Our Physical Fitness

[Scribe]

I've been doing 2 sets for most exercises (save for 1 set "finishers" for chest and back) for awhile now, and I've found something similar. One thing I might go back to for bench is having the first set be my "strength" set (4-6 rep range) and my second being a lighter and closer to failure set (8-10). For the last few months, I've just been doing both sets in the 6-10 rep range. It's...fine (?)...but I don't know that I'm making the same progress I have in the past.

I think this is a great idea, it felt better dropping a bit of weight on the peck dec for better control/form/reps, and I think I just needed a bit more reps to really work the muscle on the bench.

Legs today, I'm going to 20 plates on the press if my body holds up. I tweaked my abs/oblique, and I'm scared I may pop.

Feel better @Evaniel @Mannahnin !

 

[Scribe]

20 Plates, and no hernia! lol

11 Reps, so...we add 50 on Saturday.

I've also had an epiphany, my Monday/Friday Upper, is killing my RDL progress, I have no juice to hold the bar.

So I'll think on that. Otherwise everything up or better, we march onwards.

 

[Scribe]

Shoulder/Arms.

I get a pump, which I don't on Chest/Back, when I do this day. Because it's smaller muscles, easier to isolate? Maybe?

I don't know, was decent.

Day off tomorrow, as I consider my recovery rates and if I.can optimize this current plan better.

 

[Mannahnin]

Despite getting stuck working late and arriving nearly an hour after I meant to, and despite the parking lot being shrunk by snowbanks and having to circle around for nearly ten minutes to find an open spot, I DID get back in Wednesday night.

Smith barbell inclined bench: 115x5 (someone left 45s on the machine), 100x12, 100x11, 100x7; bonus heavier set, steady, up 2, down 3. Fine.

Hammerstrength overhead shoulder press: 45x9+3 (rest pause), 50x10, 50x10 +40x3; dropped 5 lbs but added the 3 rest pause reps, held steady, held steady.

Machine biceps curls 70x22, 70x14, 70x10; up two reps, down two, down EIGHT. Hrm. Possibly mostly from cutting the rests short, since I was in a hurry and running late for D&D.

 

[Evaniel]

Despite getting stuck working late and arriving nearly an hour after I meant to, and despite the parking lot being shrunk by snowbanks and having to circle around for nearly ten minutes to find an open spot, I DID get back in Wednesday night.

Smith barbell inclined bench: 115x5 (someone left 45s on the machine), 100x12, 100x11, 100x7; bonus heavier set, steady, up 2, down 3. Fine.

Hammerstrength overhead shoulder press: 45x9+3 (rest pause), 50x10, 50x10 +40x3; dropped 5 lbs but added the 3 rest pause reps, held steady, held steady.

Machine biceps curls 70x22, 70x14, 70x10; up two reps, down two, down EIGHT. Hrm. Possibly mostly from cutting the rests short, since I was in a hurry and running late for D&D.

You apparently tagged me out once you recovered from being sick; I've been home sick with a cough and throat thing. DO IT FOR ME!

 

[Mannahnin]

You apparently tagged me out once you recovered from being sick; I've been home sick with a cough and throat thing. DO IT FOR ME!

I've STILL got a little nagging cough and congestion. It's been literally a month!

Sorry man, I hope you feel better soon.

 

[Scribe]

192.6 with poor food today.

Upper - Smashed myself. I went harder on Shoulders on Wednesday, and I think I was still feeling it. In fact now that I think on it, I also hit Triceps more, and I dont think I recovered fully.

Having a hard time typing this lol.

Curl - Still improving.
Pull - Meh.
Bench - I was low juice today. 1 less rep, but cleaner reps...so its a wash.
Dips - 9.
Pull Ups - Fine.
Pull Downs - 9 x 180.
Cable Pull - 8 x 215 (+5 lbs)
Pec Deck - +5lbs, 8 reps. Going to stay there for a bit.
BBoR - 185 x 8 - Felt better, no cheating so improving.
Incline Bench - This one...I think like Bench and Pec Deck, I'm going to drop a bit of weight and improve the reps.
Incline Dumbbell - 95s x 8 - I need help loading them up, its a lot on my elbow. I have no problem pushing the weight though.
Delt Flys - 30s. I was sucking wind at this point.
Shrugs - 80s. I dont know if I'm just too tired, spent, but not feeling this.
Cable Side Delt - 20 x 10 each arm.
Tricep Extension Overhead - Did this on Wednesday too, and felt it, so tried again...but it was way late and I was done.

So this was my last 'Upper' before I start cutting calories down. Since I have Sat/Sun sleep in, I also pushed it real hard today, my wife actually laughed when I took off my coat. "What are you doing, you have gotten so much bigger."

Post pump and all that, but this has been working thats for sure.

Legs tomorrow, and then diet starting Sunday.

 

[Scribe]

Legs.

Everything good, 1100 leg press for 12. Closest to a "Now you throw up or pass out." I've had in a long time.

Now it's recovery time, renovation, and tomorrow we start the diet.

I'll likely post some self indulging thoughts on the last 2 months later in terms of my rotation, exercise and reps.

 

[Scribe]

The Leg day completely wrecked me. I ran a few errands after, got home, ate/drank, shower, and slept for an hour. Everything is sore now.

So, what did I learn over the last 1.5-2 months of this Warm up and 1 set approach?

1. Different muscles need different reps.

Quads? Higher reps. Just the way it seems to be. Hamstrings? Less. Chest? A bit more, Delts? A lot more. I dont know if this is just my body/development but there is no way its strict 'do 8-10 reps' across everything.

2. I really like the Friday/Saturday 'heavy heavy' days, as I can get that extra rest. The rotation of exercises/body parts seems to be eluding me so far though, at least as far as an 'ideal'.

3. Recovery times.

Legs? This is going to take at least 4 days to recover from, I know it. Chest? 3 days at least. Back? Well I'm really not happy with my back, it is suffering due to I think the chest/shoulder focus I've been going on but I'm not sure how to address it unless I modify quite a bit and have the week with 1 Leg workout, also focus on back? Something to think about.

4. My core chest exercises are great.

Bench, Dips (if this counts, its a weird one), Pec Deck, Incline Bench, Incline Press. Thats all it takes for me, and thats with the idea of 1 'work set' to failure. 5 sets, twice a week. I've increased strength/mass, every week for this period.

5. My core back exercises are not doing the job.

Pull Down, Cable Row, BoBR...I mean naughty word, when I put it out there like that, of course its not enough. 3 real sets, twice a week? Nope. That needs to change. I need to add single arm bent over dumbbell rows, and Pull Ups, real ones, not 'warm up the shoulder' ones. That gets me to 5 at least.

6. I'm leaving gains on the table.

Calves need to get work, forearms, traps/shoulders. Biceps. All of this stuff needs to get tightened up. I'm only doing some of this a few sets a week, not at all (forearms) or once, Arms. I try and sneak in some delts on Upper day, but its not really focused enough.

HMM.

I can think of some adjustments I'll make starting Monday. Next week is my 'week 2' so Upper/Arms/Legs to start the week.

7. Weight was up, fat was down.

I weighed 186 at the start of this program, Dec 22.
I weighed 192.5 on Monday.

6.5 pounds, over 5 weeks Monday to Monday.

Considering everything else has gone up too?