2-3-5, 2-3-5, 10 @ 185 lbs
One/arm press : 2-3-5 x 3 @ 45 lbs
Bird-dog + planking : 20 sec, 20 sec x 2
-
Complex : 5 x 2 @ 105 lbs
-
SQ : 30, 30 @ 105, 125 lbs
-
Bat wings : 10 x 5 sec @ 55 lbs

-----------------------

Bench felt quite good. Going for 195 lbs next workout.

I forgot to do the exercises in the right order AGAIN. Even so, I rather like doing bat wings at the end. But I'll fall in line next workout.


I screwed up my complex by starting too heavy. The press really is the limiting lift.


Squats didn't feel as devastating as one might expect. I'm trying to be prudent by not doing too much too fast, but I do intend to keep adding a little more than Dan John advises.

I am eating a lot, and seeing gains, but I'm really thankful that my casein got here today. Protein will arrive in a couple days. Eating so much "food" food is tiring. Getting the protein without feeling full most of the time will be nice. I also got a good reminder from the inimitable Hodge Twins about good vs. "dirty" bulking. In a word, if you're gaining more than 3 lbs per week, you're just getting fat. I'm at about 1.5 lbs, I suppose.

Need to go buy lots more eggs, rice, meat, and kelp. And sleep.

Boy, is there egg on my face!

And I don't mean the crate of eggs I eat every few days.

In my notes for yesterday's workout, I mentioned that one set of 30 squats felt too easy, and I would have liked to have gone for another set of 30. Well, it turns out that I was supposed to have done two sets! I was rushed for time getting to gym, so I was careless about writing down the workout tasks.

I discovered my error just as I was settling into to bed last night, looking at Mass Made Simple in order to visualize the upcoming Day 3 workout. It really irritated me, so much so that I had to convince myself not to do a set of 30 today, a rest day. I console myself with the fact that I squatted with 10 more pounds than Dan John advises for the first two workouts. "It's something." One thing that made the whole workout even cooler, though, is that I had inadvertently worn my brown scapular during the workout! OORAH-LLELUJAH!

In any event, my creatine and ZMA arrived this morning, so I had my first teaspoon of creatine in a long time with brunch (yes, part of bulking means sleeping more than usual). I'm excited about trying ZMA for the first time ever tonight, if no other reason than I hear it promotes dream activity. I'm a notoriously "non-dreaming sleeper" (or, as I like to say, "I live my dreams"), so any boost in that mystery of mysteries should be exciting, even aside from the gains it's said to offer.

Also on the nutrition front, I've begun tweeting my protein intake as it happens (RIVETING STUFF!! WHAT ELSE IS TWITTER FOR!!?). I'm at about 170g by this afternoon, so I'll be sure to get my 300+ grams in today. My overall supplement schedule is like follows:

NON-WORKOUT DAYS:

20g BCAA/whey protein shake with creatine, plus eggs (20g protein) and bread in the morning
B complex, multivitamin, Co-Q10 pill, two fish oil capsules
30g BCAA/whey protein shake before lunch,
50g protein with lunch, fish oil capsules
40g BCAA/whey protein after work
100g protein with dinner, fish oil capsules
ZMA one hour before bed (three pills) 
20g casein protein right before bed, fish oil capsules

WORKOUT DAYS:

20g BCAA/whey protein shake with creatine, plus eggs (20g protein) and bread in the morning
B complex, multivitamin, Co-Q10 pill, two fish oil capsules
30g BCAA/whey protein shake before lunch
50g protein with lunch, fish oil capsules
30g BCAA/whey protein after work
10g Clif Bar protein before workout
40g protein 30-60 min after workout, fish oil capsules
50g protein with dinner, fish oil capsules
ZMA one hour before bed (three pills) 
20g casein protein right before bed, fish oil capsules

The above only makes for 270g per day, so, until I get my tub of protein and see what size drink I'd need to put down for how many grams, I'm not sure how to get over 300g. It will work out.

Stay tuned.

Mass Made Simple - Day 2

(I am only counting the "full workout" days, by the way. After each workout day, there is a rest day, then a recharge day. I went for a jog a few days ago, maybe Tuesday? On Wednesday my recharge was 4 sets of 10 goblet squats (50 lbs), 10 hang cleans (105 lbs), 10 presses (105 lbs), and 10+ pullovers (50 lbs). I intended to workout last night but I was exhasusted (we're moving and planning on a trip); I slept from 1700 last night till 0600 this morning, give or take. I will add tonight's workout data when I get home. Fridays are a real challenge on a protein bulking program, so I'm stoked that my protein, creatine, and ZMA will arrive in the next few days.)

A note on nutrition:

• This  morning I ate five fried eggs and a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter in it; roughly 40g protein. 
• Then I came home for lunch and at five fried eggs with rice and spinach and kale; roughly 40g protein. 
• Then in the afternoon I drank a small protein shake; roughly 20g protein and half an apple.
• When I got home I ate... another five fried eggs... with rice and spinach; roughly 40g protein. 
• Shortly before my workout I had a Clif Bar; roughly 10g protein. 
• After my workout I ate... another five fried eggs... with spinach... and kale... and then ate a bowl of oatmeal... with peanut butter; roughly 50g protein. 
• Before going to bed I will drink another protein shake, a glass of milk, and a can of tuna; roughly 55g protein.

255g protein. That's at least 50g below my daily protein goal. On the other hand, today was a Friday, and I'm still waiting for my protein powder to arrive. I'll be cooking up half a dozen chicken breasts, nearly as many pork chops, cooking a pot of lentils, and making PB&H sandwiches for the coming week. 

Brang it.

Friday, 24 January 2014 
221 lbs, 50 min

Warm-up
-
BP : 2-3-5, 2-3-5 @ 185 lbs
One/arm press : 2-3-5 @ 50 lbs
-
Complex : 3x5 @ 75, 85, 105, 115, 115 lbs
-
SQ : 30 @ 115 lbs
-
One-arm press : 2-3-5 @ 50 lbs
Bat wings : 10x5 sec @ 55 lbs 
db pullover : 20 @ 40 lbs

-------------------------

I did things slightly out of order, and did not do bird dogs, because I was a little pressed for time, and wanted to make sure I got the complex and squats above all else.

I was surprised by how good the bench press felt, though there was a faint tinge of that right shoulder weakness that dogs me. I will go for 195 lbs next time.

Likewise, the complex felt much better this time than last, but the squats felt too easy; I could have done another set of 30, but... I'm going by the book as best as I can.

I have been a bit annoyed that I'm not gaining weight more quickly, but, hey, once the creatine and ZMA and get here, and the volume keeps getting higher and higher, and I keep getting good nights of sleep.

I've got this.

Stay tuned.

Mass Made Simple - Day 1

Lesson for the week is...

DAN JOHN IS RIGHT: COMPLEXES ARE REALLY HARD!

I wanted to get a promo workout done on Saturday, but I forgot the gym closes at 1800, so I just rested through Sunday and went for Day 1 of my official bulking regimen today.

Monday, 20 Jan 2014
50 min, 220 lbs

Warm-up
-
BP : 5x5 @ 135, 140, 145, 155, 175 lbs
Bat wings : 10 sec 2 45 lbs, 10 sec. @ 50 lbs
One-arm db press : 5x5 @ 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 lbs
Bird dog : 15 sec/15 sec x 2
-
Complex 3x3 : Pendlay row, hang clean, FSQ, press, SQ, good morning @ bb, +50 lbs, +70 lbs, +70 lbs
-
SQ : 30 @ 105 lbs
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db pullover : 40 lbs x 20
goblet SQ : 50 lbs x 10
db pullover : 40 lbs x 20
goblet SQ : 50 lbs x 10

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Before the workout I ate at least 10g of lean chicken protein and 400mg (?) of niacin. (Didn't feel it, though.) I came home, showered, sent the kids to sleep, and ate a bowl of rice, kale, and probably 30g of lean chicken protein.

PROS: Bench press felt very solid. I had sworn off it after a shoulder (re)injury almost exactly a year ago, but seeing as Dan John called me to it, I will comply. I didn't over-think it, and my old habits kicked in nicely (tight traps, slightly arched back, crushing grip, vertical forearms directly under fists).

CONS: I'm still iffy ony my hang clean form.

I'll be ordering some high-grade protein and creatine this week. Like I say, eating is the hardest part about bulking. Protein powder will make things easier. For example, Saturday night while doing laundry, I went for a 20 min. jog and then ate an entire package of Oscar Meyer turkey cold cuts in one sitting. It just about made me puke, and my stomach felt "off" until Monday. On workout days, I will eat at least 300g or protein and consume at least 200oz of water, while on rest and recharge days I will go for just as much water, nearly as much protein, but with fewer calories in total. One day a week I will significantly lower my caloric load, mainly in order to rebalance insulin levels, avoid excess fat gains, and give my tender gut a rest.

Stay tuned.