Fat Man training - off the program

[dyinglight]

September 14th, 2022: Squat: 295 x 5,5,5 ; Press: 115 x 5, 115 x 4, 110 x 4, 110 x 2; Deadlift: 315 x 5

Given I'm diabetic and the regular linear progression is causing extreme blood level spikes, which have consequences (this morning I had trouble seeing clearly, my right eye's vision was really blurry, consequence of having too much glucose in my blood).

So I wanted to stay at the same level of squat as last time, but do one rep more. Unfortunately I'm so used to using the SS app, it automatically lead me to 295. By the time I racked it, I decided to go for it.

Press was another failure. I want to progressively increase the volume, but probably have to deload at this point.

Deadlift went really well. 3 full 45 lbs plates on each side looked pretty good.

My goal is to decrease the intensity of the overall workout, and I plan on doing this by increasing the volume without increasing the weight, maybe even decreasing it. Like sets of 6, then 7, then 8. Less stress on my pancreas.

The same way walking won't help you be a faster runner, but might spare a bad knee, I'm not looking to become stronger at this point, just fitter with better blood circulation and no glucose spikes.

[dyinglight]

I did some workout after the 15th and before the 20th, but I'm not sure when. I think it was the 16th, but not sure.
Squat: 300 lbs x 5, 300 lbs x 5, 225 lbs x 8, 225 lbs x 8
Chin-up machine (lat pull-down setup for "chins", since I can only chin half my bodyweight): 140 lbs x 5, 3 sets
I did regular warmups, but will be explicit from now on because I am off program for good.

September 21st, 2022:
Squats:
Warmups:
5 x 45 lbs (empty bar)
5 x 45
5 x 105
3 x 160
2 x 220
Worksets
8 x 275
8 x 275
7 x 275
5 x 275

Overhead Press
Warmups:
5 x 45
5 x 45
5 x 60
3 x 75
2 x 90
Worksets:
8 x 105
8 x 105
4 x 105
2 x 105

Deadlift
warmups:
5 x 135
5 x 135
5 x 185
3 x 225
2 x 275
Worksets
7 x 315
7 x 315

Chin-up machine
Warmup
5 x 40
5 x 40
5 x 65
3 x 90
2 x 120
Worksets:
8 x 140
8 x 140
8 x 140
7 x 140

Unfortunately, I forgot to test my glucose levels before downing some protein bomb after the workout, so no objective measure.

Total lifted for the session is 26,545 lbs, or a bit over 13 tons. I'm going for volume, not strength. I want good blood circulation more than activating stress-adaptation response.

By comparison, when I was on the program, I squatted 295, presses 116 (5,4,4 I failed two reps total) and deadlift 315, the total lifted was only 14,183 lbs. So I'm lifting almost twice as much total volume.

[dyinglight]

September 25th, 2022
Squats:
Warmups: 5x45, 5x45, 5x105, 3x160, 2x220
Worksets: 8x275, 5x275, 5x275

Overhead press:
Warmups: 5x45, 5x45, 5x60, 3x75, 2x90
Worksets: 8x105, 7x105, 4x105, 3x105

Chin-ups on lateral pull-down machine:
Warmups: 5x40, 5x40, 5x70, 3x100, 2x120
Worksets: 9x140, 9x140, 9x140, 9x140 (a lot of cheating on the 2 last sets. I'm swinging quite a bit, but since this is a chin-up simulator, I'm guessing I could swing on a real chin-up too.

Deadlifts
Warmups: 5x135, 5x135, 5x185, 3x225, 2x275
Worksets: 3x345, 3x345, 2x325, 3x325

After my previous workout, too a while to recover. I actually experienced DOMS which I haven't since my first couple workouts. General soreness, yet, but not delayed like 2 days later.

Maybe 4 sets is too much. I should have worked towards it over a longer period of time.

Measured my blood sugar before, it was 8,3, and two hours after workout it was 6.0 so I'm pretty happy.

[dyinglight]

September 26th, 2022
Mini workout:
Bodyweight squats (no bar): 5x20 (five sets of 20 reps)
Empty-handed Arnold presses: 5x20 (five sets of 20 reps)

I felt really good after yesterday. Slight soreness but ready for a full workout tomorrow. But I decided to try to get the blood circulating a bit, so I did 20 body-weight squats. To my surprise, that winded me. So whatever I could squat five times 300 lbs, if I can't squat just myself 20 times? I feel this is a big weakness of the original program. It doesn't help me at all run up 3 flights of stairs without feeling like I'm about to have a heart attack.

I also did 5 sets of 20 reps of Arnold presses, keeping the rest under 2 minutes. I definitely felt blood flowing through my joints and tendons.

I will add these every day I don't do a real workout. If it drops my total numbers, so be it. I'd rather be able to do a certain amount of work each day, than a great amount of work only 1 day a week.

[dyinglight]

September 27th, 2022

Squats:
Warmups: 5x45, 5x45, 5x105, 3x160, 2x220
Worksets: 8x275, 8x275, 8x275, 5x275

Overhead press:
Warmups: 5x45, 5x45, 5x60, 3x75, 2x95
Worksets: 8x105, 7x105, 4x105, 4x105, 3x105

Deadlifts
Warmups: 5x135, 5x135, 5x185, 3x225, 2x275
Worksets: 6x325, 6x325

Chin-ups on lateral pull-down machine:
Warmups: 5x40, 5x40, 5x70, 3x100, 2x120
Worksets: 10x140, 10x140, 8x140, 5x140

The press doesn't seem to want to move, at all. So I guess it's fine that I'm not that interested in strength. Still, would like to hit all those 8s. The 21st I did 8,8,4,2 and today 8,7,4,4 (on the first 4 worksets today), so while endurance on the last set has improved, on the second set I'm a bit winded.

On another note, I've reduced all rest periods to 45 seconds on the warmups (except deadlift), which starts after I've upgraded the barbell to the next weight. On worksets, I've limited all rest to 2 minutes max. For example, I think had I rested 3-4 minutes on the last squat workset, I could have gotten 8 reps. But since I view my health holistically, I also impose restriction on rest to insure proper circulation of blood, which is my main goal. I think by the next workout I will have adapted to do 8,8,8,8 at 275, or maybe 8,8,8,7 or 8,8,8,6. If so, it means the stress of the volume isn't overwhelming my system.

Passing from 3 sets to 4 sets is proving harder than anticipated. Anyone around here do 5 sets or more? Worksets I mean. Bill Starr's 5 doesn't count since it's really 4 warmup sets and 1 workset.

[dyinglight]

September 29th, 2022

Deadlifts
Warmups: 5x135, 5x135, 5x185, 3x225, 2x285
Worksets: 3x335, 3x335

Overhead press:
Warmups: 5x45, 5x45, 5x60, 3x75, 2x85
Worksets: 8x100, 8x100, 5x100, 4x100

Squats:
Warmups: none
Worksets: 12x100, 12x100, 12x100

Tried some chin-ups with an orange band. Couldn't do one. Chin-up machine was taken and I wasn't in the mood to wait.

My initial plan was to do 6 deadlifts at 335, but I could only do 3. I did 3 of 345 lbs the other day, so thought I could do at least 1 rep more than 3, but nope.

And what about my press? Well, I deloaded by 10% and still couldn't manage to do 4 sets of 8.

It mostly feels like I'm not moving forwards at all, well, except my shoulders look a whole lot bigger, and my traps bulge from my back between my shoulders and neck. I'm definitely feeling a lot denser, if that makes sense.

[T_M]

my traps bulge from my back between my shoulders and neck. I'm definitely feeling a lot denser, if that makes sense.

Hey, big traps are cool! Keep up the good work

[dyinglight]

Hey, big traps are cool! Keep up the good work

Thanks. Honestly it's weird looking at myself in the mirror, if I tilt my shoulders one side, the traps on the other side look cartoonishly big.

That said, I'm still about 100 lbs overweight, so I am totally looking like "Dr. Robotnik" from Sonic video games. I look like I'm pregnant and have a 100 lbs belly. And most of it seems visceral, like really in my belly's organs. I'm also diabetic (since a couple years) with severe blood sugar level swings.

I just want to lose fat, improve blood circulation, and restore my organs functions, meaning my pancreas (although my liver and spleen are also showing up problem numbers in the tests). I underwent an abdominal echography this week. They told me they would call me before the weekend if something urgent showed up, and they haven't. I'll only know the results in about 2 weeks at my next appointment if there is no urgency. But still, I can't rest. I'm so worried my pancreas is completely dead, and my liver dying.

Sorry if I'm being a drama queen.

[T_M]

No worries.

I appreciate you have healthcare issues you're concerned about and need to address...and I applaud the efforts you're logging.

I'm not a coach or therapist, just someone who has trained and consumed information and advice on various forums like this for a few decades (well as far as online forums go, since the early 2Ks). Besides the text book feedback about diet to combat issues related to bodyweight and diabetes, I'm wondering if your training includes the staples of LISS aerobic training like walking, stationary bike or (my favorite) rowing? It's not as sexy as lifting weights but if you want and need to build fitness, there's really no substitute in my opinion.

Anyway, I'm following and wishing you well.

[dyinglight]

No worries.

I'm wondering if your training includes the staples of LISS aerobic training like walking, stationary bike or (my favorite) rowing? It's not as sexy as lifting weights but if you want and need to build fitness, there's really no substitute in my opinion.

Anyway, I'm following and wishing you well.

During the week I walk a minimum of 1 hour a day. Sometimes I'll add an extra 30-45 minutes on the treadmill, walking maybe 4-4.5 km/h, at an incline of 2-3%. I adjust to keep my heart rate around 120 bpm. But I just don't have time these days, so it's mostly the 1 hour walking outside, which I have to do because it's how I get to work. It's outside also, so in the winter I think it will help even more.

___

Anyway, here's today's short training:

October 2nd, 2022

Squats:
Warmups: 5x45, 5x45, 5x115, 3x180, 2x250
Worksets: 5x315, 5x315, 5x315

I got late to the gym, only had short time for a workout (they close 2 pm on Sundays). Decided to go all out on the squats.
Wasn't that hard honestly. I had trouble believing I could do even a single set of 5 reps at that weight, but even after the 3rd I didn't really feel winded. Even so, I don't think I could have done a 6th rep on the 3rd set, so that weight was perfect for me.