Step 2: RMM's Journal

[RMM]

Back from Easter! With the gym closed on Friday and me being off from the city during the weekend, I didn't have a chance to work out till today, so I took it as a break week and didn't worry too much.

So, Tuesday:

Weight: 96.7 kg.

This was a real surprise. I haven't done any real hard work (not even hiking or anything) until today (that's 5 days off), and the diet has been less than optimal (including eating a whole family pizza on Sunday together with some alcohol - best way to play Rock Band with friends, try it sometime!). I expected to have put on some, but I've stayed the same. 300g down, I don't consider that a loss since it's so little and some variation is to be expected.

I suppose my metabolism has picked up the pace. Not a bad thing.

Warmup: Jog to the gym, 3 rounds of interval on the cross trainer.

Noticed with this that, while my energy levels were nicely up thanks to the long rest, my recovery was a little slower

Squats: 102.5 kg x20

Awesome. On rep 12 I lost concentration and hit the floor - not by falling off, but by suddenly losing tension on the legs and going so deep that my bum touched the ground.

ATG is great for squats, right? Well, not so much when you go down without having kept proper tension on your way there. Getting out of the well was quite an adventure, but managed; then waited at the top with the bar on the shoulders for a bit longer until I felt ready to continue, and finished the set.

Pullups:
12
9
7

Inverted Rows:
16
14
15

Incline Dumbbell Benchpress:
16 kg x12
25 kg x10
32 kg x7

Dammit, didn't manage to beat the last workout there. So annoying!

Dumbbell Flys:
10 kg x12
12.5 kg x10
18 kg x11

Took my frustration from the previous failure out on the flys... And made one extra rep. Yar.

Pushups:
30
23
17 +3

Again, my recovery here wasn't the best.

Abs:
Plank x3 x1 minute

Not a bad way to make a comeback.

 

[RMM]

Wednesday: Jogging.

Thursday:

Weight: 97.8 kg.

Um... Okay

Warmup: Jog to the gym, 3 rounds of interval on the cross trainer.

Squats: 105 kg x20

Holy freaking hell these were hard today. I nearly got nailed to the bottom on reps 19 and 20, and for half of them I was grunting incredibly loudly - even though I wasn't trying to.

Pullups:
12
9
6 + 2

:cuss: Less than Tuesday's.

Inverted rows:
18
15
12

Last set I put my feet on a bench, higher than the box I was using on the other two. Bar's pretty low too, so I was nearly horizontal when I reached the bar in that position.

Incline Dumbbell Benchpress:
18 kg x12
25 kg x10
32 kg x9

Now that's more like it. Didn't fail to set them up this time, managed to push an extra 2 reps.

Dumbbell Flys:
10 kg x12
12.5 kg x10
18 kg x13

Time to move up to 20 kg! I'll probably move up the 12.5 to 13.5 too.

Pushups:
31
24
18

I lose energy very quickly at the end with these, probably because it's the last thing I do before the abs. Arms were feeling really really pumped today.

Abs:
Plank x3 x1 minute

It's getting harder to progress. I'm not sure if I'll manage 107.5 kg on Saturday (or Sunday, not sure when I'll have time to go to the gym).

 

[RMM]

Well, so no workout until today then, weekends really don't work for me with the gym.

Monday:

Weight: 98 kg.

Warmup: Jog to the gym, 3 rounds of interval on the cross trainer.

Squats: 107.5 x19

:cuss:

On rep 17 I thought I was going to die. On rep 18 I was sure I was already dead. Rep 19 didn't just take all I had, I actually had to take a loan on my future energy using my liver as security to get the bar up. And on rep 20, after waiting as long as I could at the top - traps on fire, arms hurting like hell -, it became clear even before I hit quarter squat that if I went down, the weight would end up on the safety bars.

Oh well.

Pullups:
14
10
8

Inverted Rows:
14
13
12

Remember, high feet position.

Incline Dumbbell benchpress:
18 kg x12
25 kg x10
32 kg x10

Yar, progress.

Dumbbell Flys:
10 kg x12
13.5 kg x10
20 kg x7

Pushups:
30
26
21

Instead of burning out on the first rep, I'll try to work my way to 3 full sets of 30.

Decline Crunches:
+10 kg x30
+10 kg x25
+10 kg x20

On notch five (out of eight) for how high the bottom of the bench is. Having to go down slower to avoid annoying my still somewhat sore rib made it noticeably harder!

So, anyway, I'm thinking I'm going to call off the 20 reppers for now. I'm noticing that the stress is really kicking up, and I've made excellent progress I think. It's not a bad time to change workout and cut down to get rid of all the excess.

To recap:

Starting squat: 90 kg x6
Ending Squat: 107.5 kg x19 breathed (going by the rule of "same as 10 non-breathed", that puts me at about 120 kg x6, for comparison, if online calculators are to be believed)
Starting Weight: 91 kg
End Weight: 98 kg
Starting waist: 87 cm.
End Waist: 89 cm (bit under 1 inch extra)
BF% estimate: 17-18%.

Biggest changes I've noticed, in order biggest to least big change:
- Lower back. When tensed and exercising, the "valley" where the spine gets buried on the lower back is very noticeably deeper. My posture has improved too, I do think I stand more straight nowadays. The change on this has been huge, by far the biggest one.
- Legs: Of course. Quads most, but hams too.
- Traps: Very noticeable, though they're relatively small muscles. Nowadays the bar doesn't come close to touching any of the bones even after the 20 reps. Also, the fit of shirts and T-shirts is better thanks to the added shape there.
- Forearms: My wrists are still very skinny, but goodness my forearms get a lot bigger now. When pumped up, I have veins showing all over them.

Less noticeable changes, but still changes, same order:
- Upper back: Yep, got a bit wider there. Hopefully they'll look more "triangular" after I cut down.
- Arms: Tris more than Bis.
- Butt: Yep, not a lot bigger, but better shape and definition.
- Shoulders: Least change, they're firmer to the touch but size hasn't noticeably changed.

So, the next steps. For now I'll use this week to figure out my next workout, and keep eating the same. Next week I'll cut down on milk, and in two weeks, with no milk, I'll start the road down to cutting following Diesel's guide.

 

[RMM]

Crap day today. Why? I had my flu shot this morning, and by the time I got to the gym I wasn't really feeling too good.

Warmup: 3 rounds of interval on the cross trainer.

Barbell Benchpress:

Bar x8
40 kg x6
50 kg x3
60 kg x1
70 kg x5
75 kg x5

I don't think 80 kg x5 had a chance of happening, though I felt like 80 kg would have pinned me down, maybe 80 x3; but I had no spotter to try it. 75 x5, though, is a pretty nice improvement I must say, could've gotten an extra rep I think. Target is of course 100 kg x5, eventually.

Pullups:
12
8
8

And this is when the shot really hit me. The flu shot goes straight into the deltoid muscle, and raising my arms and keeping them tense like that really didn't help. Ever tried to do pullups with one arm only? That's what it felt like halfway through the first set, and didn't get much better.

So I closed with a set of decline crunches (+10 kg x30) and buggered off because I really wasn't feeling it today. Should've stuck to leg work, or even better, not gone to the gym. As soon as I got home, had a shower and cooled down, my left shoulder started to really hurt.

Bah, wanted to test Deadlifts on Friday, we'll see how I'm feeling then.

No idea what weight to aim for at the deads, any suggestions given my current bench/squat? I'm planning on taking it slow and make sure I have good form, I haven't done these since the early days of my gym run back in September.

 

[CarlitosWay]

Crap day today. Why? I had my flu shot this morning, and by the time I got to the gym I wasn't really feeling too good.

Warmup: 3 rounds of interval on the cross trainer.

Barbell Benchpress:

Bar x8
40 kg x6
50 kg x3
60 kg x1
70 kg x5
75 kg x5

I don't think 80 kg x5 had a chance of happening, though I felt like 80 kg would have pinned me down, maybe 80 x3; but I had no spotter to try it. 75 x5, though, is a pretty nice improvement I must say, could've gotten an extra rep I think. Target is of course 100 kg x5, eventually.

Pullups:
12
8
8

And this is when the shot really hit me. The flu shot goes straight into the deltoid muscle, and raising my arms and keeping them tense like that really didn't help. Ever tried to do pullups with one arm only? That's what it felt like halfway through the first set, and didn't get much better.

So I closed with a set of decline crunches (+10 kg x30) and buggered off because I really wasn't feeling it today. Should've stuck to leg work, or even better, not gone to the gym. As soon as I got home, had a shower and cooled down, my left shoulder started to really hurt.

Bah, wanted to test Deadlifts on Friday, we'll see how I'm feeling then.

No idea what weight to aim for at the deads, any suggestions given my current bench/squat? I'm planning on taking it slow and make sure I have good form, I haven't done these since the early days of my gym run back in September.

Seeing as you benched 75 kg (165 lbs no?) I'd go for at least 215 lbs on a dl and see how that feels, who knows might feel very easy.

Here's a very good article on how to get proper form down/cues. My issue is not setting up tight enough and engaging the lats correctly.

here's the article. Eric Cressey who dead lifts over 600+ lbs at a real low body weight, takes you through the deadlift. So one would best listen

http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_...nce/the_dirty_dozen_12_tips_for_heavier_pulls

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ps-Lzs0gb4o&NR=1 660 lbs @ 180 lbs bw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQVMqE3Wb3g&feature=related 600 lbs (yeah yeah I know he used straps, I'm sure Kerpal or some one will comment on that)

his comp meet lift of 650 lbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwKpWx2HZxg&feature=fvw

EC is the truth when it comes to deadlifting !!

 

[Jitterbug]

Great all-round improvements, RMM

Bench Press has no relation to deadlift, CarlitosWay.

Deadlift: go for your best squat plus 10-20kg to start with.

My first DL was a conservative 110kg after squatting 100kg x3.

Starting squat: 90 kg x6
Ending Squat: 107.5 kg x19 breathed (going by the rule of "same as 10 non-breathed", that puts me at about 120 kg x6, for comparison, if online calculators are to be believed)

That's about right.

After I finished 105kg x20 last time, my next heavy squat was 120kg 3 sets of 6, and that was pretty comfy.

 

[RMM]

Thanks for the feedback. I actually stayed at home today, had a mild fever tonight and didn't really sleep well. Stupid vaccines, too bad I have to get it due to a pre-existing lung condition. Bah.

As far as diet goes, here's where I'll start:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AgtNszBAN0x7dC1Yd0ZxbXJwTGdfUXAwT0FEQWx6OGc&hl=en

Going by Diesel's advice (cut 19g protein and carbs per week), the spreadsheet makes it easy to follow, just play with the numbers until you get the ones you want. I won't be touching the veges/salad (I haven't included "miscelaneous salad greens" there since they don't really give anything worth counting, macronutrient-wise), and cut from the dairy/bread for starters, and the tuna. As I drop fat from somewhere else, I'll top it up with olive oil and stay at the 30g target.

Missing anything obvious? Am I getting enough veges?

 

[RMM]

Okay, finally back to the gym.

Skipping the boring bits.

Weight: 97.8 kg

Deadlift: Ramp up to 110 kg x5

Not happy about this. Let's go one step at a time.

a. The most obvious thing, by the end of it the back was lagging when I pulled the weight off the ground. This was clearly the limiting step, once it was moving, then following through to the top and down again was no problem.

b. How do you manage not to hit your shins on the way up (and to a lesser extent the way down)?

c. I kept having to take a small step back when reaching the top if I wasn't careful. I assume once I get more used to pulling the bar heavy this will disappear.

d. Going down was a bit of a problem when reaching the bottom.

I'm not too worried - seems like my form isn't good but 243 pounds isn't too terrible, and I wasn't rounding the back. I'm guessing the weight will progress as I improve it.

Everything feels very tight when preparing to lift too - having to pull the shoulders back and down hard, big belly of air and tensed abs, trying to arch back with the back as much as possible... Didn't feel much on the legs though, by the time the bar was off the ground they'd push just fine.

Anyway.

Pullups:
12
12
8

Going to work towards completing three identical sets, then I'll up the number.

Seated Compound Row:
185 lbs x12
200 lbs x10

Very pleased to see where I'm standing with these.

EZ-bar gunz curls:
Bar +10 x12
Bar +20 x10

Tried with two different bars, found the longer one slightly easier to handle.

Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls:
15 lbs x12
15 lbs x12

Decline Crunches:
+10 kg x30
+10 kg x30
+10 kg x25

And that's it for today. I'm off full milk already, though still eating plenty *points at food plan*

 

[Jitterbug]

Your deadlift is just a technique issue.

b. How do you manage not to hit your shins on the way up (and to a lesser extent the way down)?

c. I kept having to take a small step back when reaching the top if I wasn't careful. I assume once I get more used to pulling the bar heavy this will disappear.

Get over the bar more. The less you're over the bar, the more you're gonna pull the bar towards you instead of straight up. When you pull it towards you, you're more likely to hit your shins.

If you're not over the bar enough at the start, you will also be more likely to lean too much backward as you go up. Hence the fumbling backward at the top.

Hard to say much about the rest other than you'll likely get better as you DL more and get used to the movement. If you want us to help fix your form, post a video up.

Also, read this: http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_...raining_performance_repair/deadlift_diagnosis

Didn't feel much on the legs though, by the time the bar was off the ground they'd push just fine.

You wouldn't, as you can squat that weight easily.

 

[RMM]

Hard to say much about the rest other than you'll likely get better as you DL more and get used to the movement. If you want us to help fix your form, post a video up.

Yeah, that's what I figured, I was just wondering if there was anything obvious (like what you pointed out about getting more on the bar). Thanks!

Anyway, Wednesday:

Weight: 99.3 kg

Hm, bit up, nothing to worry about though as I'm still at 3,000 calories (so still eating a lot!). Upper back (curiously, not the lower back) and shoulders were still stiff today.

Squats:
60 kg x6
80 kg x3
100 kg x1
110 kg x1
120 kg x5
125 kg x4

Seems spot-on. Couldn't manage the 5th rep straight away at 125 kg (as in, I may have been able to if I had taken a long break at the top after the 4th, but that's not a straight set).

Now, for the other "accessory" stuff. Going by the bench/dead/squat split, squat day should be leg day. There is a curious contraption at the gym that has one standing with the weight on a lever resting on the shoulders and the back towards some support, with a slight incline backwards. No idea what to call it, but the resulting exercise is sort of the bastard kid of a squat and a leg press.

So why that? It absolutely hammers my glutes when going deep. At the bottom the quads have practically no leverage, and the back is completely supported and "vertical," so it does nothing either. It's pure glute work (with a bit of hams help) to get out of the well, more so than deep barbell squats. It transfers to the quads as a more regular leg press once you get out of there.

If anyone has a clue what the thing's called, let me know, I'll probably take a pic on Friday.

So, with that

120 kg x5
140 kg x5
160 kg x5

120 didn't really do much though, so I'll start higher next time.

If you turn around, you can have the weight on your shoulders but with the feet at the edge of the feet platform, so that you can work the calves like a regular standing calf machine - only bending forward a bit. With that, and one leg at a time:

160 kg x10
200 kg x10

200 kg was hard, I'll start there next time.

Hamstring Curls:
150 lbs x10
170 lbs x10

I could've gone higher, but by the second set they were getting tired and I had to go. The stack only goes up to 205 lbs... Very pleased with how the squats have noticeably strengthened these - I used to max out at the 150 mark, hence why I started there.

This should finish the exploratory workouts, Friday starting the more complete ones.

 

[Jitterbug]

I think that's a hack squat machine.

 

[RMM]

I think that's a hack squat machine.

*Googles*

Yup, that's the thing. Interestingly, I googled it now that I know what it's called and the recommendation is to keep it at 90° and wide stance, whereas when I was using it with the trainer we worked on getting a close stance and going deep to work the glutes. I think I'll stick to the way I'm doing them now.

 

[RMM]

Hm, forgot to weight myself today. Ah well.

Saturday:

Incline Barbell Benchpress:
60 kg x5
65 kg x5

These feel noticeably different from the dumbbell one. I'm going to stick to incline because I like what they've done to my chest during the six weeks of 20-reppers; as the pecs got bigger they were not looking so good, kinda pointy and bottom-heavy. Now they are better proportioned and more "full" overall. They didn't get that much bigger in just six weeks, the shape is what changed noticeably.

Dumbbell Flys:
10 kg x10
20 kg x8
20 kg x8

Standing Military press:
bar x10
30 kg x8
32.5 kg x8

Probably could've gone higher, but it's my first time doing this exercise, there'll be time to ramp up as I get used to it.

Lateral Cable Raise:
30 lbs x8/arm
35 lbs x8/arm

Pushups:
30
28
20

Thinking of going "feet on bench" for these. Good/bad idea?

 

[CarlitosWay]

*Googles*

Yup, that's the thing. Interestingly, I googled it now that I know what it's called and the recommendation is to keep it at 90° and wide stance, whereas when I was using it with the trainer we worked on getting a close stance and going deep to work the glutes. I think I'll stick to the way I'm doing them now.

For ****s n giggles do a narrow stance (about shoulder width stance, toes slightly pointed out) 20 repper on that machine and tell me it doesn't hit your legs like no other .

Best done after some heavy barbell squat work. You and your legs will hate me later :cuss:

 

[CarlitosWay]

Hm, forgot to weight myself today. Ah well.

Saturday:

Incline Barbell Benchpress:
60 kg x5
65 kg x5

These feel noticeably different from the dumbbell one. I'm going to stick to incline because I like what they've done to my chest during the six weeks of 20-reppers; as the pecs got bigger they were not looking so good, kinda pointy and bottom-heavy. Now they are better proportioned and more "full" overall. They didn't get that much bigger in just six weeks, the shape is what changed noticeably.

Dumbbell Flys:
10 kg x10
20 kg x8
20 kg x8

Standing Military press:
bar x10
30 kg x8
32.5 kg x8

Probably could've gone higher, but it's my first time doing this exercise, there'll be time to ramp up as I get used to it.

Lateral Cable Raise:
30 lbs x8/arm
35 lbs x8/arm

Pushups:
30
28
20

Thinking of going "feet on bench" for these. Good/bad idea?

with the pushups ? sure why not!!! Actually makes an easy exercise harder. Which more people should strive to do with exercises and which with how you're repping them out, the conventional way is prob to easy now.

 

[RMM]

Great day today at the gym.

Monday:

Weight: 98.4 kg

Warmup: 3 rounds of interval on the cross-trainer.

Deadlifts:
115 kg x5
120 kg x5

So, back to the issue of form. I made sure I was on the bar so that I wouldn't hit my shins or lose my balance - it worked great. I lowered my butt on the start of the deadlift, and it helped. But most of all (I think), I followed this nit from the Tmuscle diagnosis page:

2. You're slower than molasses going uphill on a winter day. Just as its name implies, the deadlift is performed from a dead stop on the floor; it's to your advantage to develop force quickly.

I went over Carlitos' links for "pure form" again today (thanks, by the way!), and I was reasonably confident I was going through the stations, but I was starting to think I was indeed too slow. So I concentrated on getting it done quickly, and have the routine as follows:

- Position feet carefully, bar half an inch from the shins (and I no longer hit them).
- Bend down with barely any leg flexing, and place the hands on the bar.
- Once grip is secure, get a belly of air.
- Go down with the butt, forward with the belly (straighten the back and arch it back) and pull back and down with the shoulderblades. All this done in a single, quick movement.
- Up! Don't stop to think about it, just up with all I've got.

Result? By the end of the 115, I was already seeing myself at 120. By the end of 120, I was regretting I hadn't gone higher. Grip strength was being put to the test though, wonder how long I can keep at it without going alternate. Also, I did pause for an instant or two between reps to reposition the grip and do the down-back-shoulders movement fully again. No lingering around or anything, just reposition everything and back at it.

I'm gunning for 130 next week.

Oh, and people look at me as if I had suddenly sprouted wings or a second head or something when doing these.

Chinups:
12
12
7

After my second set, I was chatting with the guy that was doing cable stuff next to me, and he mentioned I may want to use the assist so that I'd make a full range of movement. Hm? Turns out that I've been shortening the length of the movement as I've gone up in reps. It's funny how something apparently so obvious creeped up on me without realizing. Last set I paid attention and went deep - not quite to dead hang, but close -, and it was indeed harder. I'll have to work on depth for a while, my reps will probably go down a bit.

Seated compound row:
185 lbs x12
200 lbs x10

Huh, I misremembered what I did last time and I ended up repeating the weight and reps. D'oh.

EZ bar gunz curls:
Bar + 20kg x10
Bar + 22.5 kg x8

Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls:
7.5 kg x12
7.5 kg x12

Decline Crunches:
+10 kg x30
+10 kg x30

Didn't do a third set because I was getting a headache. I may have gone at it a bit too enthusiastically.

Overall, very satisfied with the improvement in the deads, it's funny how the form can make such a big difference.

 

[RMM]

Tuesday: Cardio, sprints.

Wednesday:

Weight: 97.5 kg.

Incline Benchpress:
62.5 kg x5
67.5 kg x5

Gym was loaded today, seems like a bunch of new people have decided to show up in force and took over most of the free weights section. So, after benching I decided to use the machines for...

Machine Pec Flys:
140 lbs x10

Hm, too easy.

155 lbs x10

Uh...

170 lbs x10

...

185 lbs x10

Okay, the last one did feel like a proper work set. Nuts, I haven't used that machine in months (ever since I moved to free weights) and I remember feeling the 120s as being hard.

Standing Military Press:
Bar x8
30 kg x3
35 kg x10
37.5 kg x10

Lateral Cable Raise:
35 lbs x10
40 lbs x8

High Feet Pushups:
25
20
13

Feet on a box, about 30 cm high.

And that was it.

 

[CarlitosWay]

It's a pleasure to read your journal and you have some damn good progress to show also.

I have that issue too with the deadlift, I think too much and hence don't setup fast enough and neglect exploding as much as I should!!

Anyways keep it up, staying consistent is key no matter the routine.

 

[RMM]

Thursday: Cardio, sprints.

I have modified my sprints routine to:

90s 6 km/h
45s 11 km/h
45s 16 km/h

Total of six of them.

Friday:

Weight: 98 kg.

Squats:
Bar x8
60 kg x6
80 kg x3
100 kg x1
110 kg x1
120 kg x1
122.5 kg x5
127.5 kg x3

Dammit! I got nailed at the bottom of the 4th rep and had to put the weight on the safety bars.

Then again, I was probably being greedy. Guess I'll take some weight off and start ramping up again. 110 x5, 115 x5 next week.

I decided to burn my frustration off on the...

Hack Squat Machine:

140 kg x20 (breathed)

Carlitos::cuss:

One Legged Hack Calf Raises:
200 kg x10
220 kg x8

Hamstring Curls:
170 lbs x10
180 lbs x8

And that was it. I just realized I forgot to do ab work. Oh well.

 

[CarlitosWay]

Thursday: Cardio, sprints.

I have modified my sprints routine to:

90s 6 km/h
45s 11 km/h
45s 16 km/h

Total of six of them.

Friday:

Weight: 98 kg.

Squats:
Bar x8
60 kg x6
80 kg x3
100 kg x1
110 kg x1
120 kg x1
122.5 kg x5
127.5 kg x3

Dammit! I got nailed at the bottom of the 4th rep and had to put the weight on the safety bars.

Then again, I was probably being greedy. Guess I'll take some weight off and start ramping up again. 110 x5, 115 x5 next week.

I decided to burn my frustration off on the...

Hack Squat Machine:

140 kg x20 (breathed)

Carlitos::cuss:

One Legged Hack Calf Raises:
200 kg x10
220 kg x8

Hamstring Curls:
170 lbs x10
180 lbs x8

And that was it. I just realized I forgot to do ab work. Oh well.

What's that like 304 lbs X20? ....that's some serious **** right there..... Can't even imagine how your legs felt. :yes: