Monday, 1/4/2021
Weigh-in: 297.2 pounds
Bench 220x5x1
Seated Dumbbell Press 35x10x3
Lying Triceps extension 55x12x3
Heavy bag work
I'm putting this log here since it's not a true "strength training" log. This program is something I've thrown together partly to experiment, and partly to try and keep my strength levels decently high while I cut weight and thus have reduced recovery capability. It's a 4 day schedule, with one of the "big 4" lifts programmed for a single (fairly) heavy set of 5 each day. The offset is about 5-10% from my last recorded intensity weights. The exception being deadlift which is an ass kicker even in one set. I'm instead working with a weight on that I can double-overhand grip through a set of 5.
After the big heavy set of each day, some accessory work will be done with a protocol more similar to bodybuilding, with submaximal weights and short rest between sets. Why am I doing this? Mainly because I'm just curious what will happen, and it's not like doing this is going to cut into any strength gains since I'm going to be catabolic. It'll probably serve as light work as well, as the accessories will be "linked" to a different big 4 lift.
Finally there will be some conditioning work at the end of every workout, either "sledmilling" on a powered-off treadmill, or hitting the heavy bag a bit. Aspects of the routine may be subject to drastic change, depending on how things progress (or regress) over time. Overall, just a "fucking around" type of program with some low volume strength work in the beginning of every workout. I'll be including a weigh-in at the beginning of every week.
Monday, 1/4/2021
Weigh-in: 297.2 pounds
Bench 220x5x1
Seated Dumbbell Press 35x10x3
Lying Triceps extension 55x12x3
Heavy bag work
Tuesday, 1/5/2021
Squat 285x5x1
Pulldowns 150x10x3
Barbell Curls 45x12x3
Sledmill 32 secondsx3, 60 seconds downtime between each
Squats were fine through the warm ups, started to hurt in the usual way in the left knee after the work set. Just got a pair of very rigid orthotics for my shoes, this was my first session using them. Usually my knee pain starts during the warm ups, so maybe they helped. The knee sleeves I ordered the same day are still yet to arrive. I hope those will be an even bigger help. I'm also thinking about trying to even out the surface I squat on. My basement floor is not entirely level. The area where my left foot usually is is recessed a little bit.
Sledmills are pretty brutal. I had done this workout already for last week, so I started at 30 second intervals then. I definitely bounced back a lot quicker this time. I could feel the blood being pumped through my body for what felt like half an hour after the first time I tried these.
Thursday, 1/7/2021
Seated Overhead Press 135x5x1
Dumbbell Bench 45x10x3
Dumbbell Incline 35x10x3
No heavy bag today due to time constraints. Press was really grindy, but I also overdid one of the heavier warm up sets by accident, so maybe it's not indicative of a big strength drop.
Last edited by CommanderFun; 01-15-2021 at 01:48 PM.
Friday 1/8/2021
Deadlift 325x5x1
Leg Extensions 50x12x3
Leg Curls 50x12x3
Sledmill 20 seconds x3, 60 seconds rest
Monday 1/11/2021
Weigh-in: 294.4 pounds
Bench Press 225x5x1
Seated Dumbbell Press 35x11x3
Lying Triceps Extension 55x13x3
Heavy Bag
Decided to start creeping up reps on those assistance exercises. We'll see if it hits a wall. At 12 reps for the compound movements and 15 for the more isolation movements I'll try an actual weight increase with a rep reset.
Welcome to the general population of the miscreants in this cell block of the forum.
While my lifting routine is straight outta (not Compton) The Barbell Prescription in the Two Steps Forward, One Step Back model, your approach to conditioning is not unlike my own. Some generalized stuff randomly mixed for some variety. Love the heavy and the speed bag. Gotta maintain my martial arts skillsets during the oppression of our Imperial Overlords. Then I can get back to teaching Jujitsu again. It'll be interesting to watch your progress.
Yeah, I just have the hundred pounder heavy bag in my basement from when I used to be a martial artist. I remember there was a time when I thought that it was heavy. Then I came upon the blue book many years later and it is absolutely not. My conditioning isn't even a fraction of what it was back in those days but damn can I hit so much harder now. It feels like I'm battering around a toy with my fists. This routine is mostly a laid back deal because of my deficit diet. Unlike previous deficits I'm dialing it down slow. Right now the rate seems to be about 2-3 pounds a week which is good for now. I have plans in place to drop out further calories as needed. I figured some more conditioning/skill practice type stuff would be a good fit for this 3 month period, since improvements in those areas are not heavily reliant on a surplus diet, unlike strength.
Here's hoping you can get back to teaching folks martial arts again soon. I imagine MA as an industry is about as fucked as fitness in general right now thanks to these dumbasses.
Tuesday 1/12/2021
Squat 285x5x3
Pulldowns 150x10x3
Barbell Curls 45x10x3
Sledmill 34 secondsx3, 60 seconds rest
Knee felt great today. Just before I got started the knee sleeves I ordered arrived. They are fairly thick and VERY tight on the thighs, but these were the largest they had. I don't know yet if today's great improvement on the knee pain issue is entirely their doing though. I did a couple things today to try and improve it, including loading up on 3 doses of 3 ibuprofen pills each throughout the day leading up to training. I also decided to see if maybe I am dealing with my left leg being shorter than the right, and so I took my orthotic out of the right shoe. Next week, I'll forego the ibuprofen. I'll try the orthotic thing again on deadlifting day to see if it addresses some of the weirdness my left foot seems to exhibit when deadlifting. Also, probably gonna lower the increases on those sledmill intervals 1 one second a week. And I'll probably make the "lighter" session just reduced amount of intervals, not reduced length. Three reduced length intervals seems to have not kept the ball rolling as well.