All of this. Almost anything worth achieving requires ‘hard’ things to be done. Doesn’t matter what avenue of life, what is worthwhile doesn’t just fall in your lap. You need to work for it.
You too huh?
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Leader, cycle 1, week 4 - deload
Not in a good place in my head today - been in a shitty mood for the last three days now. Bonus is I know why and it’s nothing major so it’ll pass quickly enough.
Today’s training
Lazy lifter plus shoulders
Press
30 pull aparts between first three warmup sets
5x132 lbs, under 6 RPE - felt fast
3x148 lbs, under 6 RPE
4x165 lbs, 8-9 RPE
1x181 lbs, 10 RPE - tried for a second, couldn’t get onto the middle third
This is where my head came moderately unstuck
0x198 lbs - almost didn’t try, got it moving and then just gave up because I knew I wouldn’t get it.
When I consider that I haven’t pressed for anything other than pumps for two months, I’m not doing too badly. Sitting on a tad above 90% bodyweight.
Bench press
25 total reps at 154 lbs: 16, 10
I love my Metal shorts and they’re great for DL and OK for squats but they suck for bench. My butt slid all over. Also, I find it hard to get leg drive in Chucks. Oly shoes, no worries.
Supersetted hammer curls/BB shrugs
Curls 50 total reps at 30 lbs: 18, 13, 12, 12
Shrugs 50 total reps at 220 lbs: 30, 20
T-bar rows
50 total reps at 88 lbs: 30, 20
Stationary bike sprints, 10 x 40 sec off/20 sec on at level 11 - definitely time to move to level 12
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And to add on, that’s why I can show no sympathy for folks who like to use the “genetics”, or “They are like that because of PED’s” crap. I know PEDs do give many folks an edge over the naturals like us, but that’s exactly why its called an EDGE. But you wont ever catch me using that as a reason to cry “boohoo, whoa is me”. Because for every person who cries about genetics and PEDs, there is someone somewhere blasting 45s for days, who has the anatomical make-up of a jungle gym, a slinky, or some badly put together legos, and hasn’t touched a syringe, or popped a pill in their entire life.
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For what it’s worth, I was on TRT, so not a natty, and last week I jacked up 155 on a squat.
How you like me now?
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I like you plenty and you make progress @The_Myth . In different directions periodically, but progress. Plus you used to cycle about as far as I drive in a week, plus you’re on TRT which is kind of different to being around 30, using and not really seeing progress.
In the process of as gently as possible. Probing questions and hints heavy enough for max effort day.
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I’m off right now, trying to restart, and weak AF because I am off.
Thanks!!!
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Besides, I really look at TRT as just that: t_R_t. It’s just getting you to normal levels. Not everyone is Chad Aichs and can break multiple records with low T.
Yeah, my highest level was 650, which is normal.
Pretty sure I’m rocking 150 right now.
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Yeesh. That can’t be fun.
It’s not, not at all. But, TRT isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, just saying.
I’m hoping to get a restart, fucking around with Nolva right now. Doctors are pretty much ignorant so it’s a heal yourself thing, but I’m pretty close to going back on.
Trust me, when your one rep max on OHP goes from 155 to 110, that’s only one issue.
However, for what it’s worth, I’m in pretty good spirits. I just worry that when I start back on the juice I’ll gain a shitload of water weight like I did before.
Also, cautionary tale, pretty sure I fucked up my HPTA in college when I went from a very fat 218 to a pretty fat 160. I lost 58 pounds in about nine months, and was very skinny. I smoked like a chimney and drank like a fish and I think that’s what screwed up my T-levels.
Kind of surprised I managed to have two pretty solid kids, both very smart, one pretty athletic, both well adjusted and funny as shit.
For example, my ten year old son told me this joke today, pretty sure he made it up.
A guy wakes up in the hospital and says, “Doc, I can’t feel my legs.”
And the doctor says, “I know. I amputated both of your arms.”
Now that is some funny shit.
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@The_Myth that is fucking gold! Yeah, I can see why you think you might have messed your body up a trifle. Like you say though, obviously something still kind of works.
HRT/TRT really isn’t a thing here. I’m sure you can get it if you try really hard, but it isn’t at all something that’s relatively commonplace.
Feeling off again. More on that later. Woke up looking decent though still hovering around the 201 lbs mark.
Today’s training
Lazy lifter
Sumo stiff bar DL
5 pull-ups between first three sets. First five felt great, second and third were just OK.
Deload rules apply, so all beltless
5x253 lbs, under 6 RPE - knew something was funny when this was something I had to work to hold onto.
5x302 lbs, under 6 RPE - had to go overhand, hook, overhand, overhand, hook so something was WAY off
5x352 lbs, under 6 RPE - used straps
SSB squat 25 total reps at 280 lbs: 15, 10
These were hard work on my hips, I’m definitely unused to sumo. Overall hard, actually, although I could have done them in one set of I’d gotten into my head.
Seems like my ability to grip is a major indicator of overall strength/on-ness on the day.
23 standing 280 lbs calf raises and 12 ab rollouts with 33 lbs. Felt like absolute shit so went home.
Went straight to bed and had a close three hour nap. Didn’t sleep all through but even lying there felt great. Got up feeling amazing and in a better mood than I’ve been in for days. I must have been very, very tired and somehow missed it. Probably started Friday, when I noticed how my fatigue had built up but then I stopped paying attention to it.
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Not exactly unexpected but feeling soft and bloated. Definitely glad it’s deload week. Hopefully a good sleep will fix things.
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I’m not professional to give an advice, but it happened to me many times. Often after 2 intense cycles I start to get bloated and experience inflammation all over my body. Then deload comes, the tightness and soreness vanish and get very soft, with increased inflammation. All ends after the first week of the new cycle. I think it is all a body reaction (immune system in the first place) of the torn muscles. You just need some quality sleep and anti-inflammation rich foods.
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Definitely this. I’m working on that.
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I’ve never needed coffee in my whole life. I’ve been sitting down and eating a breakfast to start my day for the last 12 years. It makes a HUGE difference! You just feel better starting the day.
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I’m getting the hang of this. Up 1.5 lbs but looking about the same as yesterday. Although, I think come Monday I’ll drop my calories to 2300/day. Obviously 2500 isn’t really driving me to get leaner. I’d expect that over the next couple of days I go back to 201 lbs give or take.
If you’re talking about intra-set breathing techniques (explored in the book SUPERSQUATS), then you must be one advanced lifter. I only have to use it for cardio, not strength training. You get what I mean? If I’m tired, I take one breath. If I’m dying, I take 10 and that’s that. I haven’t reached the stage of okay, reset all and push again.
What is he talking about?
I have the same problem, but when it acts up, I run as a coping strategy. It’s nice knowing you have knowledge about this area of life. I believe in fighting fire with fire. If I ain’t good enough to control it at that point in time, I still ain’t gonna let it control my life.
When I exhaust myself out by running, I become more appreciative about the things I have (which are by and large few) but good memories keep me afloat.
I want to hang around a guy who knows these things well as it is a sign of maturity.
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