IronOne's Strength Journey

Training Logs
889

Going in as planned today, no extra rest due to schedule. Morning weight of 206.

Load comes down to 185 for the 50 rep set today, but I’m expected to get 50. I want 40, anything more is a bonus. The next workout is another 50 rep set with 185, but heavier prerequisite work. Then finally, the test with 205x50.

Yes, I’m ready for this shit to be over! My legs have gotten huge though, and in some fashion or another, high rep squats will remain part of my lifting regimen. What a great way to put size and strength on without big load.

Easy strength is up next. Looking forward to a big change, with a lot of submax, technique work to let the body heal and grow from the abuse of the past 6 weeks.

1 Like
890

7/6/2018 - Mass Made Simple - Workout 12 - 205.9lbs

Bench Press
45x2x5, 95x2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 225x2, 245x1, 260x5x2

Bat Wings
45x2x10s, 50x3x10s

Standing Single Arm DB OHP
40x3, 50x3, 60x2+3+5 (3 sets)

Bird Dogs
3x15s holds

BB Complex (row, clean, front squat, oh press, back squat, good morning)
45x2, 95x2, 125x3 (3 sets)

Squats
95x10, 135x5, 185x40, (185x1 power clean back to rack lol), 185x10

185x40

Good performance today. Confident I could have hit 285x2 today. All doubles with 260 were crisp. Happy with 185x40. Kind of wish I had pushed for 50, but I was fucking hurting, and that bar needed off my back. I’m going to find someone in the gym to watch the set and hold me accountable for 50 next workout. I could have done it today, but I needed a little ‘x’ factor, and I think that will get me there. Oh, rewarded myself with a little bar throw at the end of the 40 rep set :).

2 more workouts and a deload. It cant get here quick enough.

4 Likes
891

Up next, 4 week cycles of full body wave ladders. Each 4 weeks I will adjust the wave ladders between 2+3+5+10, 2+3+5 and 1+2+3… Major lifts will be squat, bench press and TBDL.

Full Body Ladders, 3 Day/Week Template:

Warmup
Quick KB Swings, OH Presses, Goblet Squats and TGU

Day 1:
Barbell Bench: 2x2+3+5+10
TBDL: 2x1+2+3+4+5
Dips
-with-
Rows
Goblet Squats
-with-
Abs

Day 2:
Squat: 2x2+3+5+10
Single Arm DB OHP: 2x2+3+5+10
Push up
-with-
OH Lunges
Bi
-with-
Tri

The ladder method should help me autoregulate my loads with realtime feedback. After 12 weeks, or 3 cycles I plan to do a mini peak. Probably a few weeks working with overwarmups, then strength work with 5x3 then finally 5x2. All of the superset work will be 50 reps.

1 Like
892

7/9/2018 - Mass Made Simple - Workout 13 - 208lbs

Bench Press
45x2x5, 95x2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 225x2, 245x1, 260x5x3 volume PR

Bat Wings
55x5x10s

Standing Single Arm DB OHP
40x3, 50x3, 60x2+3+5 (3 sets)

Bird Dogs
3x10s holds

BB Complex (row, clean, front squat, oh press, back squat, good morning)
45x2, 95x2, 130x2 (5 sets)

Squats
95x10, 135x5, 185x3, 205x10, 185x50! PRRRR

185X50

Well, that workout PR’d for the hardest and most satisfying ever. Bench went well. Perfectly selected triples. All RPE8-9.5. PRd the bat wings and complex for weight. The squats, not sure where to begin. It was terrible. Toughest set of my gym rat career by far. At rep 40 I needed something to get to 50 (I was soooooo fing gassed), so I hollered over at a guy curling beside me to yell at me. Haha… he was all up in my shit yelling at me, and it worked…gave him a big thanks for willing me to the finish. Completely dead at the moment, but an incredible feeling at the same time.

So I’m supposed to squat 205x50 Thursday…feck me. That’s all I have to say about that.

4 Likes
893

Awesome workout Iron :slight_smile:
Well done…

The 205 is going to be about the same, but worse :slight_smile:

2 Likes
894

Awesome to watch, nice job. Made me feel slightly queasy watching it and considering anything like that myself though.

50x205 will put you up there, I don’t think there’s many people doing that or capable of it.

1 Like
895

Wow dude that was a nice set. Glad it was you and not me. No way I would be recovered and ready for another big set by Thursday. I wish you well bud. You gonna crush that set!

1 Like
896

Thanks guys.

Unfortunately I have to end the program one workout short. My heart went into AFib last night. Not sure if the double coffee + workout intensity had something to do with it, but any strenuous exercise is temp off the table until I get my heart back in rhythm. Spent the day at the ER getting tests done, have a cardiologist apt next Friday. Still in AFib, which is a pretty shitty feeling. Hoping to fix it quickly, but now that I know what it feels like, I know I’ve had it several times before. Never has it lasted this long though. Now further testing has to make sure I have no clots that could bust loose when they do cardioversion/shock in an effort to restore normal rhythm.

Gotta take a chill pill! I’ll be back.

3 Likes
897

Oh fuck

Recover soon.

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898

Damn dude. Prayers bro… glad you didn’t find out in the back of a very expensive van ride.

1 Like
899

Damn Iron
Hope you’ll get back soon.

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900

I’m sorry to hear about this. I know you’re keeping cool, but it must be really scary for your poor family. I hope the docs can get you back to normal quickly.

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901

Sorry to hear that but thank God we live in a time with phenomenal doctors and technology!

Hope you’re back in rhythm and feeling like yourself in no time.

1 Like
902

Update time:

Still in AFib. Get cardioverted Tuesday in hopes to get back in rhythm. Will have sleep study done to see if I have sleep apnea. Will likely need Ablasion procedure done, which sucks, but is what it is. I cant live in AFib. I feel like an 80 year old. My aerobic capacity is very weak because I’m only getting 80% from my heart.

I’ve had to quit coffee/caffeine, which I went through withdrawal Tue-Fri. THAT SUCKED. Still mildly withdrawing, but almost through it. I miss my coffee, but I don’t want to be addicted to anything, so this was necessary. I was drinking way too much, obviously. Many days I was drinking 10+ cups, literally throughout the entire day. I’m glad I’m breaking from it. When I come back, I will not drink more than 4 cups per day.

Beer/liquor is off the table. I’ll survive without it for now. I love a few beers though.

What caused this? It’s tough to say. HOWEVER, now that I know what it is, I know I’ve had it before. But I was able to self convert out of AFib. Now I cant, which is typical for AFibbers…eventually you cant self convert…it progresses.

Extreme exercise is a known trigger for AFib. I think these 50 rep sets have sent me over the edge, plus the coffee. My heart was asked for too much. This coupled with very high stress at work, poor sleep over a long period, and possible sleep apnea (wife wakes me up 3-5 times per night snoring, I wake myself up too).

I’ve been going to hard, at everything. My body barked. I need to listen.

Lots of Dr. appointments coming up. Will just tackle one by one.

So what about training? I’m going to keep training. I’m going to the gym tomorrow to see what I can tolerate.

Probably going to be bench and trap bar deadlifts with accessory stuff and arms.

Also, going to lose some weight. It’s not helping me carrying this extra weight around. Will probably get back down to a tight 190.

Anyways, that’s kind of where I’m at right now. If cardioversion goes well Tuesday and sticks, that’ll be the first big hurdle cleared.

7 Likes
903

OK, well cool you’re kind of on the mend I guess but FFS be careful. I’d hate for your log to go dead because, well, you get where I’m going with this.

Take care brother.

1 Like
904

What Mark said.

It might be time to settle for looking like a sexy beast instead of performing like one. I think being lean requires less effort in the gym than being a monster, which could be a good change for the ol ticker.

2 Likes
905

I’m definitely listening to my body @MarkKO. And yes @Frank_C, I do plan on settling into more of a lifestyle approach to my training. Thank you both for the kind words.

I think where I will benefit the most is a total overhaul of my lifestyle. I go too hard. I will stop abusing coffee, I’m going to get the sleep study done to see if I have sleep apnea (top 5 cause of AFib). I’m going to eat better. I’m going to lose 10-15 lbs.

The good news is my heartbeat has regulated a great deal. I may not even be in AFib anymore. My body seems to be trying to get back in sinus rhythm.

I’ve ordered a speciality magnesium and mineral protocol. Apparently it’s the gold standard for dealing with AFib naturally. What I don’t want to do is go down the medical rabbit hole of meds and procedures, if it’s possible for me to control this on my own. We’ll see.

Actually had a decent workout today. Work capacity was still low, but I was able to do more than I thought I would have been able to. No dizzy spells either.

6 Likes
906

7/15/2018 - 205lbs - A1 - Full Body Ladders

Warmup
Hip circle walks, stick dislocates, swings, bottoms up KB presses, goblet squats, band RC stuff

Bench Press
45x2x5, 95x2x5, 135x5, 165x5, 185x2+3+5+10 (3 sets, 60 reps)

Single Arm Standing Cable Row
80x20, 100x15, 120x10

Low Handle TBDL
135x3, 185x3, 235x1+2+3+4+5 (3 sets, 45 reps)

PJR Pullover
30x50, 50x25, 60x3x15
-with-
Preacher Curls

AB Wheel
1x10 - body said stop

Work capacity was clearly down, but got some quality work in. The ladder method is a great way to modulate intensity.

1 Like
907

Glad to hear you are better. Take care of yourself. I agree to find natural solutions as much as possible. Too many people I know are being farmed by medical professionals due to the insurance every one has now it is an unlimited revenue source for the medical industry now… not all doctors but a lot more than I would care to think about

2 Likes
908

Thanks @losthog. Got two young children and a fantastic wife. They’re the reason I want to fix this the most.

3 Likes