Silver and Steel

Maybe progress? I feel like real life looks a little better than this pic, but certainly still not where I hoped to be

So I actually saw my abs today, which was a little surprising.

I won’t end up ripped or anything from this, but I have definitely learned a lot about eating and what is realistic for me at this point in my life; that’s a real benefit. I never really had to eat right - I was always really active. When I had to cut weight (wrestling, army schools), it was forced and short-term and I just didn’t eat. I can’t do that now - the way I treat people when I’m hungry is unacceptable! Plus, I just don’t care enough to suffer that way. I don’t do well with all the crazy strategies or planned meals; I do very well with small portion sizes multiple times a day. That lets me order from anywhere, which is airport-friendly, and keeps me from getting hungry, which is when I blow it. Eating protein every meal was never a problem, but the other pieces were.

I also hate cardio, but miss being in shape, and will find every excuse to blow it off. At the same time, it takes my old joints a long time to warm up. I’ve found if I do 10-15 minutes of cardio both before and after lifting, I don’t give myself excuses to skip (who can’t do 10 minutes), I’m warmed up and perform better (which is still pretty relative…) when I lift, and I feel better during the week from actually doing some cardio. I am in significantly better shape already, so that’s not something I really want to get away from again.

Not sure why I’m rambling to myself, but writing it down so I can refer back when I try to go all out crazy again. Sustainability is where I’m at these days.

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Yay!

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Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl” came on while I was squatting, so if somebody complains about a grown man teary-eyed mess… that was me

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I need to figure out how to do a better job using light to cheat. I swear real life is better. Anyway, here’s a creepy locker room pic.

I’m still alive

Looking great man. Keep up the good work. I totally get how cardio improves the rest of your day. You feel pumped because the rest of your day is automatically going to be better than the torture you just put yourself through.

What kind of cardio is it? If you’re just getting on the treadmill and slaving away for 10 minutes, it might help you out if you did HIIT style stuff. Supersetting 25 speedy burpees with like 50 mountain climbers, then rest for a minute. Do five sets of that or something. Get creative with it, trying get to keep things interesting.

Also, about the joints getting sticky at the beginning of the workout. Make sure you warm everything up for even just 5-7 minutes! Almost more importantly stretch everything out afterward. lol, I need to heed my own advice because I suck at this. Right now I’m training to run a marathon, and every time I get lazy and don’t cool down stretch I regret it for like 3 days after. Anyways, keep up the good work bro. Give it a couple of consistent months and you’ll be killing the aesthetic game.

@farmstrongfitness
Thank you, sir! I sincerely appreciate it.

Right now I’m mostly doing 15 minutes on an elliptical before and after I lift. I do intend to do a little more HIIT in the near future (mostly so I don’t go insane); that will probably start at the beginning of June - I’ve got a plan through May I don’t want to give myself wiggle room to deviate from.

I absolutely don’t stretch at all, and I probably should. I travel for work, and I feel terrible when I get off a plane. Then I feel embarrassed for feeling bad. I mean, all I asked of my body was to sit down; how is that a challenge??

Anyway, thank you very much for checking in here. When is your marathon? Is it your first? Good luck with it!

Oh sweet. Keep going on that workout plan then. Only a month left for both of us then, because my marathon is May 20th. It’s my first, and so far training has pretty much sucked. The first half was fairly enjoyable actually. Up to 12 miles was nice. I was able to push myself to keep a fast pace, and was done within an hour and a half. Now that I’m nearing the end of the training plan, I’m running like 20+ miles on my long runs, and it’s a grueling 3 hours.

My gains have disappeared too, burning so many calories (3000 per long run), and I’m hot to get back under a barbell. It’s been a lot of fun reading different training logs and daydreaming about starting my own post-marathon log and what my strength/conditioning goals will be.

Best of luck on the marathon! It will be cool to have that on your accomplishment list. Like you said, it will be really fun to start lifting again too and you’ll improve fast.

I was going to try really flexing and seeing if I could look jacked, but I thought I heard someone coming and I panicked. So here’s the next installment of the creepy locker picture guy.

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Great job, brother.

Are you changing up your calories, exercise, or both? It’s getting warmer out and you know what goes good with those cookies? Ice cream. Sometimes beer. Food, not getting a workout in, is definitely my problem lately.

Thanks man!

Calories have really been, unfortunately, the entire game. I’m actually starting to find when I hit two hours of weekly cardio (on top of lifting) it’s detrimental and my progress slows.

I do better hitting my deficit over the course of a week than trying to nail it every day. This has allowed me to have a more “fun” meal with my kids on the weekend, and get a little drunk with my wife. This has had to progress, too, and I’ve tightened up that fun meal (I have Qdoba and some chips instead of pizza) and only have a couple drinks that night.

So, I’d say the hierarchy for me has been:

  1. Calories
  2. Weights (I enjoy Meadows’ stuff, but I don’t think it matters)
  3. Protein (I like high-protein foods, so this may require more focus for someone else)
  4. Cardio (probably just enough to be in shape)

Giving up junk food was easier for me than trying to moderate it. I do enjoy drinking, so that’s coming back in force in a couple weeks. Other than that, I intend to keep eating a little lighter and doing an hour or so of conditioning a week when I’m done with this (May 26!). I feel like I can stave off my obesity that way, but we’ll see.

Sorry for the ramble. Hopefully that diatribe helped a little.

Ended up here:
1
2
3

I’m thinking I’m going to give @Alpha’s Darkhorse program from his YouTube a shot. I will definitely have to get out of my comfort zone both in terms of intensity but also fewer movements/ sessions.
I’ll try to log, but I’m obviously not good about that…

I’m sure I won’t keep this log up, but here we go:

Darkhorse W1 D1

Conditioning

  • Prowler Sprints x 40m
  • Anderson Step-up x 8 per leg
    for 10 minutes

Main

  • DB Snatch: 30/3 each side
  • Front Squat: 45/10, 135/5, 185/3, 225/3, 245/3
  • Hanging Leg Raise: Sets of 8

Volume

  • DB Snatch: 30/3 each side
  • Front Squat: 185/12, 185/8, 185/8
  • Hanging Leg Raise: Sets of 8

Dynamic

  • Deadlift: 205 + chains/ 3 EMOM x 10 minutes

Assistance

  1. Leg Press: 3 x 15
  2. Lying Leg Curl: 3 x 10
  3. Hyperextension: BW x 50
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Epic shit my man.

How did you feel at the end?

Honestly not horrible, but I probably didn’t push the front squat hard enough on the main work. This is definitely a change of pace from what I was getting used to doing, which is really the main thing I was looking for.
Thinking of giving it a shot?

Doubtful mate. Looks like it would take a shit load of time to complete. I have a baby on the way as well so gym time will be at a premium.

As soon as she pops it out, I think it will be kettlebells and running for a good while.

Get this log going as well mate👍

Congratulations! That’s great news - I’m happy for you.
And you’re right: it will affect your time. I have a couple of my own.
I’ve recently changed jobs so I don’t have to travel as much, but it makes my hours a little different. So that I can be home with my kids a little more, here is my latest before/ after:
Before:

After:

And I’ll try to keep the log going - I appreciate anyone caring! I’m just terrible at writing the stuff down. Floor press tomorrow, so I’ll get that one on here.

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W1 D2

Conditioning

  • Hill “Sprints” (it’s longer than it is steep) x 3

Main

  • BB Row: 45/8, 95/8, 135/5, 185/5, 185/8 for the rest
  • Floor Press: 45/8, 96/8, 135/5, 185/3, 225/1, 245/1, 255/1
  • Band Palloff Press: Sets of 8

Volume

  • BB Row: 185/8 x 3
  • Floor Press: 205/8, 205/5 x 2
  • Band Palloff Press: Sets of 8

Dynamic

  • OHP: 75 + Black bands/3 EMOM x 10

Assistance
3 rounds:

  • BB Curl
  • Pec Minor Dip
  • Dip
  • TRX Rear Delt
  • TRX Curl