The Constant Intermediate

[Shortstuff]

Daaaaaang what a bench press. I'll be following along.

[broseph]

11/28/16 Heavy Squat

Squat 370x8,8,9 (PR). I've done this for 3x8 before, so I made sure to get an extra rep on the last set for an official PR. These really left me dizzy and gasping for air, so I skipped RDL's today.

Footage from after the last set:



Abwheel 3x20.

[cutlet#]

Dang broseph, nice lifts! I'll be following along for motivation. Not shame. Motivation.

[broseph]

11/30/16 Light Squats and Wardrobe Turnover (aka "Accepting that I'll never be slim again")

Squat 325x3x5. Pretty sore from the heavy 8's, these light sets felt nice.

My wife has been bothering me to go through and re-try-on all my clothes. We've been married 10 years, and I've gained 50 lbs in that time. Probably all muscle. I've been reluctant to throw/give away anything for fear I might get super cut/cancer and need my skinny clothes again, but literally nothing fits me right now. So I got rid of everything save a couple t shirts, track pants, and hoodies in addition to 1 new pair of stretchy jeans and 2 new pairs of stretchy shorts I rotate through. I guess there's no going back now. Luckily, I work in surgery so it doesn't matter what I wear to work, as I change into hospital laundered scrubs anyway.

"Arent' you cold!?!?!!?" (all the old ladies walking in/out of work all bundled up)
"No I'm good." (me in an Inzer t shirt and track pants)

...encouragement...

Thanks for the kind words- keep fighting the good fight.

[broseph]

12/1/16 Medium Bench Heavy Press

Bench 295x3x5

Press 190x23 in 10' AMRAP. I saw huge initial progress with density block pressing, but it seems to have quickly gone stale. Seems like I keep trying to tweak the AMRAP strategy to get more reps, but it just leaves me completely exhausted with no progress. I'm considering rotating the weight and time variables week to week;
205 for 15'
190 for 10'
165 for 8'

Alternatively, rotating AMRAPS, sets of 5, and heavy singles.

It's also possible that I picked too high of a rep requirement (25) to hit before allowing myself to add weight to the bar. The density blocks initially replaced a heavy 3x5, so maybe 25 reps is just too much to ask for in 10 minutes (for me). The question then- add time (maybe up to 12') and keep 25 reps as a goal, or keep the time and drop the rep goal to 20?

I'm leaning toward 25 reps in 12 minutes as the answer. This is all just masturbatory thinking out loud.

Close Grip Bench 260x3x7

[broseph]

12/2/16 Medium Squat Heavy Deadlift

Squat 365x3x5

Deadlift 455x5 (PR). Grip PR too- Besides my thumbs, the rest of my body really loves the hook grip, so I've been progressing from:
First 3 reps hooked, last 2 mixed
First 4 reps hooked, last 1 mixed
And finally, today, all 5 reps hooked.

Hanley had a number, something like 15, but in 7 minutes, iirc. You could do a density block one day and then a Peak set with back offs on a second day. Since the press starts with the concentric, I think it needs "peak force" training with some level of frequency.

Hmmm... I see. And agree. Volume alone probably isn't going to drive the press the same way it can drive something like squats- I'll start purposefully adding some dedicated peak sets. And I think I'll meet Hanley in the middle with 20 reps in 10 minutes as the new density goal. Or I could just gain weight and get stronger.

[broseph]

12/4/16 Heavy Bench Light Press

Bench 335x3x5. Repeated my 3x5 from a couple weeks ago because I think my 8's and 2's need to be heavier, and I would rather slowly increase (and continue getting PR's) on the 8's and 2's then rush into failure with the 5's. Also, my triceps were still sore from Thursday's work... Maybe benching @ 90%, pressing @ 100%, and close grip benching are too much for a "medium" bench day.

Chins +65, 28 reps in 10 minutes. Life hack: use bumper plates when dangling weights from your waist, it is much easier on the bony protuberances of the lower extremities.

Press 165x3x5

Curls 138x3x12

... You could do a density block one day and then a Peak set with back offs on a second day...

Are you envisioning like a 2 week Texas Method where I alternate these methods every Thursday (my heavy press day)? How many reps in the peak set? I don't think I'm a very efficient lifter- higher rep sets (8-10) always overestimate my true 1RM when I use 1RM calculators.

[broseph]

12/5/16 Heavy Squat

Squat 420x3x5 (PR)
Last set:


RDL 300x3x5

Abwheel 3x20

Peak sets would be in the 3 to 6 rep range.

You could do the alternating week TM deal or just stay bench focused and run a slow weekly LP with the press.

I appreciate the help. There have been some really good discussions up in the Programming subforum lately, and they make me realize how very little I actually know about this stuff.

[broseph]

12/6/16 Light Bench 12/7/16 Light Squat

Bench 255x3x5

Squat 330x3x5

Musings: I still don't really understand the purpose of light days. I've heard reputable people talk about "increasing blood flow" for recovery. I just can't imagine a significant difference in blood "turnover" for healthy muscle tissue over the course of a few days caused by a few light sets. Even if that were true, why not just squat REALLY light recovery sets? Or does that not cause enough "blood flow?"

Maybe the protein synthesis pathway caused purely by mechanical loading is a very acute process that can be reactivated every couple days, thus the need for "light day" weights to still be pretty damn heavy (~70% 1RM) even though my legs feel like they're at the lowest valley in the stress-recovery-adaptation graph.

I'm an idiot with a busy mind. And I need to convince myself to do light days (but do I really?) for reasons beside tricking clients to pay for light day sessions. I should probably just re-read the books.

[broseph]

12/8/16 Medium Bench Heavy Press

Bench 290x3x5

Press 205x3x3, 170x2x8. Heavy triples felt really good.

Curl (empty bar) 45x3x20 just for fun/elbows. I find 2 things, seemingly contradictory, that help my bench-induced elbow-itis: straight bar curls and stretching my wrist flexors like this:

Seriously, doing this stretch provides immediate relief (for my particular brand of elbow pain)