Resolving Stomach Problems, Refining a High Intensity Approach
June has been an interesting month. Once Ramadan ended, I started ramping up my caloric intake. I also increased my training frequency. Granted, that was only up to 2 times per week, and some of those sessions were very late, but that's an improvement. I've also been tinkering with my workout template, and think I've settled on something that I believe I can stick with for the next 8 weeks, at which time I'll be forced to deload while on a family trip to Disney World. However, until this week, nothing has felt quite right with my stomach since some time in May.
After some experimentation with what might be causing the gas and bloating I'd been dealing with, I realized that it was a staple of my diet: milk. Not all dairy foods... just milk itself. This was quite a shock because I've been chugging milk for decades with no problems, or at least none that I ever attributed to milk. I started taking those lactose pills, and sure enough, the gas I'd started experiencing and treating with gas pills after the fact went away. However, something even worse started happening with my stomach. I'm not even sure how to explain it succinctly, but suffice it to say, I wasn't feeling good. I was more tired than normal, and became convinced that I wasn't digesting much of what I was eating properly. I didn't think that could be from milk, since the lactose pills seemed to eliminate the worst symptom. But sure enough, I cut out milk a few days ago and all of the problems went away. So sadly, my lifelong love affair with milk may be over. I haven't yet figured out how I'm going to compensate for the lost calories (I frequently used milk as the base of shakes), but I feel much better. So much so, that this week may be the first week in over a month in which I train 3 times.
Enough of all of that. Here's how I'm doing this high intensity experiment. I previously mentioned that I'm following the DoggCrapp (DC) Training split, with A & B workouts.
A: chest, shoulders, triceps, back width and thickness
B: biceps, forearms, calves, hamstrings and quads
You're supposed to do the lifts in that order, but since I'm not actually doing DC, I've decided that my top priority strength lift is getting done first. So that means squats, deads, benches and OHPs will be first, and everything else after that on the respective days. I'm not doing the rest-pause method on everything prescribed either. For now, I want to see how I respond to straight sets taken to failure. Also, DC says you should have 3 exercises per bodypart and rotate them through your workouts, giving you A1-A3, B1-B3. Because of the limited equipment at my new gym, I'm just going with 2 lifts for now, so my workouts rotate with A1, B1, A2, B2, repeat. The goal is to train 3 times per week.
Workout A1 - Tue. 6/25/19, 9:08-10:08 pm (including 5 minutes of stretching at the end)
1. Bench Press
Warmup
95/8
135/6
175/4
215/4
235/2 - added elbow sleeves
Work
250/5 @10 - added mouth guard. This is +5 lbs and +1 rep from last BP (11 days)
225/7 @10 - I'm just starting to add a backoff on the main lift only, so no comparison to the last session.
2. Standing DB OHP - neutral grip
Warmup
40's/8
50's/8
Work
60's/7 @10 + 1 push press @10 - didn't put the weights down. The end snuck up on me, so I cheated another rep. Didn't lock it all the way. Didn't do these standing last time, but sitting was 50's/10 @9.5 on 5/30
3. Cable Pressdown - rope attachment
Warmup
40/13
Work
60/13 @9.5 - added mouth guard. For some reason, I didn't write down exactly what I did last time (8 days)
4. Chest Supported Row - Overhand grip. I do these with my feet in a staggered stance, so I don't cheat, but my chest isn't crushed against the pad.
Warmup
100/10
150/7 - added mouth guard
Work
195/8 @9.5 - used Versa Gripps. +5 lbs, +2 reps (11 days)
5. Pullups - Neutral grip.
Warmup
BW/6 negative-only reps - jumped to top of the movement, and lowered myself under control
Work
BW/10 @10 - added mouthguard
Workout B1 - Wed., 6/26/19, 9:25-10:19 pm
1. Squat
Warmup
135/8
225/6
285/4
335/3 - added mouth guard
380/2 - switched things up and added belt here. Normally would add wrist wraps here and the belt on the next set.
Work
410/5 @10 - added wrist wraps. +5 lbs, +1 rep (11 days). I'm rating this @10 by default. I lost my balance on the last rep, as in my heels rose off the floor and everything shifted onto the balls of my feet and toes. If that has ever happened to me, it has been a long time.
365/6 @9 - I know I had one more, but after the near-debacle on 410, I didn't want to grind out an @10 rep here.
Exercises 2-5 were done as a circuit.
2. Machine Curl - I figured out that with the swivel handle, I can make this a combo forearm-to-bicep curl by flexing my wrists.
Warmup
40/10
Work
60/9 - since I did the heavy back stuff the day before, I didn't want to go @10 on my still-tired biceps the next day
3. Seated Leg Curl
Warmup
90/12
Work
130/13 @9.5 - added mouth guard. +10 lbs, same reps (19 days)
4. Calf Press - on leg press
Warmup
115/13
Work
205/13 @9.5
5. Decline Sit-ups
Work
BW/20, 20
Recap Video & 2 More Workouts
Here's a recap video with the top sets of my 3 workouts last week. On commentary, I respond to a friend on Facebook who asked me to do a video addressing how to add variety in your workouts. I hope you'll take a few minutes to check it out. Thanks in advance!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scy3iyUQJG4
For the set by set record, here it is:
Workout A2 - Sun. 6/30/19 5:00-5:55 am*
* I don't know what was wrong with me. At the time I started my first warm-up set, I had been up for almost 23 hours, which included a 10 hour work day delivering mail in 90+ degree heat.
1. Overhead Press
Warmup
bar/10
85/8
115/6
135/4
Rest-Pause Work Set - added mouth guard
155/5 + 2 + 2 push press
Last time (6/17) I did 6 reps followed by 2 push press. I chalked up the decline on the front end to fatigue.
2. DB Incline Bench
Warmup
60's/10
Work Set
80's/10 @10 (same weight, +2 reps)
3. Pulldowns (Overhand)
Warmup
100/10
135/8
170/6
Work Set - added mouth guard and Versa Gripps
195/12 @10 (same weight, +3 reps)
4. Seated Row
Warmup
110/10
Work Set - added mouth guard and Versa Gripps
155/15 @10 (+5 lbs, +4 reps)
5. Total Gym Core Trainer
I just found this in a corner of the gym that I never go to. It seemed like a cool way to get some ab work in. It's like being in a plank, and you bring your knees into your chest. I did 2 sets of 20.
Weird - after a slight decline in performance on the initial set of OHP (-1 rep), I managed to make improvements on all of the other exercises from the last time I did them. Either I wasn't pushing myself hard enough last time, or the OHP woke me up and kicked me into another gear. I hope I'm not up all night any time soon to find out.
Workout B2 - Wed. 7/3/19 9:17-10:36 pm
1. Barbell Curls
Warmup
bar/7, 8
70/8
Work Set - started with a negative after cheating the weight up to the contracted position
90/10 + 1 cheat rep with slow negative
2. Lying Triceps Extension - with EZ bar
Warmup
bar/several sets on 2 different benches - wasn't sure which I wanted to use
+40/10
+55/10
Work Set
+70/11 @10
3. Calf Press - on leg press, slow eccentric and concentric with a brief hold in the top and bottom of each rep
Warmup
110/10
Work Set
210/12 (+5 lbs, -1 rep)
4. Leg Extensions
Warmup
70/10
Work Set
110/16 @9? - not sure how to rate this RPE. I'm pretty sure my ROM was decreasing, but I could have done at least one more partial rep.
5. Deadlift
Warmup
135/8
225/5
315/4 - added Versa Gripps
395/3 - added mouth guard
Work Set - added belt
455/1 x 8 sets, completed in 7:21 (end of the 1st single to the end of the 8th).
The gym is open tomorrow. Since I don't have to work, I might try to get in there tomorrow for Workout A1 (upper). But we have a few family plans too, so it might have to wait until Friday. We'll see.
Some Amendments to High Intensity
In the last few weeks, I've been feeling some lower back pain. It's not severe, but it's there, or at least it was. My doctor told me several months ago that I might have some degree of sciatica, but it had largely gone away until the last few weeks. I may need to change my shoes for work. But I've also decided to amend my "HIT" protocol, and not get close to failure on squats, deadlifts from the floor, and overhead presses. Those 3 strain my lower back more than anything else that I do, so my thought is to stay away from lifting my way into a predicament that puts undue stress on it. I'll be doing various things for those lifts. My first experiment is with cluster sets.
Woke up weighing 210.8 lbs this morning. My numbers in the gym are going up, but the numbers on the scale are not. Ultimately, I think the latter needs to happen, even if I'm pulling off some miraculous body recomposition. I don't think that's what is happening. But I'll take whatever signs of progress I can get, especially after last week. Working in that heat wave wiped me out. I trained one and a half times, with the "half session" meaning that I quit during warmups for squats. In the 2 sessions I've done so far this week (I hope the third is tonight), I picked up where I left off from that aborted session...
Workout B1 - Wed. 7/24/19
1. Squat
bar/6, 6
135/6
3 reps each at 185, 235, 285, 335 (added mouth guard), and 375 (added wrist wraps)
added belt
405/3 x 5 sets, completed in 11:00 (end of 1st set to end of 5th)
As for RPE, I rated the work sets @6, @6.5, @7.5, @8.5 and @9
2. Seated Leg Curl
90/10
rest-pause: 140/11 + 6.5 (ROM was short on the 7th rep)
3. Leg Extension
100/5
140/16 @10 (ROM got short and couldn't hold contraction at the top)
4. Machine Curls - added elbow sleeves
40/10
70/11 @10
5. Lying Triceps Extensions w/EZ bar
bar/10
+50/10
+80/10 @9.5
6. Calf Press
120/10
210/18 @9.5
Workout A2 - Fri. 7/26/19
1. Overhead Press
bar/8-10
95/10
115/4
135/3
added mouth guard
155/3, 3, 3, 3 (added belt for 4th set), 2, 2
Work sets completed in 8:20 (end of 1st set to end of 6th)
2. Pulldowns
80/10
130/8
170/7 - added mouth guard here
200/12.5 @10 (couldn't complete full ROM on 13th rep) - used Versa Gripps for work set
3. DB Incline Press
60's/6, 6 - changed bench position from hole 3 to hole 2 (lower)
80's/6
added mouth guard
drop set: 90's/8 @9.5 + 80's/3 @10
Those 90's are the heaviest dumbbells in this gym. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be doing this exercise. https://assets.bodybuilding.com/foru...lies/frown.gif
4. Seated Row
150/10
added mouth guard and Versa Gripps
210/13.5 @10 (couldn't finish ROM on 14th)
5. Cable Pressdowns w/rope attachment
35/5
65/16 @9.5
Lower Back Pain Strikes Again
Workout B2 - Mon. 7/29/19, 8:50-9:47pm
1. Deadlift
135/8
225/4
315/3 - started using Versa Gripps here
385/1, 1 - put mouth guard in here
425/1, 1
added belt
465/1 x 10 - all 10 singles were completed in approximately 28 minutes.
Now for the interesting part...
I was ecstatic that I was able to squat last Wednesday (7/24) without any lower back pain, which has become more common for me lately. I think it has much more to do with 7-10 miles per day of urban hiking for work than it has to do with lifting. It might be our mattress, but that's less than a year old so I doubt it. Anyway, I don't remember feeling any lower back pain in the last week to 10 days, which is around the time I replaced my work shoes. All of that changed on my first belted single.
Looking at the video (which I need to upload), I didn't see any glaring technical flaw. But once the bar got about halfway up, I felt a sharp pain in my lower back. It was most prominent on the right side, under and just above the belt, but started there and wrapped around my spine to the left side of my back. I put the bar down, discouraged and disgusted. My original plan was to do these singles on the clock like I normally do, and try to get 8-12 singles done with 60-90 seconds rest between each one. At this point, I was debating myself on whether or not to quit and go home, or try to get some more lifting done. Stubborn frustration won, and after a few minutes, I did a second single. That one hurt too, but not quite as bad. I waited a few more minutes and pulled it again. This one hurt much less, and the pain seemed to be confined to the right side at that point, but the weight felt ridiculously heavy and moved a lot slower than that weight should move for a 3rd single with plenty of rest. But at this point, I was cautiously optimistic that I could get my planned workload done without things getting worse.
I took a lot more time pulling these than I planned, but my theory seemed to pan out, and the pain didn't get worse. However, Tuesday morning called, and I could get out of bed and move but I felt stiff, old and tired (more than normal). Muscle relaxers have helped over the last few days, and at this moment for the first time since my last warmup on Monday night, my lower back doesn't hurt. If I don't work overtime tomorrow and feel decent at the end of my shift, then I'll probably go to the gym for the next workout in the rotation, which would be bench, dumbbell overhead press, chins, chest supported row and something else. The "something else" will not be abs unless I just do a few timed planks. Fingers crossed...