By now you’re deloading and recovering from your illness but your FSL % stuck out to me. Are you doing 90% of the TM or the top weight for the day? If it’s the actual TM then you must’ve set low TMs (which is never a bad idea).
90% just sounds high to me.
Hope you’re feeling better!
The moniker of Waittz is actually the pun in general. Used to be a big gamer when I was younger and Waittz was always my avatar/gamertag. Was just a weird way to spell ‘weights’.
the 90% is in regards to their entire cycle’s use of TM, FSLS is still always 60%/70%/75%, but those numbers all pull from 90% of TM. And yes, when I started 5/3/1 again I purposely used very low TMs, as well as still artificially keep DL TM down.
Lot to unpack as to why but simplified version is easier. The weight I can lift is counterproductive to the weight I should lift for my goals. You and I seem too see eye to eye on the belief of natural limits, my personal hypothesis is that you dont just stop growing muscle, you body instead just has internal ways to govern like an engine and top speed. For me, it is soft tissue. Whenever my LBM gets me closer to a 25 FFMI, or my lifting numbers get somewhere in the 300/400/500 range something on my body breaks down.
Also just a general update, since I ended up not lifting or doing literally any physical activity for 6 days, I just treated it as my deload, skipped the middle week DL session and hit bench yesterday. Keeping assistance and conditioning off the table this week since I am still sick and probably shouldnt be lifting in the first place.
1/14 Bench - TM 230
155x5
175x5
195x5
FSLS 5x5 SS/ Ring pull ups.
Assistance : None
Conditioning: none.
Got it! I just misunderstood the way you typed it. That’s easy to do since most of us pretty much create our own sub-language in our training logs.
I’ve figured my “natural” limits several times. Initially I had decided that I was done. I was as big as I can be so it was time to focus on strength. Over the couple of years that I’ve been keeping a training log I became convinced that I could grow some more. I gave it a shot for 2018 and I’m not sure if I had any success. My legs and glutes are bigger now, but we’ll see if I can keep it. I gained 30 lbs for the year. I started out light by my standards and hit a new PR for top weight of 250.
But with all that I’ve done, I’m cutting back to a comfortable weight and I believe it will still be within the numbers of the Dr. Butts equation. Before I started this attempt to grow I had accepted my size and figured I don’t have to energy or desire to squeeze out that final 10-15% of my potential. It would take up too much of my time and I’d have to give up things like beer and pizza.
Glad to see you were able to train again. I’ll be following along.
Last part of your response is key. Going to sound controversial seeing how this is T-Nation, but I am coming to regret the amount of size I put on the last 6 months. I’m in sales, and I mainly sell to board members and C-suit executives. Being able to fit into a well tailored suit looking like Craig in 007 is more important to my life, yet right now I am tailors worst nightmare. If I happen to lose an inch or more in my chest and thigh measurement during this diet, I’ll actually be happy. To go all A-Team here, I’m internally referred to as the ‘face guy’ at the firm. Trying to be the super buff guy may appease the caveman in me, but would make me stand out inappropriately in the board room.
Also appreciate you guys following along. The whole public accountability is the reason I haven’t had a drink or single cheat since day one of this, and got my sickly ass back in the garage last night.
I bought a tailored suit last January and I can’t wear it. 
I won’t be mad if my legs shrink a bit this year. I don’t know how much you follow CT but he wrote in a forum response (and possibly an article) about his (or someone’s) muscle migration theory. He pointed out that his weight has always been about the same, but he’s looked different depending on his training. He thinks there is a ceiling to how much muscle the body can carry, but we can shift that around depending on our training. I’m hoping an emphasis on upper body will help me shift some mass to my chest and shoulders and if it means losing something off my legs then so be it. No one sees my legs and it’d be nice for my wallet if my pants would fit again.
Edit: I found the first post and it turns out it was in response to me! I asked CT about the Dr Butts equation apparently LOL
Squats - TM 280
190x5
215x5
240x5
FSLS 5x5
Assistance: none
Conditioning: none
And since I’ve been on t-nation for over a decade and only ever once showed my legs, heres my proof that I don’t skip leg day even when I’m sick. And that I have trained my calves maybe 20 times in my entire life.
Trippy find. I don’t really follow CT much anymore. CT’s stuff is starting to get so far into the rabbit hole that the last time I checked his sub, someone was asking about what protein powder they can have for their neurotype or some shit. Probably why I gravitate towards Wendler, Dan John and Cosgrove. I’m also a skeptic for most things in life.
The moment someone starts a sentence with ‘noticing a phenomenon I can’t prove or know if it makes sense’, I imagine a tinfoil hat and tune out.
Everything started as someone’s theory. I doubt this one will ever take off though because it would mean admitting defeat to the hypertrophy gods. If you buy into muscle migration then you’re giving up on growing. You just have to eat more!
CT has lost me a bit too but I don’t blame him for trying to carve out a new path in an already over saturated fitness industry. He’s not entirely wrong either - he’s just the first to give it a name.
He gets into hormones which is way over my head but learning a person’s personality traits and treating them accordingly is old news. Coaches and leaders have been doing it for a long time.
OHP - TM 165
110x5
125x5
140x5
FSLS 5x5 SS/ Ring pull ups.
Assistance: none
Conditioning: none
*notes: finally getting the last of this sickness out of me. Unfortunately I only logged 1600 cals a day the last week. No bueno. Have a 2 day work trip tomorrow. Hoping to push back to maintenance cals next week appetite and health permitting and get back the volume I want.
Today is also the last day I do any form of pull-ups for at least 4 weeks. Going to agressively work on rehabbing this elbow tendon.
The Nature boy says it better than I can but I’m still here. This is my busy season so to speak with work. Travel and workload has been intense.
Getting at least 2 lifting sessions in a week but that’s it, diet still on point. No idea what I weigh right now but I did eat a pizza last night, yes a pizza. First ‘cheat’ so far, still haven’t had a drink in about 2 months.
All of the accidental rest has been great on all the naggin injuries. I’ll be a ghost on here for the next few months but will make a ‘progress’ update when I can.
Considering I’m a commercial P&C broker in Florida, Jan-May is for sales is like an accountant in audit season for me, since hurricane season starts June 1st if that makes sense. See you all soon.
-Waittz
I hear you on this one. I’ve never been super big, but it doesn’t take much front-to-back chest thickness for me to start getting uncomfortable with my look. My wife HATES the barrel-chested “thick” look, but she loves nice arms and shoulders.
Over the years, I just started dropping most of the compound heavy chest pressing and rowing movements and doing more volume for arms and shoulders. I don’t really miss that extra thickness at all. If chest size has always been a strength, you’d be surprised…it will probably stay that way, even with minimal maintenance.
Long over due but here is where I am at.
Down from 195 to 178. Waist is down to 32”. Took some updated shots, posing isn’t exactly the same but that’s mainly because I don’t have to use fun angles and suck it in to hide my gut anymore
Been a fun journey so far, I think the next 8 lbs to get to that 170 goal is going to start making a more dramatic difference than the first 15, feel like in pretty close to breaking that threshold.
Confession, I have eaten a 100 calorie piece of extra dark salted almond chocolate everyday the past 2 months. Keeps me sane and I never have bad cravings now.
Great progress, looking good. That chocolate sounds bloody amazing, I’ve hardly eaten a carb for 12 weeks let alone sugar!!!
Amen brother. I’m capped at 50g a day myself with most of it coming from beans nuts and veggies. Wifey has her rice for dinner, I have my rabbit food and cauliflower rice…and my chocolate…
Usually once a month I just throw my plan out the window and do something to push a mental threshold, this morning I woke up in that mood.
100 ring chin ups - took about 35 min, sets of 5, when I couldn’t get 5 I would just dead hang until I could squeeze out a rep.
After that, setup my farmer walk bars with about 115 lbs a hand, would jump rope for 30-45 seconds moderate pace, then 10 consecutive double jumps, sprint to the handles and do a fast carry the length of my backyard, about 30 yards.
Did it about 8 times. Been laying on the floor for the past 30 min.
Heading to San Antonio for a few days tomorrow for work, then Friday is my trip to Antigua with the wifey. Going to try to keep some updates in here as we get to the home stretch.
Lots of temptation coming my way the next week or so, if anyone else reads or follows Jocko Willink, just know I have “discipline equals freedom” on a peice of paper in my wallet to keep me strong for this.
Quick update. Woke up at a dry 178.0. It’s about 6:40 am and I’m sitting at my air port gate waiting for take off. Can barely move my elbow joints. Biceps, forearms and traps are fried. Funny enough my abs are the most sore and beat up. I’m in for some crazy DOMS. Here’s to hoping the hotel has a nice gym
Was able to get 40 min on the treadmill at the hotel for 15 incline at 3 mph yesterday before the conference. Kept myself to just two vodka sodas. 5 am got back in there for another 40 min 15/3 session.
Just got back from my Antigua trip, holy hell was that paradise.
Weighed in around 182 this morning, but I do not expect that to stick. Cumulative sum of drinking and carbs for a solid 5 days. Back to the grind today.
Will start using Yohimbine HCL + Caffeine in the AM before my morning walks and some steady state cardio. Keeping the EC stack at bay for the next few weeks but it is on the horizon.
