Today starts a new training block. It’s a number of things all coming together nicely.

First, I achieved some goals. Second, to achieve those goals took a bit of focus and beating up of my body. Part of that is repetative stress, so getting some different movements for a bit will be good for me. Part of it then is that I ate pretty well to support my efforts, but then also some life matters had me eating more than I should have — I’m still dealing with stress eating.

So, it’s evident in my videos that I’ve been growing a gut, and I’m not happy about it. In fact, I think back to when I dropped 66 lb and am not happy that I’ve almost gained it all back over the past couple years. I expected a little gain, but not this much. Sigh. It’s all my own fault of course. It makes me think towards longer-term goals: that right now I want to still hit a 400# squat – and in doing so, should likely hit other milestones like 225 press (I’m at 210 omw), 315 bench (I’m at 300 now), etc.. But once I hit those goals? I could keep going, but I think it’d be a more interesting challenge to me to try to get ripped. Don’t know yet, thinking about it.

But for now, I’m going to take the next 6-8 weeks or so and have a hypocaloric diet and see about dropping as much flab as I can – hopefully at least 10 lb. It’s a good time to do so as if I stayed on 5/3/1 I’d be resetting anyways. And I might as well use this opportunity to do some different movements to help me touch on some weak points and also just some different movements to give my body a break. Oh, and lighter weights too!

So here we are.

My general approach is influenced by methodologies so far. Keeping some sort of major/strength lift, but a variation: high-bar squats, incline bench press, front squat, barbell row. It’s kinda a push/pull/legs approach, but not pure because I will do a little work on other days. For example, I’m calling today “leg EMPHASIS” since it’s mostly about legs but there’s a little bit of push and pull. This is something from Renaissance Periodization, trying to get my volume over the course of the week vs. just 1 day a week. Each day emphasizes something, but gets a little bit of other things in there too. It seemed to work well for me in the past.

I’m also throwing in hypertrophy methodologies. One big one? Trying to follow a 3-1-1-1 tempo for everything apart from the main movement. I can tell already from today it’s going to make it tough.

Finally, I want some sort of conditioning work. Things like prowler pushes, yoke walks, farmer’s walks, sandbag carries, sled drags, whatever. Something to add some work, because my work capacity sucks – and it should help a bit with the fat burn.

Anyways…

Today was ok. Good start to things. Keeping it “light and easy” since it’s the first week. Simply doing it will be enough for my body right now, then over the coming weeks things will scale up. I will have to adjust weights a little bit, but overall today was dialed in ok.

That 3-1-1-1 tempo really changes things. Gotta drop the weight, but still it burns, it burns!

Oh… the Prowler.

I forgot how evil that thing was. 🙂

2019Q1 Mini-Cut; Leg Emphasis 1

• High-bar Squat (5,4,3,2,1,AMRAP,50%)
  • bar x 10
  • 135 x 5
  • 185 x 4
  • 225 x 3
  • 275 x 2
  • 315 x 1
  • 225 x 10
  • 225 x 5
• Leg Press (feet low and narrow, 3-1-1-1 tempo)
  • 180 x 10
  • 270 x 10
  • 360 x 10
• Lying Leg Curls (350 Method, 3-1-1-1 tempo)
  • 35 x 20
  • 35 x 12
  • 35 x 9
• Seated DB Press (3-1-1-1 tempo)
  • 30e x 10
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 8
  • 50e x 5
• Incline DB Curl (3-1-1-1 tempo)
  • 15e x 12
  • 15e x 12
  • 15e x 12
• Conditioning
  • Prowler push
  • high handles
  • 90#
  • run to the end of the turf (about 30-35 yards), turn around, run back.
  • 1:30 rest
  • 3 times.