I’ve noticed you have really learned what diet approach works for you since you started logging. It’s good.
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I’ve been logging my daily intake for 3 years straight. Logging details of training really changed everything since I can link nutrition to training and have wider view over the changes.
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A thought about warming up:
I spend most of the day sitting in front of laptop; this is my job nature and I don’t have the luxury to move every 30 minutes or do some stretches. This puts me in a critical situation regarding to training. I’ve started to test various warming up methods and found that:
For Squat Day:
The best warm up that worked with me and allowed me to lift heavy weights near to TM without any problems was doing stretches, some glutes and hamstrings work before the squat session. Good Mornings in very slow movement and body weight hip thrusts allowed me to squat better and beltless. I don’t have foam roller so I don’t do Agile 8.
For Deadlift:
Doing bodyweight lunges and very light RDLs makes huge effect. Also saving my forearm for the deadlift adds value.
For Press:
Hitting the three heads of the delts with very light dumbbells; front raises, side raises and bent over raises using 5kg dumbbells for 3 x 12 sets and another 2 x 10 press using empty bar allowed me to press heavier. It was better to save the energy for those sets rather than warming up by ramping the press up.
For Bench:
Nothing worked better than doing flys before the regular bench press supersetted with band pull apart. I did 4 x 12 flat dumbbells flys using 5kg dumbbells then moved directly to ramp up the bench. If my working sets starts at 80kg I do the following after the fly / band pull apart:
10 @ bar
5 @ 35kg
4 @ 50kg
3 @ 65kg
2 @ 75kg
Then the working sets.
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Are you able to get your hands on some pvc pipe about 10-15 cm in diameter? That’s even better than a foam roller IMO.
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It is very easy to get one, I’ve never tried foam roller or thought about its alternatives. I will get one ASAP and feed you back the results.
Be prepared for it. The first time I rolled my piriformis, a delicious pain.
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Friday 7-Oct-2016
5/3/1 (body weight template) - Refreshment Cycle
Cycle 2, Week 1, Day 1
Main Lift: Squat
1 x 5 @ 55 kg
1 x 5 @ 97.5 kg
1 x 5 @ 110 kg
Assistant (body weight)
- Jump Squat: 4 x 8
- Lunge (forward, narrow stance): 4 x 8
- Hip Thrust: 3 x 12
- Calf Raises: 3 x 30
Abs: 3 x HIIT circuits
Saturday 08-Oct-2016
5/3/1 (body weight template) - Refreshment Cycle
Cycle 2, Week 1, Day 2
I feel like a piece of crap. Almost 3 days without food. I have been in an issue with my wife, we fought and my mood is very bad, depressed and no appetite at all. I forced myself yesterday and today to eat and all I could put into my mouth is slice of bran bread and slice of fat free cheese because it was very easy to prepare. I drank also tons of coffee and tea. Anyway I pushed myself and did my workout for today. Actually it was the only thing I can do to empty my anger in.
Main Lift: Press
1 x 5 @ 52.5 kg
1 x 5 @ 60 kg
1 x 5 @ 67.5 kg (PR)
Assistant (body weight):
- Push up 4x12 / Pull up 4x5 (supersets)
- Military press (BW) 4 x 8 / Inverted row 4 x 8 (superset)
Abs: 2 x HIIT circuits
Mate, I’m sorry to hear that. Hope it blows over soon.
You need to refeed. Go nuts for a day. You’ll bloat up and feel off for a day, but it’ll help.
I’d recommend a bunch of lamb chops dipped in hummus, fresh bread with labneh, falafel, pizza, and cake. I’m not kidding. Just pump calories in hard.
Friend, kind of refeed needs good appetite which I miss. I swear I tried yesterday. I had chicken breast and bowl of vegetables stew. Today I will force myself. I’m really worry as my weight dropped 1.5kg in 3 days.
Thanks for your advice, I pray for god to save my family and our marriage.
Mate, you’ll need to force down the food. Sometimes eating is like a squat set: it sucks, it’s hard, but you need to do it and you’ll be better for it in the long run.
With your marriage, I don’t know if it’s my place to advise but I’ll take the risk. You’re married, so I’m guessing you really do care about each other. That means you’re both in a position to really, really hurt each other, and something little can become a very big problem really quickly.
The only advice I can really give is to consider how important your marriage is to you compared to what happened to make you fight. If you can fix things, do what needs to be done to fix them. If fixing things means betraying yourself, that’s probably the only time the marriage is less important. However, that is almost never the case.
Thanks my friend for the sincere advice.
I really love my wife, we’ve been married for 7 years, and in love with each other for 10 years. We have two kids, and we live almost happy life. Although financials don’t go well but we can come over it. My marriage is really important, I don’t know what happened to lead for such situation. You know, you say something, then you get a reply, and you reply louder and do mistakes, and so on. Then you forget the real reason for the problem.
Anyway it has been 3 days since we spoke to each other. I’m in the office now, so no chance to speak with her, so I will drop her an email until I return back home. May be I can solve something.
Again thanks my friend for your support. I don’t have friends btw except you, even outside digital world. My life is totally busy, and I don’t have time to make any friendships. On top of that; I really trust your words and respect your personality.
Call her. Tell her you love her. Whatever you did or said that upset her, apologise and tell her you’ll do whatever you need to fix it. Bring home flowers.
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@MarkKO Again thank you my friend for the advice, I did it, I believe it needs sometime for wounds to heal, but it will.
Away from my problems, I checked with hotel which I will stay in during my vacation, and they confirmed that their gym has Olympic bar with maximum weight of 120 kg (available plates plus the bar). It will be my 3rd week of the 2nd cycle, and my numbers for the main lifts will be (for the 1+ rep set)
Squat: 125 kg
Press: 75 kg
Deadlift: 152.5 kg
Bench Press: 105 kg
Squat is only 5 kg difference. Deadlift is far away from the available plates.
What do you think? should I increase the reps to match to lower load? or should I do multiple sets?
@MarkKO, the love doctor - good advice.
Sorry to hear of your troubles Hany. I’ve been married for 15 years this time, eleven the first, and it’s never easy. Number one, you have to take care of yourself!
Good luck!
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Excellent. Yes, it will. Glad everything is on the mend.
I’d do the increased reps. Smash a rep PR. For squat, it won’t make a huge difference. Just add a rep to your target for 125 kg. You’ll probably have a cage or some kind of spotter bars so you’ll be able to really push the limits. For deadlift, push the reps through the roof. Aim for something like 20.
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Saturday 10-Oct-2016
5/3/1 (body weight template) - Refreshment Cycle
Cycle 2, Week 1, Day 3
Long store short; lack of sleep, almost no food for multiple days, stress and depression all made my workout for today a piece of shit. I had to deadlift 3x5 week, set 1, 2 went well, set 3 (135kg x 5+ reps) failed to even raise the bar from the ground. I don’t cheat myself, I know I’m very weak, I lost 2 kgs since I fought with my wife. I decided to stop the workout, went outside to relax and re-estimate the situation. Returned back home almost midnight and made a moderate meal (6 fried eggs with slices of tomatoes and onions). I then directly went to bedroom and gave my wife a big hug. I didn’t speak or discuss anything about the issues. Just gave her the hug, kisses, etc. In fact; she was down to earth and really need that hug. We didn’t speak, she cried and I only said I love you dear. Nothing more or less. After that I felt better.
To be honest; I can’t imagine my life without her, she is the corner stone of everything in my life. I’m the man, the pillar of the house, it doesn’t matter who was wrong, but I’m the one who has to take the action, I was wrong cause I was waiting for her to say “Sorry I did a mistake”. It is fool, never wait for a woman to start apology. Just let her to feel safe between your arms, then tell her what was wrong, and discuss her mistakes. Nothing more to be said!
After lots of teardrops and kisses, I told her we need to eat, we are losing weight, going weaker, and our mode is bad, so lets boost the leptin (she laughed btw!!!). We went to the kitchen, made some eggs with chicken and potatoes, slice of bread, and some fresh dates as a desert. I ate to my maintenance and boosted my glycogen. Today I feel too much better, no bloating (I didn’t increase my salt, hence no water retention). Still feel leaner and my muscles appear little full.
Today will be my bench press day, I hope I will do well.
Thanks MarkKo and The_Myth for your care and support.
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Thursday 11-Oct-2016
5/3/1 (body weight template) - Refreshment Cycle
Cycle 2, Week 1, Day 4
Main Lift: Bench Press
1 x 5 @ 72.5 kg
1 x 5 @ 82.5 kg
1 x 5 @ 95 kg (PR)
Assistant (body weight):
Push up 4 x 12 and Chin Up 4 x 5 (supersets)
Seated dips 4 x 12 and Inverted row (underhand grip) 4 x 8 (supersets)
Abs: 3 x HIIT circuits
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Friday 7-Oct-2016
5/3/1 (body weight template) - Refreshment Cycle
Cycle 2, Week 2, Day 1
Main Lift: Squat
1 x 3 @ 90 kg
1 x 3 @ 105 kg
1 x 3 @ 117.5 kg
Assistant (body weight)
- Jump Squat: 4 x 8
- Lunge (forward, narrow stance): 4 x 8
- Hip Thrust: 3 x 12
- Calf Raises: 3 x 30
Abs: 3 x HIIT circuits