The Pursuit of Mythical Gains

Training Logs
162

Bro!

Remember, a punt is a way to gain an advantage in field position.

Sometimes lifting is like golf. Think back to all those terrible little books you had to go through, to learn the intricacies of the game.

You ran the Progressive Gradual Overload scheme. You learned that part, now you can cross it off the list.

Then you started to ride the bike around, so you learned to work in some conditioning.

Conveniently with S.S., you worked up in sets of 5, until you found your 5 rep max. Now you know the perfect number to use as your “Training Max.” The Triumvirate plan will teach you how to plan your assistance work. At first, you’ll do the stuff you think is cool. But then, you’ll figure out what lifts to do to work every thing, every week.

In a few weeks or cycles, you’ll take a deload. At first it will suck, but it will teach you “restoration techniques.” When you avoid the gym, you’ll find yourself doing tons of pull aparts and Limber 11’s.

You’re right on track! You can ever go super scientific. You ran an “Intensification Phase!” Now, when you hit rep PR’s for a few cycles, you’ll be in an “Accumulation Phase.”

163

Right on. When do I get to bench two plates, squat three plates, and dead lift four plates?

Honestly, I like 5/3/1 when I did it before and was very happy after my workout this morning, glad to be back to it. I think SS was a great experience. I’m sure any other beginner LP would have also been great. But, I found a SS coach that I respect and like, got my lifts up to moderate respectability for my age, and learned a few things. As Harbaugh would say, “Moving on.”

I’m going to follow Triumvirate pretty closely for at least the first cycle and see how things feel. I reckon the assistance work will give me enough hypertrophy work to keep me busy for the first cycle or two, and will figure out what to add, if anything, after that. Facing heavy (for me) squats three times a week was just a little overwhelming. I know it has to do with my age and recovery ability, but I’m looking forward to focusing on a single lift each day.

Thanks for the encouragement!

1 Like
164

When do I get to crush 300 yard drives?

After lots of productive practice.

When you get bored with your current set-up, you can simply rotate to a more exciting template. The training max and “routine” will keep you on track, so you’ll never be wasting your time.

When you want to do lower reps and the linear scheme, you can switch to the 5’s Progression. You can use the first set last, or “Back Offs” to do all kinds of cool stuff. If you want to go straight body builder you can do As many reps as possible, or Rest Pause with your first set last.

After a few months not worrying about benching 2 plates and just training, you’ll be a lot closer to benching two plates.

When I stop trying to kill the ball, and just swing smooth for awhile, my drives will get better.

165

I’ll throw you a bone.

There are five laws of ball flight. The one that has the greatest influence on distance is centeredness of impact - hitting it on the center of the club face. So, swinging harder doesn’t make a difference, unless, you are hitting it on the center of the club face.

Consider purchasing some impact tape - it goes on the clubface and tells you where you are making contact. Once you get better at that, then you can work on being square at impact, angle of approach, and length of arc, lol.

1 Like
166

Impact Tape!

What a cool training tool. I’ve never heard of that before.

Next time I bench press, I’m going to put chalk on the center of the bar. Then I’m going to look at my chest in the mirror, and make sure I touched on the same spot every time.

2 Likes
167

Great choice. That’s kind of sort of what I’m doing (yes for press and bench, not so much for DL and squat) and it feels great. When you get bored, look at chucking FSL for AMRAP or multiple sets in.

1 Like
168

06-16-2016
C1D2

Squats (WU) 45,95,135
Hypers 5x15
HLR 5x15
Pull aparts 5x20
Face Pulls 5x15
Shrugs 5x15@50 ea

Morning workout again, fasted. Warmed up with squats, went to Dead lift and had lower back pain again on my first warm up rep at 135 so I bagged the deads. Went ahead with the rest of my workout, couldn’t figure out what to substitute for deads (leery of rack pulls as well), did the face pulls and pull aparts again because I actually watched a video and learned how to do them correctly. Added in the shrugs for fun. I’m going to have to do some research on what to substitute.

Except for the back pain on dead lifts, I’m feeling good. Been on the IF for about a week and I like it so far.

169

Good mornings, zercher squats, front squats, box squats.

170

What about sumo? Too similar to conventional to avoid the back issues?

171

Dude, absolutely not! Sumo is a fantastic idea. I didn’t suggest it because I thought all DL variations were out. It’ll leave your back alone, so I’d make sure to do back extensions and stuff if possible.

If you haven’t already, a good way to find your stance is to set up so your knees are directly above your ankles. That’ll ensure you have vertical shins. Don’t go wider than that until you’re comfortable. You’ll have to experiment with how wide to splay your feet. Forty five degrees is probably a good starting point.

Be patient off the floor. Keep the bar in contact with your shins at all times, and your shoulders behind the bar.

172

A’ight, next DL day I will try it out.

I have spinal stenosis, it’s never really bothered me but on occasion it will act up and I think my lack of technique and experience make conventional DL a real problem for me. Triumvirate has Good Mornings on press day, I think, and I don’t feel comfortable with those either so I’m doing Hypers instead. Will start with Supermans and work into the GM’s. Maybe I can work my way into conventional dead lifting at some point.

173

06-17-2016
C1D3

BP
10x45, 5x85 WU
5@105
5@ 125
15@145 RPE 7

DBBP 5x15@25ea RPE 7
Rows 5x10@65 - the chest supported thing

Was going to do curls and tri presses but the rows took it out of me - guess I shouldn’t have done the pull aparts and face pulls yesterday.

The final set of DBBP was a little taxing from 11-15 but overall I feel really good. I very much like getting in and getting out in an hour or so. My final weeks of SS it was taking me almost two hours.

I’m also surprised by how good I feel lifting fasted. I know it’s not ideal for gaining muscle but I think it’s pretty effective for fat burning. I’m taking BCAA’s while fasting and losing more fat than muscle, I’m down ten pounds and most of it has been fat according to my BIA scale.

After Summer, I plan on eating at maintenance, maybe a bit over, and trying to add some LBM over the Winter. Until then, going to keep trying to get lean.

174

You could always try an elevated deadlift, like a block pull. Pulling off the floor can be difficult for some folks. I’m a big fan of avoiding it as much as possible.

175

I don’t see any Hip Thrusts! Where are the Hip Thrusts?!:grin:

1 Like
176

I said I had no interest in getting “a nice big ass” for the record! It would be more appropriate to admit that I am a big “Ass.”

177

Piss off. I’m sticking with my interpretation. How else am I going to justify imagining Alec Baldwin doing Glute Bridges?

178

With a nice big ass and a pitching wedge for weight?

Hopefully for a laugh and not for some other nefarious purpose…ewww, imagery.

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179

I don’t think it does, and it certainly doesn’t if you don’t want it to.

Remember, conventional DL is just one option. Sumo is another. There are many ways to achieve the same goal.

1 Like
180

06-19-2016
C1D4

SQ 5x45, 5x95, 3x135 (WU)
5x165 RPE 6
5x190 RPE 7
5x210 RPE 9

Leg Extensions 5x15@65
Ham Curls 5x10@60
Pull Aparts 5x20
Face Pulls 5x15@25
Shrugs 5x20@60 ea

I looked again, my version has Good Mornings and Hanging Leg raises, but it really doesn’t matter - the whole deal is about doing three (tri) exercises and clearly, INDTP. The main thing is the 5/3/1 on the main lifts.

Happy Father’s Day everybody! It was nice to get my session in first thing this morning, felt good. Major lower back pain on the last set of squats so I just hit the five reps and got out of the squat rack. It hurts when I first put the weight on my shoulders, at the bottom, and when I re-rack the weight (when my spine is compressed and decompressed), and the shrugs hurt as well. That makes me think it’s a disk issue, will talk to the chiro about it on Tuesday. Because of the pain at the bottom I descend slow and don’t get the benefit of the stretch reflex which makes the RPE higher than it should be. 210 should be no problem.

Have fallen in love with the pull aparts and the face pull. Not sure how long that will last, but I’d like to improve my traps and I’ve never been able to (probably because I never deadlifted). I do them between sets on other exercises so they don’t add any time to the workout. In and out in just over an hour again today, love it.

Got a Fitbit. Not sure what I plan to do with it, but my resting heart rate is 62 - not bad for an old man that quit smoking three months ago, and quit drinking six months ago.

In spite of being calorically deficit, I have managed to gain weight this week. I know, I know, water! But, I’m disappointed because I thought the IF was a magic bullet. On the flip, most of the weight gain was LBM according to my scale (which wouldn’t be water weight, hmmm!).

Thinking about dropping the training max on my Squat to give my back some time to heal up and not exacerbate the problem.

Going on vacation in three weeks, won’t have barbell access, wondering how to time things so it’s a deload week. I think I will lift 4/5 and try to cram the first three weeks of my second cycle in before vacation and then have vacay a deload. I might have to do OHP and DL together, and BP and Squat together. Will figure it out.

Pretty schizophrenic post, I know. Gotta go vacuum the pool.

Out

1 Like
181

06-20-2016
C1W2D1

OHP
10x45, 5x70
3x90
3x100
9x110

Dips 5x15
Chins 5x10
PA’s 5x20
Ab work between sets

Another good session. Back feels good. Will see what happens when I try Sumo tomorrow.