Greg's college log

i'm working at it!

squat
barx3
135x3
185x3
225x3
245x3
265x3
285x1

shoulder press
overhead press
45x3
55x3
65x3
75x3
85x3
95x3
105x3
Incline
105x3
115x3
125x3
135x3
145x3
155x3
Bench
155x3
165x3
175x3
185x3

chins
bw+55 3x5

deadlifts
135 2x1
225x1
275x1
315 2x1

took things easy today, taking tomorrow off, and killing it on thursday (at least that's the plan)!

another good day

OHP
up to 135x3 (PR for this type of training)
incline
up to 185x3 (another PR)
bench
speed reps up to 245x3
single at 275
315x4 (i had at least 2 more. i'd be confident saying my bench is in the 350-365 range)

squat
worked up to 315x3. nice as solid. smooth and easy. i've found my groove again, so after another week or so of playing around with bar placement, it'll be time to start squatting like i mean business again.

bent over row
205 3x5

squat
worked up to 275 for 3 paused singles
bench
worked up to 335. nice and smooth
pull
worked up to 205. 3 speed pulls conventional and 3 sumo
bent over rows
205 3x5

instead of just posting training, i think i'm going to start posting training and diet advice that hopefully can benefit someone. today i want to talk about diet some.

when i left for college, i weighed somewhere around 230. by thanksgiving break i was under 190. the whole process was very enlightening. a few things i found:

1. losing weight is NOT rocket science. there is no magic food or secret exercise program to boost your 29% to loose 20 pounds in 2 weeks. weight gain/loss is just a matter of calories in vs. calories out. there are two ways to go about figuring out how many calories to put into your body to lose weight.
a. log EVERYTHING you eat for a week, including serving sizes to get an accurate idea of calorie consumption during the week. compare your weight at the beginning and end of the week. if you ate 18000 calories and lost 1-2 pounds, you're probably on the right track. if you ate those 18000 calories and your weight stayed constant, cut your intake by about 5000 calories spread over the week to lose a pound or two a week (a pound is about 3500 calories). if you ate 25000 calories and gained a pound or two, cut your intake by about 7500, then evalute at the end of the next week to see if you held steady or lost a bit and then reevaluate from there. this method takes a little more effort for a week, but is probably the most accurate way to get an idea of your metabolic rate for setting up your diet.
b. take your bodyweight and multiply it by 12-13. that will give you a pretty good idea of how many calories to shoot for per day. this method is a lot easier, but not quite as accurate. after a week hitting this calorie goal, evaluate. are you losing too much weight, or are you not losing any at all? if you lost a pound or 2, keep eating at this level until you stop making progress. if not, bump calories up or down a little to meet your needs.

2. nutrient composition. shoot to get about 40% of your calories from protein. or, eat about 1.25 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. either method will put you at about the same protein intake. the other 60 percent should come from carbs and fat. on workout days, shoot for about 40% protein, 40-50% carbs, and 10-20% fat. on off days, avoid carbs as much as possible. doing so will improve insulin sensitivity, improve your odds of using fat as the primary fuel source on off days, and keep energy levels high on workout days. these ratios will help preserve muscle despite a calorie deficit.

3. lift heavy. when i started dieting, i did a ton of high rep bodyweight stuff and cardio. i lost weight fast, but my body composition didn't change much. i cut back on the cardio and started lifting heavy (in the 3-5 rep range on main movements and 6-8 rep range on assistance stuff). did i gain 15 pounds of muscle while getting super shredded? no, and unless you're untrained or a genetic freak, anyone who promises you results like that is lying to you. but i stopped shedding muscle, actually gained a little strength back, and started looking each week because i wasn't metabolizing muscle to fuel stupid training. IF YOU ARE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT AND HAVE A CALORIE DEFICIT, YOU CANNOT TRAIN AS IF YOU'RE TRYING TO MOVE UP A WEIGHT CLASS. good guideline: 1 big movement for 3-4 sets of 3-5 reps. 2-3 assistance movements for 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps. 3 training sessions per week. you're not going to build any or hardly any new mass. you don't need to do a ton of work to keep the muscle you have. doing too much work could actually hurt you because your recovery will be compromised.

4. DONT TRY TO LOSE TOO MUCH TOO QUICK. you will stall. then, when you get on a more reasonable diet, it'll be harder to make progress because you threw your metabolism out of whack. that's what i did. it's really frustrating. don't freak out if you don't lose any weight one week or actually gain a pound or two. tons of things affect bodyweight, not just fat and muscle. glycogen levels and water retention can alter bodyweight as much as 10-15 pounds. that's why people who go strict low carb can lose 10 pounds the first week easily. if you've been making steady, reasonable progress, don't worry about readjusting unless your progress stalls for 2-3 weeks. in that case, make small changes, not drastic ones.

5. looking at caloric intake on a weekly basis can help you make progress faster than looking at it on a daily basis. if you determine you need to eat 14000 calories a week to lose weight, instead of splitting that up 2000 per day over 7 days, instead think about eating 2400 calories on workout days and 1700 on off days (assuming you're training 3 days a week). some interesting research shows that doing so can provide a small metabolic boost, help maintain tougher workouts, preserve muscle, and increase fat burning on off days. it worked for me. as i stated initially, losing weight is about consuming less than you're using, so employing this will NOT make or break a diet, but it may improve results slightly.

6. eat big occasionally. call it a refeed, a cheat meal, or whatever you'd like. don't just go crazy. 100ish grams of protein and 300-400 grams of carbs is probably ideal, but it's not TOO big of an issue what the nutrient composition looks like as long as you get plenty of carbs. doing so will keep leptin levels from dropping too far. leptin is a regulatory hormone which affects pretty much all aspects of hunger and weight loss. if you diet too long without eating big on occasion, leptin will drop and progress will slow. if you have a lot of fat to lose, you probably will only need a refeed every month or so, but the leaner you get the more often you'll need one. for most people, once every 10-14 days is plenty. takeaway message: if your diet is set up pretty well and progress stalls, before cutting calories more, see if a big meal gives you the boost you need. only cut calories if it doesn't. dieting isn't about how few calories you can eat. it's about how MANY you can eat to preserve muscle while still making progress.

squat
worked up to 405x2, then dropped back to 365x3
bench
185 5x3
deadlift
215 3x3 conventional and sumo (6 sets total)
bent over rows
215 3x5
curls
not worth mentioning

great day today! only wanted 405x1 squatting. i squat low bar when i go heavy, and end up close to parallel to the floor when i'm in the hole. my spotter had never seen me squat before and thought i was falling forward so he grabbed me in the hole on my first rep. i told him not to touch me (politely) unless i asked for it, and dunked another one on my own for good measure. i only wanted 1, but i wanted 1 on my own. i felt good for about 5, but i wasn't looking for any grinders. bench is feeling mechanical again, which is good. the motor pattern has finally ingrained itself in my brain once more. inclines felt really good, which is usually a good sign and means my shoulders are fresh and ready for some big benching tomorrow (looking for 345x1 or so). deadlifts were light (obviously), but form feels dialed in, even after squatting heavy. this is the most i've rowed in a while, and it felt good. curls are lame but they keep my elbows from getting hurt.

thanks joebear!

squat
worked up to 225 5x3
bench
worked up to 345x1 (kind of), 295x3
deadlift
185 for 6 singles
pulldowns
2 light sets, high reps
curls
light and pumptastic

i wasn't a fan of this workout while it was in progress, but looking back on it things went alright. i played basketball last night pretty hard, so my left elbow, left hip, and right shoulder didn't feel great today, and i didn't sleep a ton. i was also down about 3 pounds, and everything felt solid, but not fast. the squats were high bar and really deep, and they helped open up my hips a lot. bench felt good, but i had another over-zealous spotter. i know i'd have hammered the weight, but before the bar even touched my chest he had his hands on it. he claimed that you were supposed to keep you hands on the bar when you spot a benchpress. i wasn't happy, but i guess annoyingly safe spotters are better than negligent ones. deadlifts were light because i'm hoping to pull 435-450 tomorrow depending on how i feel, so i just pulled until everything was clicking right and then stopped before i fatigued any. i did light pulldowns instead of pullups today because of my elbow. when it gets like this, if i don't address it early it can nag me, but as of now if feels alright. contrast shower, stretch, and a good solid night of sleep tonight and a better day in the gym tomorrow!

merry christmas!

squats
worked up to 405x1, 315x5
OHP
worked up to 155x5
rows
225 3x5
sumo pull
275 3x3
chins and dips superset
3 sets with varying weight and reps

i got a new chin/dip belt for christmas! actually it's an army supply belt, but it's heavier duty and cheaper than a chin/dip belt, so it's what i told santa to get me.

Day 2

squat
225 6x3

bench
worked up to 355x1 (nice and smooth. better than my previous 345)
dropped back to 255x15

deadlift
225 8x1

pullovers
sets of 10, moving up 10 pounds each set from 30 to 90, then 100x6


tonight was undoubtedly a good night. i did more volume than i planned, but it was definitely a positive. another guy my age was benching with me tonight. he's a strong guy, but he has major mental barriers when it comes to lifting, so i scrapped the plan a bit to teach him a lesson. he can't bench 3 plates, even though he totally dominates 295. he sets up differently and lowers the bar so slowly when he tries for it. it's obvious he's scared. so he missed it twice tonight, and then he moved on to some back work. i jumped in with him, and started a conversation. i grabbed the dumbbell, got a set, and then handed them to him before he had a chance to see how much weight we were using. lo and behold, he ended up doing 10 reps with 15 more pounds than he had previously maxed for 1! he was astounded. i pointed out to him that he didn't get that much stronger in a week, and the only reason he didn't do that much weight last week was because he told himself he couldn't. he looked me in the eye and said "i'm strong enough to bench 315." i said "i know you are." then he loaded the bar back up and smoked it for a triple. made me happy

WHEW! feeling the reps from yesterday! still managed a solid deadlift session though

squat
light, fast, just as a general warmup

deadlift
worked up to 405x3

bench
some triples and singles at 185, just to get the blood moving

barbell holds
225 3x30 seconds

light curls

light pulldowns


my traps, lats, tris, chest and front delts were all killing my from yesterday! first time i'd gone over 5 reps with any appreciable amount of weight on any exercise since being back. my deadlifts just didn't have the pop they usually do, which i guess makes sense considering how my traps and lats were feeling. instead of working up to a heavy single, i decided to drop back and hit a solid triple to give things a bit of a break and work my grip a little more. my benches were suprisingly good too. i was really sore and tight, but the movement still felt mechanical and everything moved fast. overall it was a good day!

chancey: i wish, but he's shipping off for basic training in 2 weeks

tonight, i feel like writing a little article about training. these are basically the things i feel are essential in a routine, regardless of purpose/goals.

1. progression. typically this has to do with increasing weight/reps/volume/etc. i don't care if you're a powerlifter looking to hit a PR single, a bodybuilder trying to increase strength in the 8-12 rep range, a marathoner trying to shave off another few minutes, or rehabbing a bicep tear moving up from the little pink dumbbells to the little red ones. your idea of progression has to be in line with your goals. a bodybuilder 2 weeks out from a show view progression as losing a bit more body fat, not increasing his 1rm deadlift. without the concept of progression though, you have no reason to be training in the first place. have an idea of what "better" is, and work to get there.

2. have a goal/goals. this ties in with number 1, but without progressing towards a goal, it's more of a dream or a fantasy. know what the goal make it specific, and state it positively. don't say "i want to squat more" or "i want to lose some weight." say "i am GOING to squat 400 pounds" or "i'm WILL get to 10% bodyfat." never have more than 2 goals, and never make them contradictory. lets say you want to squat 30 pounds more and become 45% more crazy, so you decide to do the smolov squat cycle . don't expect to add 20 pounds to your bench and lose 15 pounds in the process. you're going to have to eat a ton of food to recover and put your bench and deadlift progress on hold for a while. also, don't say you'll increase your bench 20 pounds while training for a marathon. those goals are contradictory. i personally prefer ONE goal you can really dedicate yourself too, but 2 is a concession i'm willing to make. don't try to go in 30 different directions or you'll either burn out or go nowhere. don't take this point to mean i think you should focus all your energies in life towards only one thing. i'm talking about training here. you can improve in other areas of your life as well, obviously. but when it comes to the time you spend in the gym, narrow your focus.

3. have a plan. some people like imposing order on everything, some people like a general framework with room for chaos. pick one or the other. neither approach is perfect, but both are better than just doing what you feel like when you go to the gym. that is, if you have steps 1 and 2 in line.

4. work hard. if it's worth it to you, put in the effort. enough said.

5. recover harder! this is the biggest pitfall most people have. eat, sleep, active recovery, contrast showers, massage, foam rolling, stretching, etc. if you want to progress towards your goals, you HAVE TO recover more than you tear you body down training (supercompensation). if you discovered the holy grail of weight training, but ate 1500 calories below maintenance every day slept 2 hours a night, you wouldn't make progress. period.

6. learn. people know things you don't. you may be a newbie that can learn a ton about training from everyone in the gym/on the forum, or you may be a veteran who's spent 30 years under the bar, but you don't know everything. you may learn how to stay healthy and consistent from the guy who's 70 and still lifting 3 times a week, or get tips from the lady who puts in obscene amounts of time doing cardio on how to avoid dying from boredom on a treadmill. pick your sources wisely. if someone can't max your warmup and tries to give you squat advice, consider what he says, but don't automatically accept his pointers as the paramount of squat tips. if someone is bigger, stronger, more experienced, has a proven track record of getting results, and is just generally more awesome in the gym than you, listen hard to what they have to say. seek knowledge actively. if your bench is stalling and you see someone with more weight on the bar every week, ask them what they're doing. read articles form reputable sources. discern when someone trying to educate you or just sell you something. ALWAYS compare what someone says with what works.

7. stay grounded. this idea has broad applications. don't jump around to different programs every 3 weeks. don't change goals all the time. don't put your faith in ideas that are totally ridiculous. you know what works for you, don't stray too far from it. don't run with every new fad in the fitness industry. realize that new and truly revolutionary ideas and developments are rare. our bodies are essentially identical to the bodies of men from 2000 years ago. if something sounds too far from methods that have always worked and always will work, be wary.

some vids from today:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOggF7-1WKU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBIWrVR8aJ0

bench
worked up to 335
dropped back to 225x12, 205x8,7 (rep strength is terrible)

DB incline
60s 3x6 with stretch and flex

dips
3x12

high rep triceps extensions and flies

grip stuff. using a fat bar makes wrist curls slightly less gay and a lot more effective.


hammy feels better than i thought it would. i'm going to play it safe, but i may be under some weight as early as next week. but still just rehabbing it for now.