21 Day Kettlebell Blast ... or not... almost... and beyond!

Day 20
[Originally I was going to take Sunday off, but by the time I got home, I was feeling frisky, so I went for a run, which admittedly, is not part of the 21-day KB program, but the whole point of the program is to kickstart your fitness mind/momentum, which it has done, so I feel good. End of sentence.]

3 min. jog
30 sec. sprint
X5
3 min. walk cooldown

21 Day Kettlebell Blast

Day 15
[Still saddled by a stifling inertia. I almost did not workout, but later in the evening I just started doing some grip training for the hell of it.] 

space mace: 30 sec./30 sec., 30 sec./30 sec.

ghetto gripper: 10/10

35 lb KB swing: 30/30, 30/30

CoC #1.5 - 6 closes

CoC #2 - 1 rep L, 1 close R, 1 rep L, 1 rep R

CoC #1.5 - 10 closes L, 10 closes R

35 lb KB swing: 30/30, 30/30

21 Day Kettlebell Blast(ish)

Day 13 
[I almost did not work out. My new job has been tremendously exhausting, even though it hasn't even entailed full-time hours. It's just so cognitively demanding, and requires a rather long commute. But I did work out. I don't know why, but it's been so hard to find my motivation again lately. I think more boxing, sledge-tire drills, and sleep will help.]

tornado twisters: 50/50, 30/30

lasso twists: 15/15 @ 15 lb.

KB swing: 20/20, 20/20

jump rope: 200 skips

tire-sledge: 30 total hits

tornado twisters: 50/50, 30/30

lasso twists: 15/15 @ 15 lb.

KB swing: 20/20, 20/20

jump rope: 200 skips

tire-sledge: 50 total hits

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

20-25 minutes

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.

21 Day Kettlebell Blast

Days 1-4 here.

Day 5 
warm-up: 20 lunges, 12 sling pushups, 18 lunges, 11 sling pushups, 16 lunges, 10 sling pushups

35+15# KB swing: left hand 30 sec., rest 10 sec.
35+15# KB swing: right hand 30 sec., rest 10 sec.
X 5

wrap-up: tornado swirls 90 sec., battling ropes 90 sec.

[I forgot to do a minute of pushups after the swings, but earlier I had done some big tire flips and a little sledge hammering with some buddies, so... yeah. When I was showing a friend my Captains of Crush grippers, I was also pleased to see that I haven't completely lost my grip strength. Just gotta clear this mental fog, get clear about my goals, and get back on the iron horse.]

Day 6
warm-up: 20 lunges, 12 Perfect Pushups, 18 lunges, 11 Perfect Pushups, 16 lunges, 10 Perfect Pushups

40# KB swing: two-hands 30 sec., rest 30 sec.
Perfect Pushups: 30 sec., rest 30 sec.
X 5

wrap-up: slalom hops 60 sec., high knees 60 sec., ankle slappers 60 sec.

Day 7
I took Sunday off.

21 Day Kettlebell Blast

I've been away for a while, but I'm back. Long story made short, after hitting new PR's on all my major lifts back in May, I hit some road bumps in June and July, and decided to get back on track with a book I'd bought a while ago.

I may follow it up with a more intense kettlebell program, but for now I'm juggling how to program bike riding, boxing, grip training, suspension training, plyometric HIIT (tire, sledge, med ball, jumps, mace, etc.) training, and weightlifting. Bleh.

In any case, here's my reboot progress so far:

Day 1 
warm-up: 20 lunges, 12 sling pushups, 18 lunges, 10 sling pushups, 16 lunges, 8 sling pushups

35+15# KB swing: left hand 30 sec., rest 30 sec.
35+15# KB swing: right hand 30 sec., rest 30 sec.
X 5

wrap-up: jump rope, high knees, etc. 3 min.

Day 2
warm-up: 20 lunges, 12 sling pushups, 18 lunges, 10 sling pushups, 16 lunges, 8 sling pushups

35+15# KB swing: left hand 30 sec., rest 10 sec.
35+15# KB swing: right hand 30 sec., rest 10 sec.
X 4

wrap-up: walking, 15 min.

Day 3

warm-up: 20 lunges, 12 sling pushups, 18 lunges, 11 sling pushups, 16 lunges, 10 sling pushups

35+15# KB swing: left hand 30 sec., rest 30 sec.
35+15# KB swing: right hand 30 sec., rest 30 sec.
X 3

wrap-up: jump rope, high knees, etc. 3 min. 

Day 4

warm-up: 20 lunges, 12 sling pushups, 18 lunges, 10 sling pushups, 16 lunges, 8 sling pushups

35+15# KB swing: left hand 30 sec., rest 30 sec.
35+15# KB swing: right hand 30 sec., rest 30 sec.
X 8

wrap-up: jump rope, high knees, etc. 3 min. 

Fitness update(s) - 8 May -- 12 May

Thursday, 8 May 2014 
Shurg Rush
60 min., 221 lb. 

HSQ: 12, 10, 8, 6, 3, 3, 3, 2 @ 145, 165, 185, 215, 235, 255, 285, 305 lb.

[I went for three on my last set, but stalled halfway up. That was strangely gratifying. I had really found a weight that matched, and just surpassed, my ability. Until I get stronger, that is.]

hypers: 12, 9, 6 @ + 25, 35, 45 lb.

db Kelso shrug: 12, 9, 6 @ 80, 85, 90 lb.

[As much as I love dumbbells, I think these will be more effective with a barbell. I'll test it out next time, maybe Wednesday.]

bench shrug: 12, 12, 12 @ 235, 285, 335 lb.

[My spotter on the last set came over and said, "Whoa, that's a lotta weight!" I explained the lift and he grinned, with a glimmer of dawning comprehension. That's three out of three times I've had to gotten to explain my shrug exercises. #GospelOfKelso]

dip shrug: 12, 12, 12, @ + 70, 80, 90 lb.

[Fairly beastly. Me like. A kid came over and watched me on my last set, then asked, "What are those for?" I explained. He nodded, then slowly walked away, with a faint smirk, as if I'd just said my muscles are made of cheese. Clearly a lad still trapped the darkness of Non-Kelsotude.]

snatch shrug: 8, 6, 8* @ 235, 255, 275 lb.

[I realized that I should just deadlift the bar off the ground, in order to be able to use a truly snatch-wide grip without the risk of pinching my fingers on a rack. The last set was fun because, as my grip gave way, I hitched the bar up and grabbed it with a little narrower grip, shrugged again, felt my grip giving way, hitched it one more time into a standard shrug grip, and squeezed out one more rep. Fun times.]

+ + + 

Saturday, 10 May 2014 
Carpe Ferrum workout 
55 min., 220 lb. 
MOOD: I truly felt like crap for this workout. I don't know why, but part of the problem is that a late night out last week and a little family drama recently have left me feeling drained for a few days. Maybe allergies are hitting me hard, too. In any event, I knew I simply had to "punch the clock." An extremely "mental" workout, it nevertheless ended up being quite effective, all things considered.

FSQ: 10, 10, 10 @ 145, 165, 185 lb.

supinating db press: 10, 10, 10, 8 @ 55, 60, 65, 85 lb.

seated db curl: 10, 10, 10, 8 @ 30, 35, 35, 40 lb.

CL: 8, 8, 8 @ 115, 135, 155 lb.

db flye: 10, 10, 10 @ 45, 55, 60 lb.

seated cable row: 10, 10, 10 @ 150, 170, 170 lb.

unilateral cable row: 10/10, 10/10, 10/10 @ 80, 90, 110 lb.

[I did these seated on the floor and used a little torso rotation to maximize the range of motion. Not too shabby.]

+ + + 

Monday, 12 May 2014 
Carpe Ferrum workout
50 min., 224 lb. 

power CL: 6, 5, 4, 2*, 4, 2* @ 135, 155, 175, 185, 175, 185 lb.

[Once my form got sloppy at 185 lb., I ramped it down a bit, but then decided to go for 185 again. On the last set, I failed on a third attempt, and now my right wrist is a little tweaked. Fear not: I'll be fine.]

unilateral db hang jerk (?): 10, 8, 6, 4/6 @ 50, 55, 60, 65 lb.

[Instead of a one-hand snatch, I devised these in order to work my lats, traps, hams, and posterior chain on the pull, and to perform a fluid press to the top. My copy of Kubik's Dinosaur Training arrived today, so I'd like to thank him for inspiring me to try these out. I squeezed out two extra reps at the end to bring my left arm up to speed.]

incline db flye: 12, 10, 8, 7* @ 50, 55, 60, 65 lb.

Even Keel update - 6 May 2014

Tuesday, 6 May 2014 
Even Keel 1A 
70 min., 221 lb
MOOD: Felt edgy, reluctant to go to the gym. But I went anyway. I drank a Cytomax and did my work. 

warm-up - 10 min

FSQ:
5 @ 235
5, 5, 5, 5 @ 225 lb

supinating db DBP: 9, 8*, 5* @ 85, 90, 95 lb
[*Spotter helped on last couple reps.]

SDL: 6, 4, 3 @ 245, 275, 305 lb
[Hook grip on last set. What an awesome technique!]

pullover-press: 10, 9, 9 @ 70, 75, 80 lb

PU: [When I saw these were next on the roster, I said, "Aw, shit," and just decided to do without. #austerity]

seated recline db curl: 9, 6, 6 @ 35, 40, 45 lb

+ + + 

I might do a Shurg Rush tomorrow, but may just go for a walk and do some hand balancing and kb drills.

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... 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...

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

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

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

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

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

Now, we're off to the Eucharistic Congress. 

Wheels within wheels...

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

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

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

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

Someone make it stop! 

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

Which... of course...

Brings me back to the 5-3-1!

Am I overthinking things?

Probably.

Certainly.

It's what I do.

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

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

AYCE notes...

AYCE Light
26 March 2014, 50 min. 

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

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

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

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

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

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). 

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 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 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.