Randy's Quest for 5/4/3/2

[Randy Scheingold]

8/17 Week ? (lost count...) Day 1 (Week 49 with Karl)
Heavy Day

Squat ReLP 240x5x3
Press 160x5x4 Prescribed, Got 160x5,5,5,4,1 Still a Volume PR and way better than last week.
DL 350x5 Prescribed, Got 350x3

Squats
- Overall, I thought these were very solid.
- Not as deep on the right (high side), but looking closely all are legit depth. And I think I did much better on knee slide...which is probably costing me some depth...but with a better way to do the lift.
- Rested 7 min

Press
- These were hard....set 3 had a real grinder in the end.
- Ran out of juice right at rep 19....
- Still great improvement over last week, no doubt I'll get my 5x4 next week.
- And...this is only 5lb shy of my Press 5 RM.
- 8 min rest for most, 10 min for set 4

DL
- Even early warm ups felt heavy
- I think I blew my wad on presses

Comments
- Back from vacation...relaxed and ready to go
- I'll get a good weigh in tomorrow, but I think I am either neutral, down a pound, or up a pound. Key point is...I did not totally fall apart on vacation.
- DL & Press - Let's repeat these next heavy day. I want my prescribed reps
- Programming Update: Let's move Light day to this Saturday. And do Medium day on Monday. And then Light on Wed or Thur...of next week.
- I have rationale for this...but won't bore you with it. Basically about optimizing the gym equipment I know I'll have on this business trip.

[Randy Scheingold]

Got busy and got behind in my log. But no missed workouts. Going to just put stats for the missed days then I'll get back to my one-sided conversation from my SSOC log

I finished my first 12 week cut with Robert's guidance and then did a mini-maintenance phase of 4 weeks, which sadly ends tonight. Second cut starts tomorrow. Results thus far:

Weight from 216lb down to 196lb. 20lb drop. woohoo.
Waist from 39.5in to 35.25in. 4.25in drop. double woohoo.
Navy Method Bodyfat. From 27.5% down to 19.something %.
4inch belt - From a tight largest hole, to a tight (on squats...OK on everything else) 4th hole.

My starting macros for my 2nd cut are: P-180, C - 200, F - 60 (2060 calories).

During this 16 week period, my lifts...:

Squat - Reset & build up to focus on Knees Out. Not weight related...shitty form related. Went from 310x5x4 all time Volume PR down to 205x5x4...hit 260x5x3 tonight in my re-lp (which now has a light day).
Press - After 4 attempts, i got my Heavy Day press attempt of 160x5x4. This is 5lb shy of my 5RM of 165...which I have not tested. Previous Volume PR was 155x5x3. so...adding a 4th set and 5lb...while losing 20lb. AWESOME.
Bench - After 2 attempts, I got almost got my medium day Bench. I got 235x5,5,5,4,1 (just missed it). My prior Volume PR was 232.5x5x3. so I added 1 set and 2.5lb (minus that missed 20th rep). Again, this is from benching once per week and while losing 20lb. Woohoo!
DL - 3rd week in a row failing to tie my 5RM PR of 350. But I'll get it next week. In short, no progress.....but no regression.
Rows - On an LP for Rows, which started a few months ago. rowing on medium day. PRs every week. 195x8x3 last time.
Curls - PR curl weight...90x5x3

So...overall, given a 20lb weight loss, I am thrilled with my progress thus far. I have been heavily focused on loading up fast digesting carbs pre/intra/post workout. GU has been my go-to lately.

Lifting stats coming next.

[Randy Scheingold]

8/20 Week ? (lost count...) Day 2 (Week 49 with Karl)
Medium Day

Squat ReLP 245x5x3
Bench 232.5x5x4 Volume PR! Previous best was 232.5x5x3
Curls 80x7x3
Prowler - Sled+180 x 1.5 laps x 4 (a length is probably 10 to 12 years, so this is probably 36 yards)

8/21 Week ? (lost count...) Day 3 (Week 49 with Karl)
Medium Day (mistakenly put Medium day for yesterday....which was actually Light Day)

Squat ReLP 215x5x3 (Light day due to short recovery)
Press 152.5x5x3
Rows 192.5x8x3 PR!

8/23 Week ? (lost count...) Day 1 (Week 50 with Karl)
Heavy Day

Squat ReLP 250x5x3
Press 160x5x4 Prescribed, Got 160x5,5,5,4.5, 1
DL 350x5 Prescribed, Got 350x4,1

8/25 Week ? (lost count...) Day 2 (Week 50 with Karl)
Light Day

Squat ReLP 255x5x3
Bench 235x5x4 Prescribed, Got 235x5,4,4,4,3 Still a Volume PR!!
Curls 85x5x3 curl PR!!
Prowler Sled + 180 x 1.5 laps x 4 (same as it has been for a while)

8/28 Week ? (lost count...) Day 3 (Week 50 with Karl)
Medium Day

Squat ReLP 255x5x3 repeat
Press 152.5x5x3
Rows 195x8x3 PR!

8/30 Week ? (lost count...) Day 1 (Week 51 with Karl)
Heavy Day

Squat ReLP 225x5x3 light day
Press 160x4x4 Volume PR!!
DL 350x4,1

[Randy Scheingold]

9/2 Week ? (lost count...) Day 2 (Week 51 with Karl)
Light Day

Squat ReLP 260x5x3
Bench 235x5x4 Prescribed, Got 235,5,5,5,4,1 Volume PR! 1 rep shy of perfect
Curls 90x5x3 Curl PR
Prowler - Same as always

Squats
- Not convincingly deep. Frustrating.
- 7 min rest

Bench
- Felt solid, I should have grinded rep 20 more...
- 8 to 10 min rest

Curl
- Some definitely layback\cheating.
- We should probably microload these...but I thought that last week...and I did get these today at 5lb heavier.

Questions
- I had a squat light day last time and an extra day rest. so not really sure what to do here. I do focus on Knees Out....just didn't have it today
- For Rows from a few days ago...the video mishap prevented me from hearing your feedback. My question is should I reset after each rep? Or try to pound through them fast? - Tonight ends my 4 week mini-maintenance phase...boohoo......

[Randy Scheingold]

Dear Log...it's been 3 weeks since my last confession: I'm still far weaker than I would like to be. But like the hamster on the wheel...I'm still diligently at it...fat little legs running as fast as they can.

Getting lazy with my log, but not my lifting.

Weight: 192lb. Waist: 34.5 (still progressing...but it each drop has to be earned at this point...with a good solid week of macro compliance). Belt: Can now comfortable squat in the 4th from largest hold and Bench in the 5th from largest. It used to be...squeeze into the largest hole for everything.

Lifts: Still suck....but EVERYTHING is now a bodyweight PR at least weekly if not more frequently. And I am still knocking on the door or past many 5RM PRs. At 24lb lighter, I'll take it.

9/4 Medium Day + Squat LP
Squat - 265x5x3
Press - 152.5x5x3
Rows - 195x8x3 (PR!)

9/6 - Heavy Day + Light Squat
Squat - 230x5x3
Press - 162.5x3,3,4,4,4,2 (Volume PR!) 2.5lb shy of overall PR
DL - 350x5 5 Rep PR!

9/8 - Light Day + Squat LP
Squat - 270x5x3
Bench - 235x4,5,5,4,2
Curls - 92.5x5,4,4,2 (PR!)
Dropped Prowler...out of time, and dropping for the rest of the cut to save on recovery. Still focused on 10K steps per day though (usually get it).

9/11 - Medium Day + Squat LP
Squat - 275x5x3 High...fuck
Press - 155x5x3
Rows - 200x8x3 (PR!) Too vertical though, need to stay bent over more.

9/13 - Heavy Day + Light Squat
Squat - 235x5x3
Press - 162.5x4,5,4,4,3 (a little better)...
DL - 355x3 (supposed to be 5)

9/15 - Light Day + Squat LP
Squat - 280x5x3 (still high...fuck fuck)
Bench - 235x5,5,4,4,4. 22 reps total....been stuck here so adding some reps to break the plateau....
Rows - 205x5x3 (tapered to 5s)

9/18 - Medium Day (Squat back on HLM)
Squat - 265x5x3
Press - 155x5x4 (added a set for more volume to break heavy day stall)
DL - 355x3 (supposed to be 5 again)

9/20 - Heavy Day
Squat - 280x4,4,3,2,2. Fuck me.... (better depth, but didn't get them all). Supposed to be 280x5x4. 30lb shy of my Squat 5RM & Volume PR.
Press - 162.5x4,4,4,3,1. Very slight regression.
DL - 355x3 (again....)

9/22- Light Day
Squat - 250x5x2 (solid...first real HLM light day since my mini re-LP)
Bench - 237.5x4, 230x5,5,5,4. (Added a top set of 5...but I wussed out on #5, and kept the 4x5...but I failed the last rep. Still, some solid additional volume.) Volume PR!
[B]Rows - 210x5x3 PR! But...too horizontal, going to repeat/B]
Pin Presses - 175x3....first time doing these, hard to find a starting weight and disappointed not higher...but this was after major upper body volume. Next time we do this for 5x3. VERY awkward though...lost balance but was in the rack, so no big deal.

[Randy Scheingold]

9/25 Medium Day
Squat - 265x5x3 (I thought these were solid...but it seems my bad side (left side) was only parallel...fuck)
Press - 155x5x4 (strong and fast...only 1 or 2 reps were hard)
Curls - 95x5x3 prescribed. Got 95x5,4,3 85x5 (Curl PR...)

Strong workout, despite not convincingly deep squats. I'll keep working at it...

[Randy Scheingold]

For those that follow...I'm back

I never really left...just stopped double posting my log between here and SSOC.

Few updates to catch everyone up.

Fall Classic
- PR'd my Dl at 400.4 at the Fall Classic
- PR'd my Press at 191.??? at same
- Squat sucked......no where near a PR
- Weight was great, down 22lb to 193 at Fall Classic
- Bench PR (T&G) 1 week later...a grindy 285...but I got it!!!

Current Program & Weights
- Still doing a 3 day HLM
- Squat - Heavy 4x5, Light - 3x5 Box Squat (87.5% or so of Heavy), Medium - Paused Squat - 3x5 (94% of Medium)...% are not a science, based off of this week....but really I just add 2.5lb each week to each of them (yes, I am microloading Squats)
- DL - 1 heavy set + 1 back off at90%
- Rows, Curls, Bench, and Press (Pressing twice per week now)

Current lifts
Squat 297.5x5x4 (12.5lb from my 5RM & Volume PR of 310)
Press 162.5x5x3 on light day, 167.5x3x5 (triples) on medium day (got up to 170x4x4...couldn't get 5s so we reset)
Bench 245x5x4 on heavy day (got up to 257.5x5...but took a week off and lost some strength)
Rows 225x5, 205x5x2 on light day (got up to 230x5...stalled and reset)
DL - 385x5, 345x5 (with straps)

Also, I am moving out of Chicago and into the burbs....3 kids and a long commute got the better of me. Good news is, I'll be able to set up my home gym now...woohoo!!!

Lastly, weight has crept back up a lot...not at my max, but way to high. Feel unconditioned all the time. Need to get that shit under control. It is stress...buying/selling a house + work + normal lift = stress.

[Randy Scheingold]

Howdy everyone...it's been a good 4 months since I posted. Things are going well. I now have a SWEET home gym:

Rogue RML-3
OHP
B&R 2 Bar
Rogue Calibrated KG Plates
Homemade 4x6 platform
A few light bumpers (for the kids to DL on)
Rogue Curl bar
And...my favorite...Rogue Monolift attachments (which have SAVED my shoulders)

I did the Spring Classic and got some PRs.

Squat - 354lb (baby PR...4lb)...got a another PR a few weeks later...so current 1RM is 360lb
Press - 202.5lb! finally broke 200lbs!
DL - 462lb (62lb PR!!!)
Bench (done a few weeks later) - 290lb (5lb PR!)...tried for 300lb...but didn't have it.

Another log entry coming soon with my current programming.

[Karl Schudt]

Your programming is proprietary, high level stuff, Randy. Lots of finely calibrated undulatios.

I'm a little jealous of your setup. I'd do better if we didn't have so many kid bikes.

[Randy Scheingold]

The funny thing is...my complex DUP/RPE programming..that I specifically pushed Karl to give me...left me with extremely small PRs and feeling beat up as HELL. Press & DL (both regressed) and 5lb PRs on Squat & Bench... sometimes you have to experience something to get it. Complex may be great for some....but for me....I have by FAR made my most significant intermediate process with HLM. Which...is what we are doing now. I am now going to hang on to HLM for dear life...and only switch up once we exhaust multiple resets, running out rep ranges, cycling rep ranges, doing top set + back offs, and playing with 3 day vs 4 day splits.... Then...in maybe a year or two....we can consider something more advanced. And hopefully by then I'll be Pressing 225, Benching 330, and Squatting over 400, and DLing over 500.


7/31 late night workout
Heavy Day

Squat 301x5x4 (9lb from 5 RM)
Bench 260x5x4 prescribed...got 260x5,4,2 243x5x2 (5 Rep PR!!!!)...and I did heavy Rows the day prior & heavy press triples 2 days prior...so I was under-recovered...with more recovery I think I would have gotten the 4x5. Fun note...my calculated (not tested) 1RM is above 300lb now! woohoo
Pin Press (from forehead) 180x5x3 (Pin Press PR...wooot!)....and doing these in my under-recovered state following a Volume Bench PR...is fucking awesome!