Zen and the Art of Being Epic (Sheiko for Strongman experiment starting at pg 11)

531 cycle 3, week 3
Squats
5 x 225
3 x 265
1+2 x 295 on the third on the descend my knee came a little. Sort of weird feeling, never happened before I’m not why.
10 x 5 x 165

OHP
5 x 65
3 x 85
1 + 2 x 95 Feeling much more confident on these (finally) even with a lot of knuckleheaded bros doing bro things right next to me. 95 was my max 2 months ago. Shoulders are burning but happy.

Carb back-loading with Mojitos, gracias.

Bench
5 x 170
3 x 195
1+ 2 x 205 crap! I just realized today (a day after) his should have been 215

Dips
4 x failure

facepulls
5 x 10 x 120-140

DL
5 X 225
3 X 265
1+2 X 295
5 X 10 X 165 The most unenthusiastic DL session in memory. Not too difficult, not too easy, just do the work and move on.

Seated cable rows
10 x 120
10 x 140
8 x 160
6 x 180

Cable curls
8 x 100, 120, 140
Thus endith my 3rd 531 cycle. I feel like I need some heavy singles, like 3-5 x 1 @ 90%+ mixed in somewhere. On DL, 295, 315 and 335 moves without a struggle, but 350 felt impossible. I think it is a CNS or confidence issue more than strength or technique. I’m not used to pushing the envelope anymore.

I gained about 10lbs recently, seemed like in 1.5-2 weeks although my clothes fit the same. My home scale and gym scale change drastically depending on where stand. I gain and loose pretty quickly sometimes, but seeing this on the scale freaked me out. I have clearly packed on muscle, and I am definitely stronger but my midsection seems to have stalled.

Next week, a deload with some travel T-TH, which usually keeps me out of the gym. I plan on taking the “Westside for Fat Bastards” advice but keeping with 531. So, more cardio, although morning cardio is not realistic for me, and being conservative on max increases in order to make cardio and weight loss a priority. I also started taking some measurements to sort out what the hell is going on here.

20 minutes on the elliptical–medium intensity 150 steps/minute

Deload
Squat
5 x 135
5 x 155
5 x 185
3 x 10 x 155

OHP
5 x 45
5 x 55
5 x 65 I did these all for speed, snapping it up into a press.

Over head cable tricep pulls

the cardio plan is 20 minutes @ medium on squat and DL says, and 30+ on bench day.

Cycle 4, week 1
20 minutes elliptical
Squat
5 x 205
5 x 235 I started feeling ?off balance,? racked/re-racked 2 times before I grabbed a spotter. Probably a combo of the addition of cardio, and diving right into the rack, and traveling last week and living on bar food for 3 days, and tightening the diet this week
5 x 275 w/spotter
3 x 10 x 185?lower sets, higher weight sort of time saver and compromise with cardio
OHP
5 X 70
5 X 80
5 X 80 feeble
5 x 10 x 65
Good news, although this was one of the worst workouts I have had, I am down 3 lbs this morning and the gut measurement shows progress too.

I absolutely love this log and I don’t know why, Thanks for posting man and keep the hard work going man!!!

[quote]Umbrata Fortis wrote:
I absolutely love this log and I don’t know why, Thanks for posting man and keep the hard work going man!!![/quote]

Thanks UF! I always wonder if people actual read this. I try to be brutally honest with myself so I can spot trends and hopefully fix mistakes, but also entertaining.

I?m trying to get a full week?s work in, Mother?s day threw off my normal schedule.

27 minutes on the elliptical?embarrassing moment of the week, on a whim I found a ?house? station (online radio) and ?let the music take control.? Holy early 90?s rave flashback! I danced (with in my own mind) near Dee-Light (Groove is in the Heart) at a rave once. For a summer I had my own ?Fear and Loathing with Glow Sticks,? oh the glory days! But this walk down hazy memory lane got me through 27 minutes of cardio, cut 3 minutes sort because I had to piss.
Back to the real world?
Bench
5x 155
5x 175
5x 205 I forgot to push beyond the standard 5, but this guy was DL?n 405 w/reps with the weirdest snatch grip semi sumo technique I?ve ever seen right next to me. His grip was looser than a (insert witty colloquialism here) and he dropped 455, and 495. If he had technique he?d be a damned monster.
10 x 5 x 155
Heavily assisted dips
10, 7, 5

11 minutes on the elliptical?but it mutha frack?n DEADLIFT DAY!!!
Deadlift GRRRRRRRR!
5 x 205
5 x 235
5 x 265 I found a better set up ritual. Get my stance, bend over grab the bar, try to murder it, straighten back, tighten core, drop ass and launch off the floor! This lets me use the explosiveness off the floor but locks everything tight so I should not get hurt.
4 x 10, 8, 7 ,5 185 It?s sort of foolish but I want to continue building my DL max and lose weight so I figured a higher weight ?finisher? cluster might help push it without destroying me
Overhead cable tri extensions
4 x 10 100, 110, 120 120 working the abs and tri?s and I think maybe some support muscles for OHP
This finally puts me back on schedule. The morning after (now) I feel pretty drained?that full body ache that I get from a good DL session. I did a very low impact carb back load last night so my recovery might be ?off? a little.
It was actually hot in the gym. The usual cast of characters was there, the old (older than me) guy who air guitars between curls, the guy with a huge upper body with legs that look photo shopped their so skinny, the IT (Indian Tech) group, one of which seems like he gets PL?n, he DL?s, squats, and benches with reasonable technique and big dedication, the guy who uses a squat rack, bench, and generally wastes space to do body weight exercises and constantly washes his face like a cat and several people proud of curling 30lbs?

Nice log. Interested to see how you do with that weight loss :stuck_out_tongue:

[quote]Girei wrote:
Nice log. Interested to see how you do with that weight loss :P[/quote]

The weight loss is going slower than I expected. I am 20lbs heavier than I was when I started lifting (Oct 2012)but my clothes fit the same. I have a big wide frame to begin with, and I have always had an easier time gaining muscle than loosing fat. I have taken a half inch off of my waist since I started keeping track in the past two weeks.

It’s a struggle because I’d much rather work heavy and max every workout than spend 1/2 my reserve on cardio, than have to adjust my effort under the bar. Luckily, I’ll overcome it.

Donuts are a constant danger.

I also have that feel that when im doing traditional cardio im wasting my time and im sooo bored. I will be incorporating prowler pushes and all variatons of carries in my 5/3/1 program as I feel much more productive doing those things :stuck_out_tongue:

[quote]Girei wrote:
I also have that feel that when im doing traditional cardio im wasting my time and im sooo bored. I will be incorporating prowler pushes and all variatons of carries in my 5/3/1 program as I feel much more productive doing those things :P[/quote]
I’m very jealous of access to a prowler, but I sort of enjoy the cardio. It also helps open up my hips, and warm everything up so my warm-up for lifting is much quicker. I really just find my groove and go.

Cycle 4 week 2
20 minutes elliptical, some sprints mixed in

Squats
3x 220
3 x 250
3 +2 x 285 Once again I had to find a spotter. Same as last week I felt “off” under the bar–almost an equilibrium issue, WTF?. I’m blaming the mirrors on all four walls. I think the elliptical is to blame, but I am not sure if it is a mechanical (to much bouncing or a low blood sugar issue). Either way with someone behind me I am able to focus and the last set I came out of the hole so fast I surprised myself and the spotter. 3 hours later, my glutes are burning. Anyone want to rub a fat guy ass?
3 x 10 x 185
OHP
3 X 70
3 X 85
3 X 100 A new PR! I tend to lift these slow and could probably move much more if I “just did it.” I no longer tell people my shoulders are fucked, now I say, “I my shoulders used to be fucked.”
3 x 10 x 70
Facepulls 3 x 10 x 140
cable pulls downs, hinged at the hips 3 x 10 x 120

I like the more aggressive assistance BBB plan I have. Bringing the weight to 60ish+ % on these makes them more interesting and I think I am still gaining the intended benefit. Also, keeping rest periods to a minimum like the Tnation article that inspired this said.

It’s crazy to me to see your current lifts and comprare them to mine! Your squat is really solid compared to your other lifts! I mean, 335 squat vs my 225, 215 bench vs my 240, 95 OHP vs my 155.

What is utterly bizare about my lifts is that my squat is low (duh) but my deadlift is pretty high at 385. Think I should get to squat a ton more often!

Anyway, great log

[quote]jeanmich wrote:
It’s crazy to me to see your current lifts and comprare them to mine! Your squat is really solid compared to your other lifts! I mean, 335 squat vs my 225, 215 bench vs my 240, 95 OHP vs my 155.

What is utterly bizare about my lifts is that my squat is low (duh) but my deadlift is pretty high at 385. Think I should get to squat a ton more often!

Anyway, great log[/quote]
I frankly can’t see how your squat can be so low and your DL so high. Usually it is the opposite because people are not squatting to parallel, but they fail completely with DL’s because they actually have to move the weight. Probably, as someone else said you’re Romanian DL-ing, AKA, strong back, weak leg drive.

For the record, my new maxes
Bench 255 *
DL 345
OHP 120 *
Squat 345

Everyone has lifts they excel at and weaknesses. My bench/OH pressing has always lagged. I treat these lifts as rehab for 30+ years of abuse through judo, karate, wrestling, and BJJ. I would rather DL and Squat 3 times a week than have to press once, but I drive on.

*Calculated, however all my program percentages are based on these @ 90% (Wendler’s formula max @ 90%) and I have not missed a rep and normally exceed the last set.

20 minutes elliptical?I made a foolish judgment call, on one of the first truly hot days so far I wore cargo shorts that were fairly restrictive and heavy so I trudged through this 20 minutes
Bench
3x 165
3x 190
3+2x 210
4 x 10 x 185
Heavily assisted dips
3 x 10, 8, 6, I pushed harder than usual hear, the goal is to be able to do dips, without assistance.
?Cause everyone?s doing it Curls
3 x 8 x 80

My shoulders, chest, lats, traps, elbows, tri?s and even lower back from arching are toasted this morning. My shoulder-blades (really the area around them) are tender from being rolled into place. I got under the bar for bench so tight I swear the bar was bending toward me before I unracked it.

12 minutes on the bike?not a high energy day
DL
3 X 225
3 X 250
3+1 X 280
2 X 280
10 X 185 utterly gassed?personal distractions and the lack of headphones=no focus. Also, my triceps and elbows were still sore (I think I may have come close to hurting myself on dips) which I could feel on DL?s.
Cable rows
10 x 140
8 x 160
6 x 180
4 x 180
Back extensions 3 x failure

Cycle 4 week 3
20 minutes elliptical, couple 30 second sprints to clear out last night’s liquor.
Squats
5 x 235
3 x 275
1+2 x300 Still feeling unsteady with 225+ on my back, but getting used to it. As usual this felt light, especially coming out of the hole.
3 x 10 x 185–total drag
OHP
5 X 85
3 X 95
1 + 1 X 105 As sad as it might seem I think I found my max, at least after working sets. I have a major sticking point exactly half way from rack to lockout.
3 x 10 x 65
I wondered off the field of battle after this.

I think I am going to switch to DL’ing on Sunday and squatting on Thursday. My DL is lagging, (IMHO) I think because I am beat by Thursday and like last Thursday still recovering from Tuesday.

Holy crap! I had an epic tire failure in the only place on my homeward commute where there is nowhere to safely change a tire. I have a Jaguar XJR (big freak?n tires, about 75lbs each). I pulled over and changed a tire, stripped off my white $90 shirt (free gun show) with semi?s whipping by at 70 mph 1 foot away from my head. An often unnoticed feature of Jags, the tire jack/lug wrench is the best designed kit ever! Other than lifting the tire, an average person can change the tire one handed.

Elliptical 20 minutes?I think I used up some energy on the highway.
Bench
5 x 175
3 x 200
1 +2 x 225
3 x 8 x 185
Tri pushdowns
4 x 8, 120-180
Cable curls
4 x 8-5 100-160