Quagmire911 Lifting Journal

[Quagmire911]

I've done alright, but the last year hasn't been great. A lot of ups and downs, well downs, and training was non-existent at the start of the year. I'm feeling strong though, and feel ready to nail everything. Life is looking up...and at least I didn't regress.

Monday

In a day early like I said. I'm away tommorow and will be back next Wednesday and intend to get straight back into it. I'm thinking the way I am doing things will have minimal disruption. My bench is badly affected by time off, so next Wednesday will be close enough to a week that things will be ok. Missing deads and oh press should be fine. Either way, I'm going to be hitting PR's in the coming weeks/months. Here it is:

Bench press 72.5x5 80x3 90kgx5- I've done 7 with this I think, but that was when I was taking my ass of the bench. This was with legit form. I think this equals me best at this weight with legit form, although it might be 6. I could maybe have got a 6th, but I left it at this. This felt a lot better today, form was solid, and I felt a lot stronger from the bottom. Good stuff.

A2G squats 87.5x5 100x3 112.5kgx5 (248lbs) PR- I'm sure this is my best a2g. Could probably have got a 6th, but I need to be cautious with these. If I don't watch it I fold over and good morning the weight, so I need to keep everything spot on and tight. This is the exercise I feel least confident on with form. Definitely getting some videos soon. Really need to get these 300+ for reps.

DB paused hammer press 26kgx8x8x6x6- Same again. Could get a few more reps, but I'm not pushing things. Keeping form good and doing things right, which as I've said has been a failing in the past. When my bench moves up, so will these, so no rush.

Leg press 150x10 170x10 190kgx12 (418lbs) PR- This is a big PR. The last set was hard, but I reckon I can do quite a bit more if I stick with them. I really felt this in my glutes, which has been a weakness in the past, so I reckon these could help push the deads and squats up. Don't know why I had such a big jump (25kg or so), maybe I wasn't trying hard enough in the past. It's weird though, the 150x10 felt hard, but with the leg press I just keep seeing to be able to get more and more reps.

Well that was all. Was pretty wrecked after this so I didn't bother with cardio and just headed for the sauna.

Not much else to say. Will try and do a bit of cardio abroad and not get to fat and drunk. It's only a week I suppose, so I won't be able to fuc* up too badly.

Until next week...

Quagmire

 

[frenchbeauty]

Keep it up Quag.
Looking strong these days.
What's ur weight/bf at?

 

[Quagmire911]

Thanks man.

I've gone from 188.8lbs to 181.6lbs over the last 6 weeks or so. I reckon bf was in the high teen's sad to say and I got fed up with it. I reckon I'm around 14% maybe. Waist has gone from just over 37" to just over 35". I'm bringing it back down to 10-12% which will probably be close to 175 then I'm going to aim for 185-190 at 10-12%.

These measurements are at the end of last week. Things slowed down a bit in the last week or two, and I'm going on holiday for a week tommorow, so I'm going to come back and get this finished. Was up to cardio 4 times a week for 30 minutes, but I was getting tired of it, so a break is what I need.

On another note, my waist was 32-33 inches back when I was 155-165 and lean, so I'm probably looking at 33" something to be lean again. It seems to be roughly an inch of the waist for every 3.5lbs.

Quagmire

 

[Quagmire911]

Wednesday

Training was reasonable today. Sun was good, it had been too long. Here it is:

Bench 70x3 77.5x3 87.5kgx5- This didn't feel great today. Got to learn to accept you can't win everyday. I think not getting a spot might be more of a problem than I thought.

A2G Squat 85x3 95x3 107.5kgx8 (237lbs) PR- These actually felt good today, hopefully this will continue.

Paused DB hammer press 26kgx8x8- Left it here.

HIIT running 16 mins 3-12.5mph- Up to 12-12.5 5 times for 40-45s. 12mph felt better than last time.

And that was all. Went easy on the assistance because I am planning on going in tommorow, also because I will only have 6 days recovery as I'll be back to a Tuesday for this workout next week.

My weight was around 182lbs this morning and waist was still around 35.25" so all in all I am around about where I was when I left. I think I actually drank less when I was abroad, I think I must be the only person that has done that. Not much else to report, until tommorow...

Quagmire

 

[Quagmire911]

Thursday

A not bad workout today, although I really only maintained. Here it is:

Oh press 52.5x3 60x3 67.5kgx4- Had a hard time keeping steady today. I thought this equalled my PR, but I did 70x4 a few weeks ago. Not bad though.

Deadlift 122.5x3 137.5x3 155kgx7- This equals my PR, and what I did on the first phase. I thought I wasn't going to get 7, but I was determined to at least equal what I had done last time. Not bad.

Dipsx10x8- Still getting to grips with these. Think I went a little low, my left shoulder felt slighlty strained at the bottom of the movement.

Leg press 150x10 175x10 200kgx12 (440lbs) PR- I guess this is good, but a leg press PR just isn't the same.

Bi curls 40kgx6 35kgx8 15-20sx3- Meh.

That was all. Was too fuc*ed to do cardio so I went on home. Will do some HIIT running tommorow.

Got drunk last night, not too much, but enough. I am mostly just maintaining and occasionally making PR's. The combination of drinking and keeping the weight down would do that I suppose. Something will give at some point, hopefully the drinking. At least I don't look like a tubby fuc*.

Well that's it for today, until next time...

Quagmire

 

[Fuglydude]

You ATG squats are coming along very nicely... 8 reps w/ around 240 is solid! How wide of a stance are you using for these? Or do you change it up?

Keep it up man.

 

[Quagmire911]

Thanks man.

I'd reckon my stance is around 1.5x shoulder width. I've tried different widths in the past, and this seems to be most comfortable.

On another note, I am quite sore today from yesterday's workout. I can't be arsed going to the gym today either, I'll maybe go tommorow. I think yesterday I might have pushed a bit much. I pretty much maxed out on the deads which I don't think I can handle every workout, especially when drinking, and with lower calories.

 

[Quagmire911]

Monday

Cardio today. Really tired for some reason. Here it is:

HIIT running 20 minutes 3.5-12.5mphx5x45s- Up to 12.5 for 45s then back to walking for 2-3 minutes.

Then went to the sauna for a while. That is all, until tommorow...

Quagmire

 

[Quagmire911]

Tuesday

Felt tired again today when I got up, ended up going back to bed. Got up and had a big cup of coffee, and I seemed better when I hit the weights. Pretty decent session, here it is:

Bench 75x5 82.5x3 92.5kgx3- I think my PR here is 4. But I didn't have a spotter, and I'm trying to leave a little in the tank. This still doesn't feel great. I'm going to give this another phase and then evaluate. The fastest my bench ever moved was when I did a 1x3, 1x10, so I think I might need higher reps on bench.

A2G Squats 92.5x5 105x3 117.5kgx4 (259lbs) PR- This felt good. I feel like I am finally getting somewhere with squats. They are making the fastest progress by far at the moment.

Bench 60kg 3x10- This was almost like speed work, quite easy. 2mins between sets.

Squats 80kg 3x10- This was really hard on the heart. 2mins between sets.

And that was all. It looks like a 300+ a2g squat should be about doable. I've done 308 to 1inch below, but I'll feel better with it deep.

Well not much else to say. Need to cut back on the cheat meals, I'm not getting fatter but its stopping me losing the last few pounds. Anyway that is all for today, until next time...

Quagmire

 

[kbear0101]

Hope you enjoyed your vacation…

On the cheat meals, think I have only had 2 this month. I don’t crave junk food or fast food anymore. This helps me anyway…Try to keep this stuff at home at all times

-I always have hardboiled eggs in the fridge

- Bought a bunch of Ball Park franks (turkey hot dogs)…0g fat 6g protein 45 cal..low carbs..high sodium (not sure if you can get these in the UK wherever you live)

-low fat string cheese

-fruit cups from the store..usually mandarin oranges…18g sugar in the ones I bought but most of it is in the syrup (I hope so anyway…better than fast food though if your craving something sweet)

-met-rx 100g protein bars/ meal replacement bars

-beef jerky

-pistachios, almonds

-soy crisps (found some that are pretty good I eat those instead of potato chips)

- I don’t like pudding or yogurt but you could find some low fat/sugar ones you like


Could type this list all day…I am sure you are aware of all this stuff just stuff…just throwing some ideas for foods to keep around the house incase you get the munchies

Take care
-

 

[Quagmire911]

Beef jerkey is yummy, unfortunately the kind I have access to is loaded with sugar etc.

It's not really cheat snacks I have. I will have some ice cream after my meal for example. This way with the protein in there it blunts the insulin response to all the sugar. I usually have it post workout as well, when the muscles are crying out for nutrients. Hence no fat gain.

I think the real issue is I'm not controlling portion sizes as much and I've only been doing cardio twice a week for a few weeks now. I think that's enough, but only if I tighten up the diet. One or the other at least. Really both and no drinking, but hey I'm not a saint.

Workout to follow.

 

[Quagmire911]

Thursday

Lower body is going great the last few weeks. Upperbody isn't doing shi*. I'm not really getting as psyched for the upperbody work, cause I don't want to give it everything and drain myself for the lower body work. I don't think that is the issue though, something just feels off. Here it is:

Overhead press 57.5x5 65x3 72.5kgx3 (160lbs)- This is 2.5kg off of my PR. The last rep was a grinder and very hard. Maybe the 6-7lbs weight loss did something here, who knows.

Deadlifts 132.5x5 150x3 167.5kgx4 (369lbs) PR- This was great. I felt really strong on these today, same as with squats the otherday. My legs were actually quite sore from Tuesday, but I was determined to PR here. 3 reps would have done it. I've got a lot of power from the floor at the moment, locking out is where the weakness is. I think I might have made 5, 4 was not bad from the floor, but pretty hard to lockout. I didn't want to completely kill myself trying it, trying to leave a little in the tank. This is just over 2x bw. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQsNcGbouqE

Chinups +2.5kgx5
+5kgx5x5- These felt a lot better than a few weeks ago. The bicep work over the last few weeks seems to be helping. I also focused on my abs and keeping really tight which seemed to help.

Leg press 150x5 175x5 210kgx16 (462lbs) PR- Pretty pleased with this. Will throw another 10kg on next time.

Bi curls Ez bar+27.5kgx7 15-20sx3- The full bars were taken so I just used the ez, not sure how much it weighs.

And that was all. So lower body is doing well, upper not so well. I'll give 5/3/1 another round with upper and see how it goes and then re-evaluate. Bw was about 183lbs this morning and waist was about the same at 35.25".

I just looked back on the first log entry for deads on the 31/3/07 and I did 122.5kgx5 which is 270lbsx5. So today's 369x4 is just about 100lbs on my 5rm. There's been ups and downs and I haven't done everything as I should have, so I'm pretty pleased with that. Onwards and up.

I intend to do some HIIT running tommorow, hopefully my legs will let me. Until next time...

Quagmire

 

[Drum&Bass]

you look strong on the dead lift video.

Lower your hips and use more of a deep squatting stance, take your time when you setup for your pull every time you started the lift your back was in a less than optimal position.

I always tell my clients you know your ready when your hamstrings and lower back feel very uncomfortable from keeping a tightly flexed position before pulling

I recommend against plowing through reps on the deadlift.
Put some more emphasis on one arm DB rows.

 

[Quagmire911]

Thanks for the input.

I'm inclined to agree on the deadlift, but they did feel good. My scapula's are above the bar at least, but I agree that my back could probably be in a better position starting out with the legs a little lower. I prefer pulling sumo cause I can get into a better position with my legs and back, but conventional has been feeling better recently.

I haven't forgotten about one arm rows either, but I really want to get these weighted chins up.

Quagmire

 

[Fuglydude]

I'm gonna agree with DnB... you looked strong, but your back position was kinda iffy. You could lift considerably more with better form.

Your legs are progressing well, and you have good squat numbers. Get into a deep squat stance and push with your heels first to clear the weight off the ground before your lower back comes into the picture. Getting the bar off the ground is the toughest part. If you're feeling strong at this then you have a lot going for you and should see great progress in deads in the next little bit.

Keep it up man... Nice work gaining 100 lbs on your deads!

Regarding the weighted chins... try using sternum chin ups alternately with weighted chins. They're great for developing explosive pulling power... thanx to DnB for suggesting them to me.

How many bodyweight chins can you normally do when you're fresh?

 

[Quagmire911]

I don't usually do chins fresh, so I don't really know how many I could manage. I'd think around 10. I'm determined to bring them up though, and I really think that will help with closing in on a 500 dead.

I'm actually starting adding in some bodyweight stuff like handstands/l-seats, I find that stuff pretty cool. I want to work up to a one arm chin as well. This guy on www.beastskills.com does s*** like that.

 

[Fuglydude]

Have you thought about alternating your deads with the chins?

I alternate deads w/ dips and I notice that my lower back feels a lot better from this. I also notice I can handle a lot more volume than just doing an exercise for x number of sets straight through.

With deads/dips you're arguably working some antagonistic muscle groups. Also I do weight dips, and having 100+ lbs having off your waist/lower back really helps to stretch out your lower back in between sets of deads.

I'm a strong proponent of this method. I've suggested to a couple of my buddies and they said they liked it as well. So, I'm gonna suggest it to you as well!

I'm pretty sure you can do 385 x 5 quite easily once your form gets a little cleaner.

 

[Quagmire911]

Monday

Some cardio and technique work today. Here it is:

HIIT running Time 16mins 3.5-12.5mph- Up to 12.5mph 5 times for 45s, then down to 3.5mph for 2 mins. Takes the machine 15s to get up and dowm from 12.5.

Did some technique work on the deadlifts. I'm cautious of keeping my scapulas over the bar, but I can improve my back angle and lower my legs a bit. Should have taken videos sooner. I also did a little sumo work. We'll see what happens next time I go heavy.

Quagmire

PS- Fuglydude, I'll think about that in the future, but I'm really trying to stick to this 5/3/1 as it is, thanks though.

 

[Quagmire911]

Tuesday

Pretty good session today. Here it is:

Bench 65x5 75x5 85kgx6- I got this last cycle. I could maybe have got one more. It's strange though, I feel stronger than this, but I feel slow in the lift. I think its time for a video, maybe theres a form issue I'm missing. Forgot batteries today though.

Downset 70kgx13

A2G squats 87.5x5 97.5x5 110kgx8 (242lbs) PR- Pretty happy with this. Squats are doing well.

Leg press 200kgx21 (440lbs) PR- This took pretty much everything I had. I was going to do a squat downset, but my lower back already felt a little strained so I decided on this instead. On the last few reps it felt the tendons were going to rip and stuff. The last one was a grinder. Not done a 20+ set in a while, it was fun. My legs were like jelly for half an hour and still aren't right, time to eat though. Felt kind of sick for the first half hour as well and my heart rate was up a bit. Getting better now though

Well that was all. I've got my eye on 300x5 for the squats. Anyway, until next time...

Quagmire

 

[kbear0101]

Just curious how long you have been doing the 5/3/1? And have you gotten any results?