Destroy:Erase:Improve -- PBs Training Journal

[Protobuilder]

Volume Week 1, Sat. (workout 3)

Squats

warmups
5x155 (roughly 80%; moderately difficult . . . god I suck . . . I jogged yesterday, maybe i'll jsut drop jogging this cycle and do incline walk instead like a curves gal)

Flat Bench

5x5x140 (80%; easy)

Rows

5x140 (80%; easy)
15x115 backoff

Deads (WTF?) // Skulls

5x5x205 // 3x10x75

I'm scared that I'll lose DL strength not getting back to higher intensities real soon so figured I'd do 'em today since the rest of the workout was easy. This is the first cycle w/ 5x5 at set weight on deads so figured I'd get an early start. They're time consuming so I don't know how often I'll be able to do 'em during the week on top of 5x5 push press & 5x5 front squat . . . it's hard to superset any of those exercises, which I usually do due to time constraints.

 

[BiggT]

You should stop being a Curves girl, at damn near 6' tall, you're light enough. cardio for heart health is great, and ideally should be done in some form.....but as far as bodyfat, you need to add more nice, calorically expensive muscle and recomp now....getting any lighter by reduced cals and long, slow cardio will give you the physique/bodycomp of a marathon runner, which is not good at all, lol.

We should set a long-term goal of 185 at no more than 14%. That is beyond do-able.

 

[Protobuilder]

Sounds like a plan. I'm not interested in staying in the 150s, believe me. I'm currently 158-60 @ 13%. So, I need 25 pounds of LBM . . . but dunno' about the 14% business. LoL I'm guessing I'll need to go above 14 to get 25 lbs. of LBM. I'll keep my diet reasonable & use cardio to tweak fat as necessary. I'd rather do the cardio and eat more, although I'll keep an eye on it in regards to leg strength.

So, now that my cut if officially over, I maintained last week and will probably try to maintain this week as well and then start moving the calories upward. I don't think I"m gonna' go nuts calorie-wise . . . or maybe I should, and maybe do 2-3 weeks hard eatin' followed by 1-2 weeks moderate or something (got that from tweakle, I believe). Hell, I don't know. I do know that I can get fat pretty easily though. LoL I've never bulked while doing cardio though, so maybe I can eat like a horse and keep my cardio going and see what happens body comp wise. These are all lessons you've gotta' learn w/ experience, I guess. Looking forward to it . . .

 

[anotherbutters]

Like I said, work out some kind of plan and stick to it. The plan might be as simple as wanting to gain 7-8lbs in 10 weeks. Work out your target weight 10 weeks from now and write it down. It doesn't matter if you gain the same amount each week or more in some weeks and less in others.

I hate micro-managing things, but having a plan will stop you from losing track over time and gaining too quickly.

 

[Protobuilder]

Thanks, AB. I figure a pound every week or two is a reasoanble goal, and I'll just plan on bulking while I load, checking my waist/fat and then going from there. So, short term goal, a pound every week or so.

Volume Week 1, Sun. (workout 4 . . . had time so why not)

OH lockouts/partials/stand there holding weight

95, 115, 135, several at 155 (working on stability, getting used to stable lockout at heavier weights using delts + traps + core)

Front squats

10x95
10x95

Chins

5xBW, 10, 20, 20, 20

Did an easy 2 mi. run this AM, came home & did the above just for kicks. I need to work on overhead stability so figure I'll play around w/ rack lockouts.

 

[nelmsjer]

1 lb. per week is your friend. 2.5 lbs per week is not. Trust me.

 

[Protobuilder]

Volume Week 2 (90%), Tues. (workout 1)

Squats // Pullups

5x5x145 (85%) // 2x6x5lbs. . . . 2x8x5lbs
1x185 // 2x5x10lbs.
12x115 (backoff)
10x115 (backoff)

Bench

5x162.5 (90%)
5x3x160
10x115 (backoff)

Rows

12x135 (my version of bi's & rear delt work)

Shrugs

2x10x295 (rt. lat still very tight . . . postural issues from my F'ing desk job)

Alright, 5x5 squats at 85% are difficult. WTF? I thought the whole 'deload' thing was supposed to make me bounce back stronger & refreshed . . . I was eeking out 5x5@175 before, and now 5x5@145 doesn't feel "easy." I got the reps OK, but it's not like 25 smooth reps, one right after the other. This deload stuff is new territory for me so I'm not sure what to expect. I'm wondering if maybe I lose strength easily or something . . . . maybe I need to stay working at 90% week after week or something. I dunno . . .

BTW, I'm eating more like a man again. LoL

 

[BiggT]

The people at CURVES will not be happy with your recent calorie increase.

85% of a 5 rep max for all 5 sets of 5 is no joke, if you used 70-75%, you'd probably smoke all 5 sets. If I was gonna deload with 85%, I'd make the set of 5 at 85% my last set of a ramp, instead of doing all 25 reps with it. Still, as long as you're doing less total work this week than the loading weeks, the fatigue should disappear. Just keep track of the total workload, backoff sets probably aren't the best idea for a deload as they 'quietly' add some nice tonnage when you add them up.

 

[Protobuilder]

Thanks bud. 5x5@145 is 80% of my 5x5RM, not 1x5, so I'm a bit surprised that the reps weren't "easy." I'm done w/ my deload now, and am in week 2 of my volume phase. Next week, I'm supposed to do 5x5@175 w/ squats but shit . . . 145 wasn't even "easy." WTF?

 

[BiggT]

When is your next workout? If this week was significantly less total work, and you've got 2-3 days to continue letting the fatigue fade and you don't do anything crazy like run a couple of 7 minute miles during the next few days, then I'd bet on you feeling pretty good for the 5x5 @ 175 next week.