The Constant Intermediate

[broseph]

3/26/17 Week 3 Squat Session A

Squat 425x3x3 @8.5
Morning stiffness made the first set seem really heavy. Then I lost balance on rep 2 of the 2nd set (still finished it). Set 3 was great and I'm confident I could've done it for fahve.

RDL 335x3x5

[broseph]

3/27/17 Week 3 Bench Session A

Bench 345x3x3.

I paused all 3 reps of the last set, making it @10. My elbows kind of give out at the bottom of the bench, so instead of keeping super tight and just barely letting the bar touch my chest for a pause I have to let it sink into my upper abdomen and pause there. I think this is legal so long as it doesn't sink in AFTER the "press" command.

Shirtless Belted Press 200x3x5 (PR)


Back hair game weak AF, but baldness is coming in nicely. #TopOfTheMuffinToYou #ButWhoWasBiceps

Cable Rows 195x3x8
I was hoping to demonstrate my diy low cable system, but the weight room is too tight to get a decent shot of the whole thing. You get the idea:

[Tim K]

That is a spectacular piece of engineering. Well done, sir!

[broseph]

That is a spectacular piece of engineering. Well done, sir!

We'll see... Every piece of hardware is rated for at least 500#. The pulley wheels shed some metal flakes during use, but I think it's just the thin gold colored coating coming off.

What did you use for the plate holder? I've been contemplating getting some pulleys and cables from HD, but I haven't figured out how to attach the plates yet.

Here's some pictures of the plate holder:



It's 1/2" threaded steel pipe with a floor flange on the bottom and an end cap on the top. I drilled the cap to accommodate an eye bolt. I put a length of 1-1/2" PVC pipe over the steel pipe to keep the plates from wobbling (it's a perfect fit for olympic plate holes). I sprayed Great Stuff expanding foam between the steel and PVC for a super firm fit (you can see some foam spilled out on the bottom).

and the handle:


That's just 3/4" pipe with 2 reducer couplings and a 1/2" nipple in the middle. You could probably just buy a handle attachment made for lifting for a similar price.

[SpinyNorman]

I appreciate the OHP recognition and admire your ingenuity regarding the lat row. May the gods forever smile upon your bald spot.

Why does it take so long to go completely bald? I'm sick of having to keep up with buzzing my hair to avoid the island effect.

[broseph]

3/29/17 Week 3 Squat/Deadlift Session 2

Squat 430x3 @9
445x2 @9.5

Rack Pull 495x5 @8?
I really felt these in my groin. It's hard to rate a partial ROM heavy lift that I'm still unaccustomed to, but now that I have my rack blocks I can get serious with this movement.

Abwheel 3x20

Rack Pull Blocks:

Four 2x8's spaced across 16", secured to plywood sides with a plywood top. I need to attach some wooden stops to each end to prevent roll offs.

Why does it take so long to go completely bald? I'm sick of having to keep up with buzzing my hair to avoid the island effect.

I've had a thin patch since I was a child. In fact, when people first started telling me I was balding (in my 20's), I would reply "Oh I've always had that spot." Only in the last few years has it gotten bad enough that I don't look good with hair. Especially in the winter when my skin is starch white and my hair is that white trash dishwater blonde color. I actually let it grow out in the summer, as a tan scalp and gold blonde hair is much less disgusting.

I've heard using gear speeds up the balding process. Maybe we should try that.

[broseph]

4/3/17 Week 4 Squat Test

Squat 465x2 ?!?!?


My average e1RM during this cycle was ~7lbs higher than last cycle, which seems like appropriate progress, but that progress was not demonstrated today. I can't figure out what went wrong here, and you can see it on my face. Planned on 3 reps, hoped for 4, barely got 2. Warm ups felt solid and I don't see any glaring mechanical faults, at least nothing faultier than usual... We spent the weekend in Chicago, so plenty of calories were consumed, but many hours were spent driving. Also, the kids are all sick, so maybe something's brewing in me too. Who knows...

335x2x5 (70% of projected max from top set)

One of the hard parts of this "advanced programming" stuff is that you only get to really test yourself once a cycle (month). I should probably think of the upward trend in my e1RM as progress, and count today as a fluke. But I like to have a reason for a fluke, you know? Not just a random fail.

[broseph]

4/4/17 Week 4 Bench Test

Bench 365x3. (PR) Butt just barely lost contact with the bench on the last rep, but I'm still counting it as a PR.
275x3x5

Musings: I've been thinking about yesterday's squat performance, and today's bench, while still a PR, was not stellar. I've been steadily making progress (starting from a regressed state) for 7-8 months now, with a bodyweight gain of around 15 lbs (not too bad). I'm getting tired of constantly chasing pounds on the bar, and wouldn't mind if my belly didn't protrude from my silhouette so Alfred Hitchcockesque.

Sidenote: I vainly envy guys that gain fat in their thighs and arms. I gain fat almost exclusively in my tummy. #appleshape #topheavy #skipslegday

I REALLY wanted to bench 405 before "summer cutting," but realistically, it's probably another couple cycles away. And if I come back ready to gain after a few cycles of fat loss, 405 might seem like less of a ceiling since I'm pretty close to it. I'll probably change my mind by the end of the week. We'll see.

Additional sidenote: Keeping an online log has been more like a "Dear Diary" than an actual training log, but it's been cathartic to get my thoughts out.

[JFick]

I'd chalk the squats up to just a bad day. it just sucks when that bad day aligns with a testing day.

Good work on the bench PR. A PR is a PR, take it!

I've wanted that 405 for you as well. It will come soon. If you cut reasonably you might not lose much strength at all now that you're doing advanced programming and not grinding 10s weekly. But I'm talking about shit I have no experience with... Lol.

The log is nice to think things out and blow off some steam on the bad days. If you can avoid the overly male bravado trap (not talking about you specifically, but with this being a strength forum and what not) it's pretty productive​ to share your experience and have a community of support there when need be.

Keep up the good work.

[broseph]

4/6/17 Week 4 Deadlift Test

Deadlift 545x1 (PR)


Pretty smooth. Maybe could've hit 555 today. Probably never will.

Squat 275x3x5 @super easy

I have decided to go fat loss mode for the next 2-3 cycles.

I've been eating ~3500 Calories/day for a while, sometimes more (like during Candito). This is a slow gain/maintain amount for me. Plan is to drop down to ~2800/day, hopefully losing ~1lb/week.

I plan on making only a few small programming changes;
*Medium bench days will see a greater %offset due to decreased recovery.
*Medium squat day will be replaced with front squats. I will LP these week to week, getting all my neuro gains out of the way while on a deficit. Once I go back to gainz mode, I will density block my front squats and some of my bench days for hypertrophy gainz.
*Cardio (C2) will stay at once/week unless progress stalls.
*Non lifting days might see morning fasted walks. Not really cuz "fasted cardio," more because it's a convenient time to walk, and I can't eat breakfast right away in the morning- never have.

Edit: after reviewing that deadlift video, maybe I should add calf raises to my "hypertrophy blocks." Or just get some Synthol.