Just. Don't. Suck (Part 1)

@BrickHead, I thought I’d just bring this over here to spare the spirit of the Flame Free thread.

I’m 6’4". I thought I was 6’5" but after years of the doctor telling me I’m 6’4" at my annual physical I’ve accepted it. Here’s a link to a post from 2017 where I shared photos. From what I can tell with my data collection, it’s the last time I did skinfold measurements. I have my wife pinch me on occasion. I know there is tons of error with those things. My fancy equation said I was 10.88% body fat. Not sure if that’s accurate but I’m happy with this level of body fat day in and day out. I was 224.8 lbs that morning. I get a little more lean when I dip below 220 but I’d like to look a little muscular when I walk around. I’m not really happy with the lean and athletic look but it may be what I have to live with. It’s not bad; it’s just swole :smile:

If you’ve seen my other check-in photos and the T-ransformation thread then you know that I’m softer now. I fear that all I’m managing to do is add fat to my body. It’s sure going to be disappointing if I cut this extra weight off during next year’s challenge and find that I didn’t gain anything from it.

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SGSS W7 D5

2 LAP DYNAMIC WARM UP

PENDLAY ROW
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 3 x 5 sets

LAT PULL DOWN
220 x 3 x 5 sets

CABLE ROW (21’s)
160 x 10F/10T/10B
160 X 10F/7+3T/4+4+2B
These turned into rest/pause and it hurt.

REVERSE CABLE FLY (21’s)
30 x 8F/8T/8B x 2 sets

REVERSE CABLE CURL (21’s)
80 x 10F/10T/10B
100 x 8F/8T/8B

TORSO ROTATION MACHINE
90 x 10 ea x 2 sets

CRUNCH MACHINE (21’s)
110 x 10F/10T/10B x 2 sets

BACK EXTENSION MACHINE
220 x 10
This machine is stupid and did nothing for me so I stopped.

This workout was barely longer than the one I did Saturday during my lunch break at work. I think I can take some stuff out of that workout to shorten it up.

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Thanks for this. I’m going to TRY to post later today. It not, I’ll reply during the week. (Freaking busy with kid, wife, home, preparing food, errands. Going to Vegas for Olympia this week).

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No worries. I appreciate any help I can get. I guess I should rephrase what I said earlier. There’s still one resource that I haven’t tried if I fail to accomplish anything this year—hiring a coach. I’m supposed to be all educated and stuff with my degree and certifications but I’m not a nutritionist and I’m not a bodybuilder. It’s very possible that I’m missing something.

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9.12.18

Woke at 244.6 lbs.

Drinking beer and wine instead of eating dinner seems to help with weight loss!

I’ll be heading to the doctor in an hour to hopefully get some antibiotics. My throat feels like it’s bleeding. It’s raw from drainage. I can also tell my stomach is starting to fill up with that junk. I doubt I lift today. My body could handle it but my mind isn’t in it.

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Sounds like a good day to skip lifting

Yep. It’s tough to skip training when I’m off work. It kind of stresses me out trying to train on work days. I might end up doing my main work and nothing else tomorrow (OHP and DB Incline for 5 x 5).

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While strength training can be very beneficial when you have a cold, training with some serious flu symptoms such as impaired breathing can be a mistake. If that’s the case, forget about training

Get well soon!

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9.13.18

Woke at 244.6 lbs again.

Lunch Break Training

OHP
45 x 10
95 x 5
115 x 3
145 x 3 x 5 sets

DB INCLINE PRESS
50 x 5
65 x 5 x 5 sets

SEATED DB OHP (21s)
35 x 10F/10T/10B
35 x 10F/5+5T/5+3+2B
Ouch.

LOW-HIGH CABLE FLY
30 x 10F/6+4T/10B
30 x 15 1.5 reps (bottom half)

CABLE PRESS DOWN
110 x 10F/10B/10T x 2 sets

Not a bad workout considering it only took 32 minutes. I think I found a way to progress my assistance work. I’ll just do 1 set of 10F/10B/10T on my shorter days and 2 sets on my higher rep days. If I get all the reps for both sets then I’ll increase the weight. For example, I’ll be doing 120 on cable press downs for one set on Sunday. I’m not quite there with seated DB OHP. That 2nd set sucked.

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Get well man. No new injuries I see. Good job :slight_smile:

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I just have a minor sinus infection this time. It’s already getting better. The PA at my doctor gave me a stronger steroid for my hip and sinuses. I’ve been on 15mg of Mobic for two weeks to treat my hip pain. It’s improved but I’m still not pain free. Hopefully I’ll get there soon. If it’s not inflammation then the surgeon said it could be a problem with my cartilage. :fearful:

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9.14.18

Woke at 244.4 lbs.

SGSS W8 D1

After Work

2 LAP DYNAMIC WARM UP

RFESS
45 x 5
95 x 3
115 x 3
145 x 3 x 3 sets

BOX SQUAT 21.5"
225 x 3
295 x 3
335 x 3 x 3 sets

POWER CLEAN
165 x 3
185 x 3
205 x 3 x 3 sets

DEADLIFT
315 x 3
405 x 3 x 3 sets
I don’t usually pay attention to RPE but this was like a 4. I feel strong on deads. I guess that’s good because if I’m going to pull 600 someday then 405 is going to have to feel light considering it’s only 67%.

ELLIPTICAL
10 min Interval 0.92 miles

HIP ABD/ADD MACHINE
150 x 15, 15 / 170 x 15, 10

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Awesome! Especially with the hip

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Steroids are working (tiny pills, not PEDs)! No hip pain on deads or power cleans, and I even went a little wider on my squat stance without pain tonight.

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That was an awesome workout Big J.
405 x 3 x 3 wow great.
Not to be the picking, but could the steroid hide the pain if you know what I mean, like a pain killer or something.
Really hoping you get that hip sorted out man.

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The pain is thought to be a result of inflammation. The steroid is supposed to reduce/eliminate the inflammation and hopefully the pain goes away. If there is a legit problem then it will all come back.

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9.15.18

Woke at 245.4 lbs.

Intended to train this morning like usual during my work lunch break but some dumbass ruined all that. The short version…

  • Tricked girl into letting him spend the night because he got evicted from his place.
  • Stole her car while she slept
  • Girl found him and the car at his dealer’s house
  • Girl gets punched in the face by asshole
  • Girl’s friend runs to her aid (leaving her car running with the keys in it)
  • Asshole steals friend’s car
  • Asshole drives three blocks and T-bones someone after running a stop sign
  • Asshole flees on foot

The good news it that he came back and I took him to jail for aggravated battery, simple battery, and two counts of criminal deprivation of property.

Aggravated battery for injuring the driver of the other vehicle while driving recklessly. Simple battery for punching the first girl. And they don’t charge you with auto theft here because we have to prove the bad guy intended to “permanently deprive” the owner of the vehicle. I guess totaling it in a crash doesn’t count.

Oh, well. I got one felony charge in there. It took over four hours to work through all of this and do the paperwork and now I don’t have the energy to go lift. I’ll just do the original upper body workout tomorrow of OHP, Pendlay Rows, DB Incline, and Lat Pull Downs. They’ll superset nicely.

After work the wife and I are going to a gathering with her old track coach at the University. Beer, wine, and BBQ will be provided. I can’t wait.

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Damn, and that’s the short version. That would definitely ruin your day… I’m not sure who I feel worse for, you, the girl whose only crime was being gullible, or the friend who tried to help the girl and got his car totaled for his trouble. Hopefully the get-together with old friends, beer, wine and BBQ will reset the day to an overall positive for you.

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Definitely finished the day on a high note! I haven’t seen those folks for over five years.

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9.16.18

Woke at 246.8 lbs.

Drank around six beers but all but one were Belgian Wheat style beers. They sat a little heavier in the gut than my usual light beers (but didn’t provide any more alcohol). I don’t feel bad, but I also don’t feel good today. The gases being emitted from my body today could choke a mortician.

I’m going to need to sit around a bit before I’m ready to hit the gym. Hopefully I’ll be able to get the original SGSS upper body workout done. I should even have time for some extra pump work since I’ll superset the movements. The trick is just getting to the gym.

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