Manimal's Over-Analyzed Intermediate Log

[Manimal]

I used to have a log in the beginner section and have decided I want to keep an online log again. I figure this space will be more organized and allow for more analysis than the training notebook that I keep. A bit about me, male, 30, 5'7, teacher, Capricorn, chronic dieter.

I've run SS more times than I care to count at this point since starting in Nov 2011. I usually lift pretty well for a while, bulk to hard, and then go full retard on cutting.
Best lifts to date, Squat 455x1, Bench 295x1, DL 395x5, Press 210x1.

I've started this most recent round of LP in early march at a BW of 207. On SSLP my numbers from March 8 to April 20. I tend to cut the SSLP near then end rather than resetting because I'm not interested in finding out how much blood can shoot out of my eyeballs from all of the effort and consistent ass kicking, also, I got sick and took it as an awesome opportunity to switch programs. BW 207-201 eating 1500-2000 kcal/day.

SQ 225 - 320
Bench 155 - 210
Press 115 - 160
DL 295 - 335

Started TM 3 day standard template on April 27. Experimented with a bit of accessory work, but only did chins as a consistent secondary movement. I played around too much with my DL volume and ended up a bit "overtrained" last week.

Current BW 197, I'm actually broke and have no choice but to continue cutting. I refuse and will never eat fast food #eggsandblackbeanseveryday

Current numbers (weight x reps x sets) Squat 350x5, Press 170x3x2, Bench 235x5, DL 365x3x2

Due to my inability to recover and make solid progression on TM as written, I'm going to stretch a similar program out over a 2 week period in hopes to drive consistent results.

[Manimal]

Program Specifics, I've tried to combine the basics of HLM with the idea of the short mesocycle from TM with the goal of allowing more recovery time yet accumulating more meaningful volume. Intensity will move up following the TM protocol. I will be keeping the additional exercises minimal to start since the program is new. I really like facepulls and rows so those will find their way in really quickly. I do chins in some ladder form every workout. When working with percentages I always round down and will not use microplates on squat or DL.

HLM 2 Week Split (Reps x Sets)

Volume Week / Intensity Week

Day 1 Heavy

Squat 5x3 (90% of intensity) / Squat 5x1
Bench 5x3 (90% of intensity) / Bench 5x1
Power Cleans 3x5 (eventually) /

Day 2 Light

Squat 5x3 (20% offload from Monday) / Squat 5x3 light day weight
Press Heavy 5x5 (85% of intensity) / Press 5x1
/ DL 5x1

Day 3 Medium

Squat 5×5 (80% of intensity) / Squat 5x3 medium day weight
Bench 5x5 (80% of intensity) / Bench 5x3 medium day weight
Deficit Deadlift 3x8 /

First Cycle

Volume

Day 1 Heavy

Squat 315x5x3 / Squat 350x5x1
Bench 205x5x3 / Bench 230x5x1

Day 2 Light

Squat 250x5x3 / Squat 250x5x3
Press Heavy 140x5x5 / Press 170x5x1
/ DL 355x1

Day 3 Medium

Squat 280x5×5 / Squat 280x5x3
Bench 180x5x5 / Bench 180x5x3
Deficit Deadlift 3x8

Volume Tracking
Squat Bench Press
350 230 170

TM Equivalent Squat Bench Press
Volume > 70% 7875 5175 3825

2 Week HLM Squat Bench Press
Volume > 70% 11725 7705 3825

[Manimal]

BW 197

Trained at a buddies house today. He is coaching me through power cleans. I want the speed pull finally because im in desperate need of pull volume that isn't just more heavy deadlifts. 5 years after picking up SS for the first time I'm learning to powerclean, better late than never I guess. Last light day before I start the new program on Monday. I'm excited and nervous. I'm hoping to get a solid run before I need another deload. My nutrition is still going to be fucked, but I am crushing eggs faster than Perdue to hit my protein counts.

Squat
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5

Press
65x5
95x5
115x3
135x5x2

Power Cleans
85x3x5
Counting for 5 sets of 3 even though there was a ton more partial pulling. Ripps art of manliness video teaching the guy to powerclean is amazing.

[MattimusMaximus]

I'm 30 as well and TM kicked my ass. I'm much happier now on 5/1 (2 weeks cycles) but I've heard great things about HLM as well.

Those are some pretty solid lifts you've done in the past. Excited to see where you go with this!

[Manimal]

Thanks. I actually tried 5/1 for a brief period before one of my full retard stints dieting. I found it to be an awesome template for a variety of goals. I'm really hoping HLM is what I'm after and is something that I can manipulate for a long time going forward as the periodization needs to be stretched and the volumes/%s need to be adjusted. As always my goals are lofty, but I am most looking forward to squatting over 400lbs again.

[Manimal]

Had a scary weekend, so I put training off until today to give myself another day of rest. My weigh plummeted over the past week, well passed any caloric restriction I was on could achieve. I hit 192.5 yesterday and decided to have a blow out day and at about 5k calories. Today I feel a whole lot better and it showed in my training. First "heavy day" was easy.

BW 198

Squat
135x5
185x3
225x2
275x1
295x1
315x5x3

Bench
95x5
135x3
155x2
185x1
205x5x3

Chins Ladders on 30 secs rest. Only 20 total reps but I didn't want to push my luck.
1,2,3,4,4
1,2,3

I did not power clean. To be honest there were two beyond gorgeous women practicing the olympic lifts in the weightlifting room, and I couldn't for the life of me go butcher powercleans in front of them.

[Manimal]

BW 194.5

Light day volume week

Easy day, I finished the whole workout in under an hour. I wasn't even hurrying I just didn't need the rest.

Squats
250x5x3

Press
140x5x5 (no belt)

PowerCleans (Yes I did them)
65x3x3
95x3x3

My form is still wild, I could have done a snatch for every pull today. I am actively not using my arms, but other than that I have no clue if this is on the right path. I think I need to work with some higher weight so that I can slow the bar speed down without removing effort. Next time I will go for 135. Luckily the only other person in the weightlifting room today was another guy learning how to snatch. We must have looked like fools lol.

[Manimal]

BW 194

Medium Day

Squat
135x5
225x5
245x1
275x5x5

Bench
95x5
135x3
155x1
185x5x5

Chins 30 secs rest
1,2,3,4,5

Pulls 45 secs
1,2,3

FacePulls
25x8x3

still terrible at doing pulls, really need to address my upper back. I cant even identify a specific weakness, the whole area needs work.

Was really cool today to see the big guys in the gym lifting. They squat early on Saturdays. Most of them suit up hard, but its mind blowing to see dudes squatting and pulling over 700lbs.

[Manimal]

BW 196, ate a whole pizza saturday, cause fuck it. Weighed 200 on Sunday.

Had no choice but to only give one days rest between training weeks. Squats went well but I failed the last rep of my bench. I hesitated on the last rep way to damn long on whether i was going to attempt it and racked it knowing that I had blown my window. Pleased anyway with the new program. Squats felt better than they have in months on TM. Bench I am going to chalk up to recovery time for this round. I wont repeat the weight. I will just move to a top triple.

Squat
135x5
185x3
225x2
275x1
295x1
315x1
335x1
350x5

Bench
95x5
135x3
155x2
185x1
205x1
230x4

Chins
1,2,3,4 wider still neutralish grip 3,3,3

Row Machine
workup, going to do 3 sets of 8 across going forward
40x5
55x8
70x8

Face Pulls, figured I can start moving these given the practice and ease of 25lbs
25x5
35x8x3

[Manimal]

bw 196

had no carbs yesterday so today was fuckin rough. got through press but only managed a double on DL

squat
135x5
185x5
225x5

press
95x5
115x3
135x2
155x1
170x3

DL
135x5
225x3
275x1
315x1
335x1
375x2 fail 3rd rep

looking at the warmup scheme i might have had another rep or two in there.

chins
2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4

rows
70x8x3

face pulls
35x8x3