Three-Day Split - progress and prayer

Friday, 21 November 2014 
Three-Day Ahnohld Split 
75 min. 
(because of a few extra sets and some conversations)

warm-up: motions, stretching, etc.

SQ: 10, 8, 6, 6 @ 175, 195, 215, 235 lbs.
[These felt great and I think I will be back up to 300 lbs. by December. Indeed, if there's one thing I don't like about my current "restoration" routine is that it needs MOAR SQUAT. So I tossed in an extra set for good measure.]

leg curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 70, 80, 90 lbs. (?)
[My technique was better on these, less rushed, and all the way heels-to-butt.]

standing calf raise: 15, 15, 15, 15 @ 60 lbs.
[I did four sets of trampoline bounces and 10 ab wheel rolls last night. The trampoline is a WONDERFUL recovery device. My calves finally don't feel destroyed. Gotta keep stretching them.]

BP: 10, 8, 6, 6 @ 175, 185, 195, 205 lbs.
[Used a narrower grip, inside the inner knurling gap. Felt good. Still my weakest lift, though.]

PU: 11, 10, 4, 4 1 @ bdw
[I alternated between a supinated and pronated grip. Ellington Darden says that a not-wide, supinated grip is actually more effective than the commonly seen wide, pronated grip. I can grasp why, kinesiologically, but I will be curious to see how supinated "chinups" enhance my lats. If nothing else, it's nice to have another way to work my stubborn biceps.]

db MP: 10, 8, 6 @ 40, 45, 50 lbs.

EZ bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 70, 80 lbs.
[Slow and tight form.]

db tricep extension: 10, 8, 6 @ 60, 70, 80 lbs.

+ + + 

As I was leaving I made the acquaintance a Big Dude. Turns out he is a Reformed pastor and we had a good little conversation about how I had gone from being a Presbyterian to a Catholic. I am hoping to keep in touch with him (and convert him, of course). ;)

Tonight was the first night I felt some of my "old power" returning. Imagine my strength and confidence back in May as a gas burner with all the flukes burning. Now you can imagine my return to weightlifting as the click of the pilot light and these first efforts as the gradual ignition of one fluke after another.

HIIT... Beach Life... Grip training...

Friday, 29 August 2014 

sagittal sledge hit: 12/12
rest 30 sec.
frontal sledge hit: 12/12
rest 30 sec.
low lateral sledge hit: 6/6, 6/6  
rest 30 sec.
medicine ball thruster: 20
rest 1 min.
x 4
---------
walking: 15 min.


Saturday, 30 August 2014 

[Spent the day at the beach with my brother and his family. Swam out fairly deep for a while, felt like losing myself in the sea. Had two cups of coffee to kick my drowsiness while watching a lecture with my brother, so when I got home, I had to put the buzz to good use.]

ghetto gripper : 15 closes

CoC #1.5 : 8 closes

CoC #2 : 1 close L/R

CoC #2 : 1 close L/R

perfect pushups*: 15 reps

CoC #2 : 1 close L/R 

perfect pushups*: 15 reps

CoC #2 : 1 near close L, 1 close R 

perfect pushups*: 15 reps 

CoC #2 : 1 near close L, 1 close R 

perfect pushups*: 15 reps 

CoC #1.5 : 10 closes 

perfect pushups*: 15 reps 

CoC #1.5 : 8 closes 

perfect pushups*: 15 reps 

wrist roller: 8 lbs. up/down

perfect pushups*: 15 reps 

wrist roller: 8 lbs. up/down

perfect pushups*: 15 reps 

wrist roller: 8 lbs. up/down

perfect pushups*: 15 reps 

wrist roller: 8 lbs. up/down

perfect pushups*: 15 reps 

* (alternating unilateral foot) 

Brainstorming... Bodyweight... Barbells... Boxing...

Having been out of the gym for close to two months, I feel totally disoriented. So, the goals I need to keep in focus are:

1) My title banner goals still stand: CoC #3 for reps, DL 485#, SQ 405#, BP 315#

2) I do want to get back to more bodyweight mastery: handstand pushups, hand balancing for time, ring dips, L-sits/L-dips, pistol squats, one-arm pullups, planche, etc.

3) I love frequent HIIT (esp. jump rope, plyometrics, kettlebells, tires, hammers, med balls, etc.), boxing, biking, and rowing.

So... I think I will finally just cave in and do Wendler's 5/3/1 program, with bodyweight assistance exercises (as per this article by Ryan Hurst).

On "off" days I will train grip + boxing drills (double-end, speed, jump rope) or grip + KB / biking / tire jumps and hammers.

So... hypothetically...

Monday - BP 5/3/1
Tuesday - grip + _____
Wednesday - SQ 5/3/1
Thursday - grip + _____
Friday - DL 5/3/1
Saturday - MP 5/3/1
Sunday - off

I'm going to need to start this sooner than later, or I'll just keep sitting on the fence and idling like I have been for the past several weeks. I still want to finish the 21-day KB program I've started, so I guess it will just have to be extra work on top of 5/3/1 until it's done.

Having taken some time away from the gym--and away from any formal program, for that matter--I can tell that, over time, I will gravitate back towards bodyweight training, dinosaur strong man style drills, and HIIT/metcon drills. Being a gym rat is just not in my nature. God, depression sucks.

Heavy-ass weight!

No delusions of grandeur here, don't worry. I don't even consider myself a bodybuilder.

All the same, Coleman's quote is immortal. Just replace "bodybuilder" with your strength-training goal and it fits.

Today was a "life fitness day". I didn't hit the gym. I didn't touch a metal weight of any kind. The most I did in terms of "fitness" training, in fact, was some core work I'll describe below.

Today I woke up, played with my kids for a bit, then drank some milk and a beer (!), and napped again for a few hours.

Then I really got up, had some oatmeal and eggs and coffee and my usual humble supplements. Then I did some core work before my wife and I took the babies on a stroller walk for nearly an hour. When we got back I practiced hand balancing for about 10 minutes, between bursts of yard work, which then shifted to me mowing the front yard.

But here I am rambling--and on my own blog, no less!

The core work I did this morning is, according to Tamir B. Katz, M.D., a "flat bridge".

Or you could just call it a straight bitch.

Of which more in a moment.

I started with two 50-second neck bridges. Felt great on the hamstrings and back.

Then I rolled over into a butts-up headstand... and slowly backed my feet up until I was into a basically horizontal, hands-free plank position.

On my forehead.

Yeah. That's the flat bridge which Katz presents.

I held that for 30 seconds, twice.

Then I tried it again for another 30 seconds.

I can't find an image of what Katz advises, so here are some photo grabs from a pre-publication version of his book that I printed out a few years ago:

When I got inside from mowing the yard, I tried Katz's flat bridge again for 30 seconds. Then I tried it on a chair, thinking that a higher elevation might provide a way to train the exercise more progressively and less aggressively.

How wrong I was.

Friends, I tell you: Just stick with the floor.

The two fulcra are how far back you position your feet and and how "flat" you put your face on the mat. The closer your feet are, and the higher your rest on the crown of your head, the easier it is. And vice versa.

Anyway, what are the heavy-ass weights which birthed the title of this post?

Amidst hand balancing and yard work, I finally got my "bigger" dino-dumbbell out of the plastic bucket this evening.

And, holy cats, is it ungainly.

It's at least 10 lbs heavier than I had intended, and, honestly, may not even be symmetrically heavy.

Which...makes it that much cooler, in a weird, dinosaur way.

That bad boy weighs in at just shy of 74 lbs, with a 2-inch grip. 

I chipped off a little bit of it today trying to get it out of the bucket, but if I want to, I can just patch it up with a few dollops of cement. Seeing, however, as it's heavy-as-shit already, I will not be doing any patching up until it gets more chipped over time. 

Shurg Rush! - 23 April 2014

[Not a typo; just a nerdy joke. And I'm not even a gamer.]

Shurg Rush
60 min., 226 lbs. 
MOOD: excited, alert, yet calm, with tinges of somatic fatigue; want to sleep early tonight!

ZSQ: 10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 3, 3 @ 55, 85, 105, 155, 185, 195, 205 lbs.

hypers: 12, 10, 8 @ bdw, bdw + 10, bdw + 25 lbs
[Since I wasn't trying to work my hammies, I braced my legs at the knee joint.]

"The" Kelso Shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 90 lbs
[I tried these at 55° and 35°, with over- and underhand grips. Given my bench options, 35° seems a better fit, and I felt the overhand grip more in my lower traps... although Kelso defines "The Kelso Shrug" as an underhand grip focusing more on the lats and lowers traps. Working out these kinks is part of why this workout took an hour; once I get the hang of things, I'm hoping to curtail it to 45 minutes. I would have liked to go a bit heavier, but, along with heeding Kelso's advice to start light until you get familiar with the motions, these shrugs, as with spider curls, are easier to do if a spotter helps get the bar in your hands. I will try it with dumbbells next time. Range of motion, for the win!]

bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 235 lbs.
[spotter for the break -- "Never seen those before!"]

dip shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ bdw + 60 lbs.
[felt awesome]

snatch shrug: 12, 10, 8 @ 205, 225, 245
[My only frustration with these was that, unless I wanted to SDL the bar into a standing position and then shrug, I had to shrug from the lower squat-rack braces. This was fine, except for the fact that it prevented me from taking a truly wide-snatch grip. I was distracted by the fear of pinching my fingers with the bar when I set it down. The widest grip was about an inch outside the outer knurling gap. All the same, two hours after this workout, I can feel that warm stiffness in my neck. I'm curious to see how I feel tomorrow and the next day.]

overhead shrug: 12, 10, 8 @ 165, 185, 205 lbs
[I tried my first set from a squat rack, which was precarious, so I moved over to the power rack, setting the pins in the highest slots. Then I stood the loaded bar up, with straight arms, as if finishing a jerk in slow motion. The key to this, or, really, any, shrug, is the squeeze and hold.]

+ + + 

If you didn't catch on, the idea behind the Shurg Rush is train the entire spinal column from the bottom up.

When I got to the gym, three of the usual high school gym rats were there, and they were still at it when I walked out the door. Ahh, youth.

Only... well... the ringleader was a chunky, middle-aged Bro who had them doing every possible mainstream "pec exercise": incline bench, pec deck, dip machine, flat bench, Nautilus press, etc. Those poor, poor youth--they never squat. Like so many, they're just in it for T-shirt muscles. Pecs and bi's, pecs and bi's, pecs and bi's. (Yes, they even do dips-with-chains-draped-over-the-neck, presumably just in case a sports drink photographer or cologne mogul happens to be in the gym.) Sure, you could argue that today was just their pec day, like it was my trap day, but I see them doing almost literally the exact same workout every time I see them, which is at least twice a week. It's sad, but perhaps over time they'll wake up to the fundamentals.

Gettin' the ol' gang back t'gether...

After close to a year and a half out of the game, I'm now officially and seriously back into "grip training" mode. My brain has reactivated the algorithm that I ran non-stop a couple years ago, namely, looking at everything as a possible grip training device or opportunity. I look at the ground nervously, wondering if I can fit in some handstands without upsetting people around me. Clothes pins with rubber bands wrapped around them become finger-pinch trainers. Toothpicks and matchsticks become finger levers (i.e. brace a matchstick on two fingernails or knuckles and try snapping it in half with the finger in between). Beans, rice and sand in a bucket are training tools. All steel pipe is a rolling thunder waiting to be made. And so on.

In the last few weeks, I've not only taken up formal grip training again, but have also either assembled or laid the ground for assembling a DIY titan's telegraph key, something-like-Joe-Kinney's-secret-weapon, thick-handle dumbbells, and some pool-noodle Fat-Gripz. And today I splurged on some plumbing supplies to make one of my favorite old tools, which I left behind in Taiwan a couple years ago.

The Space Mace. 

Hold the long end somewhere and make the spinny end go round for a while without smashing your teeth. The higher you lift it, the more it activates your deltoids, and the more you involve the elbow, the more your biceps get worked. If you spin it horizontally, it activates your pectorals quite a bit. The whole time, of course, your forearm is getting fried. You can also spin it upside down for a whole different kinda burn, but be warned that I've had the spinner fall off as the friction gradually loosened the cap. The Space Mace (I coined that name, if not the device) feels a bit like a gyro ball, but the leverage produced by the heavy bar (2' x 3/4") achieves a different whole-torso effect, and the number of possible grip positions, distances from the torso, and angles makes it a unique challenge. If nothing else, trying to keep the rotation in rhythm is mentally soothing. How I've missed it!

I would have liked to get a thicker handle, but I wanted to get in and out of The Home Depot today, so I just took whatever was cheapest and available. I'll probably end up wrapping the handle with tape etc. to thicken it, but for now, as a warmup, endurance, and rehab device, it's fine. Granted, because so many pieces are involved,* it was a little costly ($34), but it can double as a variably weighted wrist lever,** so I effectively paid for two devices in one.

As you can see, I've also taken to wearing wrist bands most of the time, in order to keep my wrists warm and more prone to recovery. I'm also taking a daily glucosamine pill, so, yes, friends, you might say, it's on, like Tron.



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

* 2' x 3/4" pipe, 3/4" coupling, 4" x 3/4" nipple, 3/4" cap, 1" T-coupling, 1" x 5" nipple, and 1" cap ... though I splurged on that last bit, since it's not essential: it just adds an aesthetic finish and more weight.

** Just unscrew the cap and remove the spinning T-coupling, then add and secure a weight plate of your choice to the upper segment of 3/4" pipe. 

AYCE notes... (And sun!)

Went to a very enriching Mass Saturday evening. Holy Week is upon us.

Sunday morning we headed out to the beach to hang out and eat BBQ with my brother and his family. I loved being at the beach again. It was Elina's second time, and she took to it like... a fish to water? Alex was intimidated by the waves, but he'll learn quickly (or it's the plank!). I swam, tossed kids, and did some hand walking on the beach.

Granted, all this frolicking resulted in a lower back kink and some sore wrists. I had trained grip-crushing Saturday afternoon and was puttering making pinch blocks and a DIY (very rudimentary) version of the Titan's Telegraph Key Saturday night, at a savings of close to $100 (I'll post a video soon). I believe that my open-palm thumb trainer achieves the same effect at a tiny fraction of the market price.* (How do you patent a lever, anyway?)

By this morning, however, my back felt great and I actually ended up in the gym. All day I felt zapped, and even considered taking tomorrow off. Although "how you feel is a lie," how you perform is not. Auto-regulation means putting in the time, but not sacrificing quality performance on the altar of a fixed numerical scheme. I'm exhausted and will sleep after finishing this post, to wit:

AYCE Press 
50 min., 227 lbs.
MOOD/MISC.: sluggish, dizzy (?), distracted by the larger than usual number of dudes at the gym; how I long to be able to train at home; warmups were included as opening reps in the following exercises

db bench press: 5x5 @ 80 lbs.
[Felt slight impingement in right wrist. Same as on my FSQ a couple weeks ago, and during my CoC drills Saturday afternoon.]

FSQ: 5x5 @ 215 lbs.

MP (belt): 5x5 @ 125 lbs.

"The Bench Shrug": 12, 12, 12, @ 185 lbs.
[Right wrist felt weak, hard to keep fist straight upward.] 

+ + + 

My copy of Kelso's Shrug Book should arrive tomorrow, but I've already decided to incorporate shrugs as an assistance "finisher" in all workouts on my current program. Seeing as it's Holy Week, I'll take it a bit easier this week, and will take Friday off from work.

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

* Apropos DIY gym equipment, this evening I bought the key components that I believe I need to make something that achieves much the same effect as Joe Kinney's Secret Weapon. Assembly (no welding!) won't happen till next week, at the earliest, so I'll have to wait until then to see if it works like I'm envisioning my design should. Even then, I will not rush into using it. All I hear is that it's "painful," "unpleasant," "intense," and so on. I learned the hard way about three years ago that one must not overdo it with grip training. Still, if I can save $200 and achieve the same effect--more power to me.

At the same time, there's an interesting, albeit contentious at times, discussion on this thread about the ethics of "hacking" elite training equipment. I can see the problem if I were to use Kinney's own design specs without giving him royalties, but I think anyone is in his rights to produce a similar device for his own training goals. I'm not looking to sell my little device; what I'm using is readily available at almost any hardware store. (Indeed, though I did not see this page until posting this update, the design should give you a rough idea of what I've got in mind.) As I get closer to achieving my grip goals--merely closing CoC #3 for reps, by the way--I will be perfectly happy to pay for the actual Kinney device, if its specs provide the competitive difference needed for success. Meanwhile, ghetto works if ghetto can git'er done. I think Randall Strossen strikes the right balance here. It's no small irony, Strossen notes elsewhere, that Kinney's own training depended on "hacking" various Iron Mind products. Share and share alike, say I, while giving credit where it's due. 

AYCE notes...

Wednesday, 9 April 2014 
48 min., 227 lbs.
MOOD: a little distracted, drained feeling 

Warm-up (8 min.) - OHS, movements, stretching

FSQ: 5x5 @ 225 lbs

Guillotine: 14, 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 115, 125, 135, 155, 165 lbs

Pendlay row: 12, 10, 8, 6 @ 135, 155, 145, 165 lbs 

PNF: [forgot! did this at home in the evening]

+ + +

My prediction turned out to be correct. Yesterday's workout felt great, and I realized that one reason for that is because I worked out later than I normally do. I try to get to the gym by 3 or 3:30 after work, but yesterday, due to some errands, I started my workout closer to 6. This gave me a couple extra hours of recovery from the previous workout. As for today, I began a little after 3:30, which meant I did a second workout in less than 24 hours. Not a crisis, of course, but it was interesting to feel that adjustment. I only thought of it because Perryman noted the timing issue in Squat Every Day.

Of course, lest I seem too clever by half, another factor in today's less than "amped" workout is that I received some very good news yesterday, and decided to celebrate with some tasty beverages and a documentary. I woke up feeling less rested than usual, but, hey, "how you feel is a lie," and today's workout came out Oh-Kay.

Except for one snag.

A "big guy" (I believe he's a trucker) was using the power rack for seated bb presses, and when I returned to the squat rack for my rows, he introduced himself with a handshake. "Elliot, huh? You must be one of those genius types, right?" (Apparently, genius is mimed by waving your fingers around your forehead and rolling your eyes to the ceiling, mouth agape.) I endured a chat, during which he told me that he sees a lot of "young guys" doing stuff, and he just exhaled and shook his head. I grimaced ever so slightly, since, one, I'm a young(ish) guy, and, two, one of the motions he shook his head at was "bending over to, just, pick up the weight."

Did I mention I was about to do Pendlay rows?

Yeah. Awkward. And annoying.

Then, when I finished my third set, he asked me, "Elliot, why don't you wear a belt?" I said I felt no need, whereupon I then learned "a little secret" about how this fellow had lost three lower vertebral discs in a car accident at the age of 18. Yada yada yada. I told him I've got a belt in my car I've been thinking about bringing in, mainly for military presses. "And that's another thing. I see some guys doing military presses standing up!" Did I mention that I do standing presses?

Thing is, I'm not opposed to a belt, and I guess it's time for me to wear one for my big lifts. At the same time, I know that weak spots only get stronger is you strengthen them, like how the Pendlay row, good mornings, RDL's, back extensions, and the like strengthen the infamous lower back. So now I'm dreading running into this guy when I'm doing verboten maneuvers. A big guy with a big mouth. I appreciate his help, but he's pretty clearly projecting his decades of back problems onto others.

P.S. I think I need to add in some grip training.

P.P.S. To remind myself:

Monday: heavy DL (5x5) + Guillotine (15, 12, 9, 6) + ZSQ (15, 10, 9, 6)
Tuesday: heavy BP (5x5) + HSQ (15, 12, 9, 6) + PU (slow reps)
Wednesday: heavy FSQ (5x5) + dips/guillotine/db press/pullover-press/flye-aways (15, 12, 9, 6) + PU/row (15, 12, 9, 6) 
Thursday: BP (5x4) + SQ (7, 5, 3, 3, 3) + PU/row (slow reps)
Friday: FSQ (7, 5, 3, 3, 3) + CLP (5x4) 

AYCE notes...

[PROJECTED EVENING WORKOUT...]
[UPDATED]

Tuesday, 8 April 2014 
60 min., 227 lbs 

Warm-up (8-9 min.) - movements, stretching 

BP: 5x5 @ 215 205
[Nice and slow. Felt very good. Slightly narrower grip than normal.] 

SQ: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 4, 2 @ 225 135, 155, 175, 205, 235, 255, 295
[These felt awesome. High-bar, narrow stance, so deep the bar banged the rack a couple times.] 

PU: 10, 8, 4 
[Slow and controlled.] 

PNF- N/A

+ + +

A memorable workout. For the first time in... I don't even know, I said, "I really like the bench press." In the past I guess I had tried to dive into it too zealously with my usual weak chest. Now after several months of torso development (core work, slings, kb, boxing, DBP, etc.), I have the foundation and proper form to use the BP well. It's important on a 5x5 scheme not to be too ambitious. I could have struggled and floundered under 215, but it's important to finish all 25 reps with uncompromised form. Next week I will try for 5x5 at 215, and will not up the weight until I can do 25 "clean" reps. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Today's SQ felt exactly like what I think Perryman is trying to convey. No fireworks, no heroic straining. Just good, solid squats up to what felt like a daily maximum; it felt almost like a business transaction. "Greetings, bar, I'll just be a moment." - "Sounds good, let me know if you need a hand." Done.

Except for the thing that made it memorable. A guy was getting set up on the rack next to me and I asked him what lift he was doing, as he removed the standard bar, leaving the thicker power barbell on the rack. I guess my alerting him to the difference the bar size can make, as well as the form he saw on my part, showed him I was worth asking, "Can you give me some pointers on the squat?" Why, as a matter of fact, I can! He wants to play college ball (or wants to get back into it, I think), and his coach always said he needs to squat deeper. He's got tight hips and ankles, so I gave him some pointers on how to fortify his squat technique. When I finished by explaining how weightlifting is really just a hobby average dudes make of segments of Olympic-lift training, he had a visible epiphany. Long story short, I realize how much I would love being a P.T. and a trainer. Gonna have to see about that.

Granted, the teaching episode delayed my workout, but, as I would soon be reminded, knowledge is only worth something if you can apply it, best of all in the service of others. Specifically, one other memorable feature from today was that, when I went to pick up my mom from her church circle, she was talking with and witnessing to a homeless man, who was shedding his own tears. We're going to see about helping him get some good work boots, so he can become gainfully employed. As if my mom weren't cool enough, on the ride there and back she asked me if squatting would be good for her and then asked me to cook up a basic bodyweight squat routine for her. 

[N.B. The point of this regimen is to GO HEAVY ON THE MAIN LIFT M-W, and supplement with volume on other lifts and days.]

AYCE notes... HI-TECH EDITION!

Friday, 4 April 2014 
44 min., 225 lbs. 

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

FSQ: 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2 @ 225, 235, 245, 255, 265, 275 lbs.

CL: 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2 @ 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185 lbs.

Abs (3 min.) - V-sits, Lateral crunches, hip crunches, bird dog

+ + + 

"How you feel is a lie."

I experienced this maxim today.

Today was the end of the third school quarter, so my stress levels were mildly higher than normal (I hate entering and verifying grades). Plus, it's tax season. I got home and felt pretty winded. Thought about taking a nap, but my wife's enthusiasm about some kb and core exercises I showed her, plus a little coffee, plus, really, the unblinking awareness that "I'm going to the gym," all gave me a second wind.

Or did it?

Even as I arrived at the gym, I felt a bit run down.

Meh.

"Gotta get it done."

Despite some aches and pains and the usual inertia, I ended up PR'ing on my FSQ, and felt satisfied for the first time that I'm doing the CL with basically correct form.

In other words, how I felt was a lie.





I'll be taking the weekend fairly easy; it's supposed to rain all weekend, so I might even get some reading done. Honestly, though, I feel a kb session in me, for Saturday, just to blow off some steam and grease the groove. "Healthy addiction," anyone?

Despite all this, I admit I felt a bit lost last night, pondering if I'm really grasping and following Perryman's ideas. I kept (and keep) wondering how to program AYCE better. I really like my... how should I say? Progress? No, it's more like putting on a nicely "broken in" pairs of shoes. I feel comfortable keeping up these daily sessions, don't feel dangerously run down, not at all--in fact, I feel very springy and vibrant. Yet, I still feel like I'm doing it wrong. My instincts have always been to do circuits of 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps, but I know that if I don't keep a tight rein on my accessory exercises after DLing and (F)Sqing, I'll run myself into the ground. At the very least, as Perryman does warn, I need some time to get accustomed to such an increase in frequency; I need time to get, to recall my favorite expression in Perryman's book, "fatigue-hardened".

So, as I was trying to get the big picture of my goals, and not simply turn "Squat Every Day" into a random fetish (which Perryman would completely reject, of course), I tried seeing my year cut up into three phases:

power (low volume, high frequency - "AYCE" from, say, January to April);

bodybuilding (high volume, lower frequency - "Even Keel" from April to August);

and calisthenic/bodyweight/boxing/kettlebell conditioning (high intensity, high frequency - "Met-Con" from August to December)

Obviously, I'm off-track with this idea, as I have been doing bulking, Even Keel, and now AYCE, since January--and summer is looming. "They say that" summer is the time to cut and winter is the time to bulk, so.... Either way, for now, my primary goal is to hit a FSQ of 285 x 4, at which point I'll bring back back SQ (heheh).

Last night I also realized that the DL is too important a lift to marginalize. Be bold! Don't hide behind "overtraining" in order to gild your cravings for the cool shade of mediocrity. Thus, as I continue to explore AYCE, here's the forecast: squatty with a burst of deadlift.

Monday: DL, DBP, abs
Tuesday: HSQ, Guillotine
Wednesday: FSQ, PU, abs
Thursday: FSQ, Dips/MP
Friday: FSQ, CL, abs
weekend: rest, foam roll, stretch, kb, etc.

When I step back and look at my progress over the past 4 years, I realize I'm more interested in strength and power than in "getting ripped" or "looking huge." My goals are more like a powerlifter's than a bodybuilder's, so I need to filter the noise through those standards:

SQ of 405 lbs
DL of 485 lbs
BP of 315 lbs

Wish me luck! Meanwhile, I love being the antithesis of a weekend warrior!

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 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

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.

"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. 

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.

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.