A New Animal: JDM135 for 1-2-3-4 plates

jdm135 · September 11, 2020, 1:46pm

9/11/2020, Friday
Let’s not forget that it’s 9/11. Nuff said.

GMM Cycle 1, Upper 2:
Press
Warmup;
over-warmup with 2x75;
AMRAP at 65# got 16 reps; 60 sec rest, then
AMRAP got 8 reps.
Dips
3/50 method, bodyweight only: 20, 18, 14. Total: 52.
DB Rows
3/50 method, 50#. 20, 18, 16. Total: 54.
Chins
Supposed to be 5xAMRAP. I haven’t done these since the appendectomy and tendon thing, so I chose to do 5x3 EMOM. It was challenging enough!
DB Curls
3/50 method, 25#. 20, 20, 20. Amazing pump; had never done this before.
Bonus Work
I was so pumped from all the high-rep work I just had to do more, so
2 rounds of: 20 side raises with 10#, 20 seated tricep extensions with 30# ez bar.

Today felt amazing. I know the weights were low, but I really gave it everything on every single set and got a hellacious pump that I’ve never had before.
I wanted to puke after the second set of dips.
Next cycle I’ll keep the press the same, stick with bodyweight for dips, increase weight for rows, increase reps for chins, and increase weight for curls.
Now looking to start fresh Monday with cycle 2 and do that leg destruction again.

jdm135 · September 14, 2020, 3:11pm

9/14/2020
Monday

GMM Cycle 2, Lower 1:

Squat
Warmup; over-warmup with 165x1;
135x20
60 rest, then
135x10

SLDL
Over-warmup with 185x2 (The first rep just positions my body, I feel like, so can’t do just one)
155x20

Split squats
50# dumbbell in the front rack position. 5x12.

Bonus work
Forearms. 5# lateral raises. 3x20 decline situps.

WOW! The 20-rep squat sucked, as it should, but I have earned the privelege of increasing weight for next time. I don’t plan to always get 20 reps before raising weight, but felt like it was important on the squat.

Legs turned to jello again of course. A bit of left knee pain after the split squats. I’m drenched in sweat doing them too.

And I’m still sore from the “Upper 2” workout last Friday.

jdm135 · September 16, 2020, 2:18pm

9/16 Wednesday
GMM Cycle 2, Upper 1:

Bench
Warmup, then over-warmup to 155x1;
135x18;
60 rest, then 135x9

Incline press
3/50 method:
85#: 17, 14, 13 - total 44

BB Row
135# 8,8
115# 12,12

Pulldown
3/50 method. Close neutral grip.
100#: 20, 16, 18. Total: 54

BB Curl
3/50 method.
60# ez-bar. 17, 12, 13. Total: 42

Bonus work:
Wrist curls, reverse wrist curls.
Side raises with 10#.

I re-read the GMM article yesterday. Glad I did, because there was a nugget I’d missed: Paul recommends increasing weight on lower body exercises once you reach 18-20 reps on the AMRAP set, and on upper body exercises once you reach 12-15 reps on the AMRAP set. So that answered a question I had.

Today I really gave everything I have on every set, and that’s how this is supposed to be run. It feels good.

doomyguy · September 18, 2020, 8:23am

You are getting some solid work in - keep it up!

Out of curiosity - what is an “over warm-up” ?

boilerman · September 18, 2020, 10:00am

Overwarmup is basically just working up to a weight beyond your working sets. In this case, you work up to 80-85% of your max for a single, then drop back for your working sets. I think it’s useful in helping the working weight feel lighter.

Doing awesome jdm

jdm135 · September 18, 2020, 10:11am

Thanks @boilerman.
And @doomyguy, if you want to read the whole spiel its at Guaranteed Muscle Mass

I don’t know if the overwarmup makes a physiological difference to me, at least at the light weights I’m using. I have read other logs on here claiming it helps.
But for me it also provides the psychological advantage of reminding me that I’m capable of lifting much heavier than my working sets.

jdm135 · September 18, 2020, 1:53pm

9/18/2020
Friday
GMM Cycle 2 Lower 2

Speaking of over-warmups…

Front squat
Warmup;
Over-warmup to 135;
AMRAP was supposed to be 115. OOPS left the 135 loaded and didn’t notice until it was too late.
135xAMRAP: 10 reps;
60 sec rest, then 135xAMRAP: 6 reps.

Leg Press
3/50 method; 275#.
20,17,15 - 52 total reps.

RFESS
Supposed to be walking lunges but the knee pain has me concerned. This doesn’t hurt my knees.
Bodyweight 5x20 each leg.

WOW the front squat mistake was intense. I was hoping for 18-20 reps at 115; but now that I’ve gotten 10 at 135 maybe I’ll just keep the weight here next time and see what happens.
Leg press was brutal too, after the FS my quads were ruined…
so RFESS was absolute torture. Rear foot elevated on a bench, had it wedged between the butt-pad and the back-pad, which helped just enough. But to get 20 reps each time was awful.

So once again I’m satisfied that I gave it my all, every set.

Tried to do calf raises as bonus work but I was fried.

doomyguy · September 18, 2020, 2:07pm

@boilerman Thank you for the explanation and @jdm135 Thanks for the link.

I had never heard of it, but I can follow what you mean - especially on the psychological angle.

But really, it strikes me, that this is not very different from pyramiding up to a few heavy doubles/singles and down again to a few higher rep /lighter weight sets. Different terminology for the same thing I would think.

But interesting article, with a few intensification ideas worth having in mind.

jdm135 · September 18, 2020, 3:16pm

I don’t often write down what I eat, but it’s a good idea to do periodically. And today will be a good one, I think, because after that session I plan to eat A LOT.
I was about 183# this morning.
4:30 AM - cup of peppermint herbal tea (no sweetener).
5:00 AM - 2 eggs.
5:30 AM - pre-workout: 3/4 serving of Betancourt BNOS, plus 5g of creatine.
6:00-7:00 workout
7:30 AM protein shake, 1.5 scoops of ON Gold Standard Whey
8:00 AM another cup of peppermint tea (no sweetener)
10:00 Big bowl of veggies (corn, peas, green beans, carrots); about 3/4# of chicken thigh meat; coke zero; and a bottle of chocolate milk: (340cal, 13g fat, 13g protein, 42g carb)
12:00 pm two beef fajitas. Guacamole, little rice, tons of beef.
1:00 pm two beers (not light). And a small homemade popsicle, consisting of watermelon juice and lime juice.
2:30 two large slices of pizza.
3:30 slimfast keto mct shake
5-6:00 another beer and 2/3 of a digiorno pizza.

hopefully I can count up the calories.
For sure I ate plenty today.

boilerman · September 19, 2020, 2:00am

Your 12pm-6pm sounds like heaven. Beer, fruit, pizza, beef and more beer and more pizza.

I use the same preworkout as you, what flavor do you have?

jdm135 · September 19, 2020, 11:15am

Mine is “Tropics”. Its almost empty so I’m open if you recommend a different flavor.

boilerman · September 19, 2020, 10:03pm

I also use tropics. I have tried a few different flavors but I think that one is my favorite.

jdm135 · September 21, 2020, 5:50pm

9/21/2020
DOMS update:
This is no exaggeration. As of this Monday morning, my quads feel like they’ve been bludgeoned with a baseball bat from Friday’s workout.
Also, I started coming down with a cold on Friday. Am doing much better today, and went to the gym several hours later than usual so I could be all cleared up by the time I got there.
Bought a new pair of gym shoes - my old ones were torn up - and am so happy with them. Nike Metcon 5 Amps. Super stable heel, plus they look great. Can’t wait to squat in them.

9/21, Monday: GMM cycle 2, Upper 2

Press: Overwarmup to 2x85; AMRAP at 75: 18 reps. Last one was a GRIND. 60 seconds rest, then AMRAP again: 9 reps.

Dips, bodyweight only: 3/50 method: 24, 18, 14 - 56 reps. Time to add 10# I guess…

DB row: 60#, 3/50 method: 20,18,15 - 53 reps. Time to go up.

Chins: 5 sets of 4. Varied grips. These were a lot harder than they used to be… all the time away from chins has taken a toll. Plus I’m a few pounds heavier today.

DB curl: 30#, 3/50 method: 22, 15, 11 - 48 reps. Damn. Started out way too easy, ended up much too hard! My left arm is weaker and was the limiting factor.

Bonus work: forearms: fwd and rev wrist curls. Side raises, with some forward lean. Cable triceps extensions. GHR with 25#.

Summary: I feel great. 8 workouts into GMM, I still love it. It’s working.
Also, going to the gym later in the day is not for me. It’s MUCH more crowded. I couldn’t even get a rack for pressing, had to stand behind a bench press and clean the weight up into the front rack position.
The crowd skews younger too, which led to some interesting sights.

jdm135 · September 23, 2020, 1:47pm

9/23, Wednesday
GMM Cycle 3, Lower 1

Felt great this morning; quads still feel bruised but no biggie.

Squats
Warmup;
Overwarmup to 185x1;
AMRAP: 155x20 gasping for air like a drowning man
60 sec rest, then AMRAP: 155x10 and nearly fell forward at the bottom of rep 10.

SLDL
Overwarmup to 215x2;
AMRAP: 175x20.

Split squats
50# EZ bar in front crossover grip.
5 sets of 12.

decline situps
30
Captains chair
20

I’m very happy to have hit that 20-rep squat. I’d have stopped at 18 reps but I’ve been reading @T3hPwnisher’s blog and it convinced me it’s all mental, just keep going. Thanks Pwn.
Considering a couple weeks ago I hit 135x13, this is a milestone.

jdm135 · September 25, 2020, 12:03pm

9/25 Friday
Gmm cycle 3, Upper 1

bench press
Overwarmup to 165x1;
AMRAP 145x17;
60 sec rest, then
AMRAP 145x6

incline press
3/50 method. 85#
22,15,16. Total 53.

bb row
145x8,8
120x12,12

pulldowns
3/50 method
Wide-ish overhand grip
120# 22,15,14. Total 51

bb curl
3/50 method, 60# ezbar
20,15,15 total 50 but it was a real stretch to get the last few

bonus work
Side raises, pullovers, wrist stuff

jdm135 · September 28, 2020, 9:01pm

9/28/2020
Friday
GMM Cycle 3 Lower 2

Front squat
Warmup;
Over-warmup to 165;
135xAMRAP: 12 reps;
60 sec rest, then 135xAMRAP: 6 reps.

Leg Press
3/50 method; 315#.
16,12,14 - 42 total reps.

RFESS
Bodyweight
20,16,20,20,12,8.

Front squats sucked. I kept pitching forward, and the bar was crushing my hand into my wrist. And could barely breathe.
The RFESS continue to suck. I was dripping sweat. Its honestly more brutal than the FS becauseit takes so long. Some minor progression from last week, in that I put my rear foot on the bench but didn’t wedge it between the pads like last time.
Naturally this contributed to me falling at one point.

jdm135 · September 29, 2020, 11:14am

9/29, Tuesday.
sprints
8 rounds of:
-sprint about 20 seconds
-walk back, about 90 seconds.

Saturday I was exercising with the family and timed myself at 42 seconds sprinting about 220 meters (per Google maps). Since I’m completely untrained in that area it seems like it holds lots of room for improvement, so I’ll use that as a goal to get some conditioning/gpp focus.
I want to get that sprint down to 34 seconds, about a 20% improvement.
The plan as of now is to be consistent hitting some kind of conditioning 2x/wk.

jdm135 · September 29, 2020, 2:28pm

Took 2 pictures in the mirror last night. Gonna put em here for reference… they would make good before and after photos if they hadn’t been taken 30 seconds apart!

jdm135 · September 30, 2020, 2:40pm

9/30, Wednesday: GMM cycle 3, Upper 2

Press: Overwarmup to 2x90; AMRAP at 80: 16 reps. 60 seconds rest, then AMRAP again: 5 reps.
Was disappointed so 30 sec rest, then 3 more reps.

Dips, 10# db between feet: 3/50 method: 20, 15, 15 = 50 reps.

DB row: 65#, 3/50 method: 20,15,15 - 50 reps.

Chins: 5 sets of 5. Varied grips.

DB curl: 30#, 3/50 method: 20, 15, 15 - 50 reps.

Ran out of time and couldn’t do typical bonus work, like pushdowns and side raises.

boilerman · September 30, 2020, 2:48pm

Hey man, I know you asked me about goals in my log, but what are your short and long term goals? More strength or aesthetic or a little bit of both?