Lil Greggy- Gym Pact 2019

I will let you know.

Okay, I squeezed in 3 workouts since I last updated, so hopefully I log all of this correctly. Was able to finally get back to doing some squats just to test out the knees., which felt almost back to 100%. Iā€™m gonna be focusing on hypertrophy for this next (meso?)cycle, so not as much frequency at least for squats. Just smash it hard and let it rest.

Sunday PM, 5/7

Squats 4x8, 225 lbs
Calf Raises 4x5 315lbs, 2x10 225 lbs
BW Hip Thrusts 2x20
Prowler Walks

Monday AM, 5/8

Bench Press Singles: 225, 245, 275, 295
Bench Press 2x10, 200 lbs
OHP 3x10, 115lbs
BW Dips 2x20
Overhead rope extensions
Single Arm Standing DB Press 3x10, 35 lbs

Monday PM, 5/8

DB Bench Press 1x8 85s, 1x6 95s, 1x5 100s, 1x3 115s
Single Arm DB Bench Press 1x10, 2x8 75lbs each side
BW Dips 2x20
Single Arm Standing DB Press 3x10, 50 lbs
Barbell Shoulder Circuit

I would like to credit my bench press feeling much better than it has in the past to my increased overhead pressing, but really it might just be because of my weight gain. Only time will tell. Hoping to hit a bodyweight OHP by the end of this summer.

Aiming to get in a good upper body pulling workout tomorrow and then squats on Wednesday. My last final exam is tomorrow, though, so I may have to push those workouts back a day. Gonna be doing a mix of push/pull/lower and upper/lower splits over the next 3-4 weeks. Auto-regulation baby!

Also, finished the night off weighing 200.0 lbs.

Tuesday PM, 5/9

Deadlifts, 315x3 Touch nā€™ go, 315x1
Deadlift singles from deficit (~4 in.) 1x315, 2x365
Deadlifts from deadstop (a.k.a. deadlifts) 5x3 225 lbs
Suitcase deadlifts w/ 80 lbs KB, 3x6 each side
Single Arm KB Rows 1x6, 1x8
DB Shrugs, 100 lbs 2x10
Hanging leg raises

Weight at the end of the night 200.2 lbs

Today was supposed to be a rest day, but had a few bowls of spaghetti for dinner so I felt compelled to go to the gym afterward. Just hit some light squats and high rep leg presses to get the blood pumping. Even with the lightweight my knees did not feel good, I guess I did not recover well from my squats on Sunday. May just rest them for another week before I get back to squatting. Pretty disappointed but just gotta work through it and up that fish oil!!

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What kind of sleeves did you get?

Bought the Rehbands. I donā€™t have Amazon Prime anymore though, so my free shipping arrives between May 22-26 lmao

Those are supposed to be very good. I purchased nordic sleeves which are probably better suited for cross fit. I was also looking at Mark Bellā€™s strong sleeves. Will have to wait a little before I get them. Hope your knees feel better soon. I know how it feels when youā€™re itching to get back at it.

Thanks! Yeah, the Nordics are supposed to be pretty good as well. Good value for the price too. I had first ordered the Rehbands not realizing it was just a single sleeve so had to order a second one a couple days later.

itā€™s just some tendonitis so as long as Iā€™m careful with it, shouldnā€™t become chronic.

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Thursday PM, 5/11

Bench Press 5x2 275 lbs
Bench Press 225 lbs 1x10, 1x8
Single Arm Standing DB Press 3x6, 65lbs
BW Dips 2x20
Overhead rope extensions
Barbell Shoulder Circuit

As is the trend lately, bench felt exceptionally smooth. I really do credit it to my shoulders, which feel like they are finally catching up to my chest/tris. I will probably switch back over these next 3-4 weeks to doing primarily OHP as my main lift on upper body pressing days and just do bench volume as assistance. Looking to do some deadlifting tomorrow. Probably repping 315 on dead stop. 10x3 315 sounds like a fun Friday night to me.

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Friday AM, 5/12

Had ~6 hours of sleep

Woke up at 196.6 lbs.

Napped for a couple of hours after work as well

Friday PM, 5/12

Deadlift from Dead Stop 10x3 315lbs, 90 seconds rest between sets
Single Arm KB Rows 2x10 70lbs
Suitcase Carries 80lbs straight bar 2x30secs
Pull Ups 5x6
Kneeling Rope Crunch
Hanging Leg Raises

Deadlifts felt ok. Happy to have gotten through all 10 sets, but my form is still shaky due to poor mobility. I donā€™t feel it in my glutes/hammies as much as I think I should. Been meaning to do some yoga and implement the Agile 8 more routinely. While that should help gradually, I think next time I deadlift Iā€™ll probably stick to singles so that I can forcus on form and proper activation.

Weighed in at 199.5 lbs tonight.

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Saturday AM, 5/13

Woke up this morning at 197.6 lbs. Planning on going to the gym later tonight. Maybe squeeze some mobility work/yoga in during the day.

Picture Update (2 Weeks)

No real noticeable changes to me, but definitely motivation to work my hammies more lmao. I use this room because it has the most honest lighting. Looking to take all my photos here from similar angles. If I can figure out how to pose might incorporate that into it, but bodybuilding/posing ainā€™t a priority.

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I see a big difference in your quads. Looking good.

Haha really?! Iā€™ll take it! Fun fact: those little scars on the inner thigh are from a husky ā€œattackā€ a year ago. Look more like mosquito bites now lmao. Definitely could have been a lot worse.

Going hiking tomorrow for motherā€™s day, so hopefully the knees donā€™t flare up and I can do some squatting this week.

Saturday PM, 5/13

Bench Press Singles: 265x1, 285x1, 295x1, 305x1
Bench Press: 2x8 225lbs
Single Arm Standing DB Press: 3x10, 1x7 50 lbs
BW Dips: 2x10, 2x16

I almost didnā€™t go to the gym tonight, but had a burst of energy around 9pm. Was very pleased to hit the 305 on bench tonight. Felt like I could have hit it for a double or gone up to 315, but I didnā€™t want to push my CNS too hard. I have to wake up around 5am tomorrow, so hopefully I can squeeze a nap in sometime during the afternoon. Probably will take the day off from the gym, but who knows. Maybe just go in and do some light isolation work in the evening.

My strength is getting back to the point where I feel comfortable transitioning to more hypertrophy-focused training while I try add on some much needed size. The hardest part will be to resist going into the gym as frequently as I like to when doing strength-based routines; when doing hypertrophy my body responds to taking every third day off. Whereas with strength I do much better with HFT.

Weight before bed: 199.5lbs

Sunday AM, 5/14

Woke up at 195.5lbs.

Did a nice hike today with a pretty decent incline. The entire time I was trying my best to focus on activating my glutes with every step. This seemed to help alleviate some of my lower back tightness, and my knees felt OK afterward, but can still feel the tendonitis when doing slow eccentric bodyweight squats just to stretch out.

Might just do some pull ups and ab work at the gym tonight. But I have gone to the gym 10 days in a row (one day was more just for active recovery). Might be best to take a full day of rest. Will see how (guilty) I feel after dinner.

Ok so now you have to finish the story.

Haha well, Iā€™ll try keep this as concise yet mildly entertaining as possible: I moved into a duplex with a spare room when I had just moved to California. In exchange for discounted rent, I agreed to help pet sit for her whenever she would travel out of town for work. She had two cats who lived in the shared bathroom, six chickens, and a husky who was a rescue (she claims he was part wolf). A beautiful dog, but the lady openly acknowledged that he was not friendly with people, let alone strangers in the house where he was the alpha male. I had grown up with all kinds of animals and been around aggressive dog breeds before, so I wasnā€™t too concerned.

Of course, after I had been moved in for only two days, she left for the weekend. I was all good for the first couple of days, but my last day alone with him, he got into the child-proof trash under the sink in the kitchen while I was home. As he was eating the trash strewn across the kitchen, I went towards the other end of the kitchen to pickup the trash can, but as I bent down to pick it up, he lunged across the kitchen towards me. Luckily I pulled my arm away, but he then went straight for my inner thigh (at least it was not up towards my groin). Iā€™m glad I didnā€™t instinctually hit him because I am certain it would have escalated. Instead, after a loud ā€œNO,ā€ he let go, which gave me the chance to back away and leave the room. I waited a couple hours before cleaning the trash back up. Wound didnā€™t stop bleeding til the next day, but luckily had some antibiotics on hand. I moved out two weeks later. He always looked at me like I was his bitch the rest of my time there.

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Sunday PM, 5/14

I was in and out of the gym in 30 minutes.

Weighted Pull-Ups: 1x3 +45 lbs, 2x2 +70 lbs, 1x3 +50 lbs
Bodyweight Pull-Ups: 3x8
Farmerā€™s Walks 70 lbs KBs: 2x45 seconds

At the end of my Pull-Up sets I did some ā€œhangs,ā€ but didnā€™t really keep track of time. Just wanted to get a nice stretch in the lats and work on my grip, which was pretty dead by the time I got to the Farmerā€™s Walks.

Weight at night: 201.2 lbs.

I would estimate that my 1RPM for a pull-up (including bodyweight) is probably about 290. This was my first time doing weighted pull-ups in years, and Iā€™ll be looking to implement these more over the next few months. Would like to get my 1RPM up to 335 lbs. My body used to react very well to these, so I think I should see some quick results initially. Maybe aim to hit them heavy once a week and once for volume with lighter weights.

Fuck that! I probably would have killed it. I love dogs but that is not cool. If it has bitten some1 once it will prob do it again.

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