BWare's Intermediate Training Log

[Bruce Ware]

5/7 Session 19-4, Squat

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 1

working sets:

360 x 5 x 3; 6 mins rest between; all 3 sets were good form, depth, control, and bar-speed - although set #3 was a bit slower, still all were steady; first 2 sets, I felt that I could have done one maybe two more reps, but set #3 was all-in; next 5's increment will be plus 5 pounds.

Rack Pull -- 375 x 5
Chin-ups -- 12

Duration: 0h+55m

HR metrics: avg 123, max 165; z2 - 7:35, z3 - 26:45, z4 - 12:10, rest of time in z5 with a short minute in z1; 4 spikes above the z5 top - one for each squat set, and one for the rack pull set. Fit/fat was 33:20/21:10 - ratio very different from fit/fat during yesterday's Press session. Deadlift session's ratio was much more evenly distributed, and I didn't note what the split was in Bench Press.

Next week is 2's. Should be "interesting".

[Bruce Ware]

5/10 Measurement Sunday

Total weight -- (spot) 202.4 (+1.4); (week avg) 202.1 (+1.3); (long avg) 202.0 (-nc-)

LBM -- (spot) 183.1 (+2.3); (long avg) 181.9 (+0.2)

Fat -- (spot) 19.3 (-0.9); (long avg) 20.1 (-0.2)

Yields a BF est of 10.0%.

All measurements within normal limits of variation. Eating was pretty good this week, much better than last, and it looks like the shallow slide I observed and noted last Sunday has generally reversed itself. We will have to see how the week of 2's goes. I do observe a distinct cycling on daily weigh-ins -- the week of 8's shows a general decline through the week, and the 5's show a general increase.

121 g P, 320 g C, and 98 g F for an avg of 2650 kcals in. Although that seems to be a lot of carbs, I feel and look very tight and not fluffy at all.

[Bruce Ware]

5/10 Session 20-1, Bench Press

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
165 x 1
185 x 1

working sets:

205 x 2 x 3; 6 mins rest between; slow and steady - no hitches for sets #1 and #2, but a slightly harder time to get to lockout for rep 2 on set #3; all three sets felt as if I could get 1 or maybe 2 more reps. Next increment for 2's will be plus-2.5 pounds.

Press (vol) -- 118 x 5 x 5
BB Rows -- 210 x 8 x 3

Duration: 1h+08m

HR metrics: avg 106, max 145, fit 34:34, fat 33:41; only a few seconds in z5, almost 55 mins in Zones 2 & 3, with rest of time evenly divided between z1 (warm-up) and z4 (spikes on the lifts).

[Bruce Ware]

5/11 Session 20-2, Deadlift

warm-ups:

135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 1

working sets:

350 x 2 x 3; 6 mins rest between; all 3 sets were slow and steady with good stable form and control; sets #1 and #2 felt like I could have done 1 maybe 2 more reps, but I don't feel like I had anything left in the tank for set #3. next 2's increment will be plus-5 pounds.

Box Squats -- 215 x 8 x 3
Chin-ups -- 12 (6,1 at full body-weight; 5 at 30 pounds assist).

Duration: 0h+55m

HR metrics: avg - 110, max 153, fit 26:55, fat 28:05; 4 spikes in Z5 - occurring during box squats and chin-ups. Not sure if recording specific times in various zones is useful. So far, it appears that doing sets of 2 keeps the "fit" training time and the "fat" training time roughly the same. This "balance" was very different during the week of 5's.

[Bruce Ware]

5/13 Session 20-3, Press

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5
115 x 1
135 x 1

working sets:

145 x 2 x 3; 5.5 mins rest between; first set had a slight hip-thrust action (I've been trying to stick with strict form, because I am hesitant about using the hip-layback/thrust method - I have experimented with that before, and I tend to pop my knees a tad, almost like a push-press, which I definitely do not want to do), but all 3 sets had good slow and steady bar-speed and control/form. First set I felt like maybe one or two more reps, and second and third sets - being much smoother - I felt like I very much could add a couple more reps. This was a really solid Press for me, as this weight had previously been a major challenge.

Floor Press -- 170 x 5 x 5

Duration: 0h+55m

HR metrics: avg - 103, max 135, fit 18:27, fat 33:25, leaving 3 mins 8 secs unknown - probably lost during the warm-ups as being too low to count in either category. Clearly, this session did not push my heart-rate up very much or leave it in higher zones very long.

[Bruce Ware]

5/14 Session 20-4, Squat

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 1
345 x 1

working sets:

380 x 2 x 3; 6 mins rest between; set #1, not sure if I could get more, the movement was smooth and steady, but slow; depth was good; sets #2 and 3 were much more "energetic" as I felt that I could get maybe 1 or 2 more reps; must have been getting over a small psychological "speed-bump" regarding how much (wow!) weight I was loading -- never been in this neighborhood before! Increment for next 2's will be plus-5.

RDLs -- 245 x 8 x 3
Chin-ups -- 12

Duration: 1h+00m

HR metrics: avg - 126, max - 161, fit 52:59, fat 7:01. Well, that is a very different heart-rate training profile than what I observed in yesterday's Press day, and also from Deadlift day, and from Bench Press day! Not sure what it all means, although I might be tempted to infer that this routine at 2's is most "stressful" on squats, but the other lifts were pretty much 50/50 (Press being an exception, as it seems to be the low-stress day). All-in-all, maybe a good balance to maintain.

Next week, I will be replacing the volume exercises each day with dynamic effort versions, with the exception of the deadlift variants, which will stay in the volume training range. I will be testing a couple of aspects of my training: (1) to see if this can help me generate more explosive power; (2) to see if it changes the heart-rate training zones; and (3) to see if it affects the heavy loading on the main lifts that the volume exercise is supposed to support (e.g., the floor press supporting the bench -- does going DE on floor press adversely affect my performance on the bench?). I plan on giving DE a 3-week run and seeing what the results are; it could be useful in preparation for the resumption of rowing season, if the state ever permits us to get back on the water (I find it extremely distasteful to even pose the question in this form - why should a free citizen of an open society need such permission?).

[Bruce Ware]

5/17 Measurement Sunday

This will be a rather short report, because quite literally, nothing changed this week.

Total weight -- (spot) 202.0 (-0.4); (week avg) 201.7 (-0.4); (long-term avg) 202.0 (nc)

LBM -- (spot) 182.3 (-0.8); (long-term avg) 181.9 (nc)

Fat -- (spot) 19.7 (+0.4); (long-term avg) 20.1 (nc)

Yields a BF estimate of 10.0%.

All body part measures still operate within normal bounds of variation. Measures of weight (total, lean, and fat) are all cycling around the mean within +/- 1-sigma. My daily weigh-ins, although not my "official" record of weight, show an interesting pattern: during the week of 8's, a general decline, with a corresponding rise during the week of 5's, and a general clustering during the week of 2's. It'll be neat to observe how this sine-wave behavior changes with the implementation of DE over the next couple of weeks. My week of 8's with DE in lieu of volume assistance work will start today.

Eating over the past week was kind of off -- 115 g Protein, 272 g Carb, and 89 g Fat for an average daily intake of 2350 kcals. It's low, and probably explains the general inaction in terms of my measurements this week.

Finally, the crew club leadership advised that there will likely not be a rowing season this year due to the government-imposed quarantine. So, the use of DE on my workouts, which I considered as a nice way to prep the muscles for explosiveness/power for rowing, may not be on my schedule for too many weeks; it will depend on whether my intensity lifts get affected by the decrease in assistance exercise volume. I also intend to add a bit of LISS/LSD on my rest days, using the C2 rower or my elliptical walker.

[Bruce Ware]

5/17 Session 21-1 Bench Press

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
135 x 5
155 x 2

working sets:

177.5 x 8 x 3; 5.5 mins rest between; first set good form/control/bar-speed with possibly 1 or 2 more reps; second and third sets had harder pushes to complete last reps of each set, but form/control and speed remained consistent; last set was definitely emptying the tank. Next 8's increment will be plus-2.5; remember, this session was a 5 pound jump from the previous 8's session due to the improvement in breathing technique that led to me keeping my chest better elevated and scaps better locked on the bench.

Press for DE (10 sets of 3 reps, starting each set on the minute) -- 95 x 30; all reps had a very nice rattle at the top as I was making great speed on the way up, very explosive; next week, plus-5.

BB Rows --- 215 x 8 x 3

Duration: 0h+55m

HR metrics: avg - 110, max - 150, fit - 31:00, fat - 24:00.

[Bruce Ware]

5/18 Session 21-2, Deadlift

warm-ups:

135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 1

working sets:

295 x 8 x 3; all 3 sets, good form, control, and bar-speed; I was pretty much out of breath by the end of each one, but for sets #1 and #2 I felt I could get 2 more reps; that was basically all-in, though, for set #3, maybe 1 or 2 more. Next 8's increment will be plus-5.

Squat for DE (12 sets of 2 reps, starting each set on the minute) -- 185 x 24; I had good speed and depth, but didn't get the plates to rattle much at the top; I'd originally scheduled a higher weight to start this trial, but after the deadlifts I was kind of tired and decided to drop a bit; I will add 10 pounds next week, and try to keep the speed up and make some noise on the tops.

Chin-ups -- 12

Duration: 1h+00m

HR metrics: avg - 117, max - 155, fit - 37:30, fat - 22:30; there was a very large "hump" in the chart of the heart-rate in Zones 4 and 5 during the DE Squats.

[Bruce Ware]

5/20 Session 21-3, Press

warm-ups:

45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5
115 x 1

working sets:

122.5 x 8 x 3; 5.5 mins rest between; first set was solid, good form and control and bar-speed, felt like I had 2 or more reps left; second and third sets were a bit tougher with set 2 feeling like I was all-in, but set 3 had maybe one or two more reps in the tank. Very pleased to have cleared the strike at this weight the last time 8's were in the cycle. Next 8's increment will be plus-1.5.

Floor Press for DE (10 sets of 3, starting each set on the minute) -- 135 x 30; decent "pop" sound on most reps; will add 5 pounds next week.

Duration: 0h+40m

HR metrics: avg - 113, max - 160, fit - 25:30, fat - 14:30; 3 spikes in Zone 5 reflected the press sets; 9 spikes in Zone 4 reflected all but the last set of DE floor presses.