Oh yeah… the diet’s in full swing again. 🙂

The trend of “weaker” continues. Just couldn’t hit things like I did last week. But that’s to be expected. I think this week I’ve pretty much depleted any reserves I had of glycogen, water, other bloat, etc.. I’ve watched my weight every day (instead of the usual 2-times-per-week) and the loss trend is tapering, so the “easy weight” is gone and it should be “all tissue” from here out. I expect to be 240 on Sunday’s weigh-in.

Otherwise, things were generally fine. Sure I couldn’t hit the reps, but that’s ok. I don’t intend on modifying things much at this point… just go back in next week and see how things go.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

BB Rows

• 155 x 8
• 155 x 8
• 155 x 8
• 155 x 8
• 155 x 8

Meadows Shrugs

• 75e x 12
• 75e x 12
• 75e x 12
• 75e x 12
• 75e x 10

Wide, Neutral-grip Lat Pulldowns

• 130 x 10
• 130 x 10
• 130 x 10
• 130 x 8
• 130 x 8

Cable Row

• 85 x 12
• 85 x 12
• 85 x 12

BB Curls (350 method)

• 50 x 17
• 50 x 12
• 50 x 10

Strength decline? Check!

It’s no secret that if you go on a “loss” diet, that strength is going to decline. Sure enough, it seems to be happening. From the slower bench/squat/deadlift sessions, to today where I just couldn’t hit the reps. Worked as hard as I could, but it’s just not there.

Probably a combination of the restricted diet and the cessation of creatine supplementation.

But it’s all good. It’s just how it goes. Fat loss is the primary consideration.

That said, I did make some other changes. The big one? Reduction of reps along with increase in weight. Why? Simple… I hate ultra-high-rep work. 🙂 Plus, I don’t think I get as much out of it. Yes, it does really flush the area with blood, but that’s not always what I want. So, making some adjustments and we’ll see how it goes.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

Press

• bar x 5
• bar x 5
• 65 x 5
• 85 x 5
• 105 x 8
• 105 x 8
• 105 x 7
• 105 x 5

Bent Laterals

• 10e x 12
• 10e x 12
• 10e x 12
• 10e x 12
• 10e x 12

Upright Rows

• 70 x 12
• 70 x 12
• 70 x 12
• 70 x 12
• 70 x 11

Triceps Pressdowns

• 55 x 15
• 55 x 15
• 55 x 15
• 55 x 15

Good enough.

For sure, the tightening of the diet is affecting performance. Everything went fine, just not as explosive and fast… speed just wasn’t there today. Still, it was overall pretty solid and I’m good with it given all things.

I’m happy I went back to not using a belt. It’s really making me have to think about getting tighter throughout my whole body, especially the torso and upper back. Even tho the 275 was a little slow, it was solid and good. Tight tight tight. I will say then that going back to the belt is going to be different — technique is changing for sure.

Going up on the deadlift felt good too. I think before the end of the year I ought to try pulling conventional and see what happens.

Lunges were light, just because I’m trying to be good to my knee — I want to strengthen my knees, not make things worse. 🙂

Anyways, while the diet is obviously going to degrade performance some, that’s fine. My goal is the fat loss. But still, overall everything else is progressing too, just a lot slower. That’s fine, so long as I can meet the fat-loss goals, I’m good.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

• Squats (model 1)
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 160 x 5
  • 185 x 4
  • 220 x 3
  • 240 x 2
  • 275 x 1
  • 195 x 5
  • 195 x 5
  • 195 x 5
  • 195 x 5
  • 195 x 5
• Sump Deadlift (model 1)
  • 135 x 5
  • 225 x 5
  • 325 x 3
  • 325 x 3
  • 325 x 3
  • 325 x 3
  • 325 x 3
• Lunges
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10

Well, I knew the streak of awesome days had to end sometime. 🙂

Last week every day in the gym was awesome. Today? Not so much. I don’t think it was a bad day – it was still a solid day – just wasn’t the awesome roll from last week.

While of course I can’t say for certain why, I’m fairly confident it’s due to being back on the losing-diet train.

I have lost 5 lbs over the past week. I’m pretty sure most, if not all, of that is from non-tissue sources. Glycogen depletion, water loss, etc.. I mean, the diet is back to being really strict, restrictive on carb-based sources; cardio work is back up; I stopped taking creatine a couple weeks ago. I’m sure it all adds up.

So I just couldn’t crank out as many reps, things felt heavier and slower. It’s just how it goes, no biggie.

What will be more telling is how THIS week (and probably the week after) go. I’d like to be down to 235 by the end of the month/year, which would equate to 30# since August and I’d be happy with that. Still at least another 20# to go after that, but one pound at a time. So we’ll see how things go in the coming weeks.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

• Bench Press (model 2)
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 120 x 5
  • 135 x 4
  • 160 x 3
  • 175 x 2
  • 200 x 1
  • 210 x 1
  • 200 x 5
  • 200 x 5
  • 200 x 5
  • 175 x 5
  • 175 x 5
  • 175 x 5
  • 140 x 15 (AMRAP)
• Chest Dips (between benches)
  • BW x 7
  • BW x 7
  • BW x 7
  • BW x 7
• Incline Press (350 Method)
  • 90 x 20
  • 90 x 14
  • 90 x 12

What the hey… it’s been a solid week, let’s see how well it continues!

I figured I’ve bumped my weights up all week, might as well do the same here. Bumped the BB rows up to 155 and it actually felt more solid than prior weeks — a recurring theme this whole week. In fact, I haven’t felt the work in my back like this in a a while… just put the mind on the muscle and less on the bar, and sure enough after 5×8 rows I actually felt some work in my back muscles. Huzzah!

The Meadows Shrugs continue to have my grip as a weak point, but that’s fine — just get stronger, over time.

Bumped up the BB curls too, since there are ‘pre-made’ bars in 10# increments at the gym… didn’t feel like futzing with plates to get a 5# bump so hey… 10# bump and did alright. 🙂

All in all, a good week back on track.

I’ve already started to think about how I’m going to wind up 2014 and look into 2015. I think the only definitive things I can say at this point are:

1. continue on the fat-loss plan — until I get to where I want to be, this remains focus.
2. stick with Paul Carter’s approaches, Base Building as the core.
3. before the end of the year I’ll likely have another set of sessions where I work up to my everyday max.

The last one is curious to me. When I started on Base Building back in August (along with the fat-loss diet), I based my numbers off my true 1RM’s that I had just accomplished. Since then, my weights have gone up. Yeah it’s been a lot slower than if I was eating big and on a proper strength-building program, but still, things have gone up. So I can’t help but be a little curious about where I am now, despite this caloric deficit.

And I think about 2015 goals. For sure the fat loss is the primary focus, but I’m sure I’ll accomplish that before 2015 is over. So what then? I don’t think I need to make that decision now (first thing’s first). But I’m guessing the first thing will be going back to strength work, probably a Strong-15 cycle (and then, probably a short version) and seeing where my strength is. If my maxes are below my all-time bests, then I’ll probably want to work to get them back to that level, and just cruise along from there. And that works into my current “where am I now?” curiousity, because I can’t help but wonder how much I’ve lost, if anything… or even if maybe my 1RM increased.

Oh well. No big deal either way.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

BB Rows

• 155 x 8
• 155 x 8
• 155 x 8
• 155 x 8
• 155 x 8

Meadows Shrugs

• 75e x 12
• 75e x 12
• 75e x 12
• 75e x 10
• 75e x 10

Wide, Neutral-grip Lat Pulldowns

• 130 x 10
• 130 x 10
• 130 x 10
• 130 x 10
• 130 x 10

Seated Cable Rows

• 80 x 12
• 80 x 12
• 80 x 12

BB Curls (350 Method)

• 50 x 20
• 50 x 10
• 50 x 10

Today may be Thanksgiving, but really… nothing changes. Still go to the gym, still stick to the diet. Well ok… I’m allowed one “cheat” each week and while I normally don’t take advantage of it, today I will. No, not a gluttonous stuffing of my face with turkey and dressing; the t-day dinner will remain as close to the diet as I can make it while eating at someone else’s house. No… the cheat will a slice of Wife’s awesome apple pie, with the streusel topping, that she only makes at this time of year. 🙂

The thing is, I’m back on the official defattening diet after a month of maintenance. Sunday? I was 247. Today? 242. That’s a lot of weight to have dropped in 4 days. I’m not 100% sure why, but I expect it’s not anything “real”… just my body losing some bloat, glycogen, water, and whatever else from starting back on the diet. That’s my guess, and we’ll see how things go over the rest of this week and into the next.

But the flip side is that everything in the gym feels awesome. I mean, the prior bench, and squat/deadlift sessions went up in weight and still felt like I smashed things pretty good, especially compared to the prior couple of weeks. So I figured today, what the hey… and I bumped up the weight on the pressing by 5# and still did pretty damn good. Really, it was a good session all around.

So, I don’t know what to make of things, but here we are. As long as there’s progress towards my goals, that’s the main thing, even if I cannot fully isolate out the reasons from all the possible things going on.

In specifics… pressing was good. Again, keep tight, helps a great deal. Crush-grip the bar.

Bent Laterals are actually doing better for me. I’m not fretting over getting so tired from them and instead doing like Meadows does in his “rear delt destroyer”. That is, if I start to get tired, fine… just keep moving the weight. If it has to be a bounce/swing sort of thing, fine, so long as the muscles are being activated, really being put through their paces, and being worked. That’s the key. And today was a lot of that. It sure wasn’t a strict 5×20 session, but my rear delts haven’t felt this worked in a while. 🙂

And so, life goes on. One day at a time, progress is progress.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

Press

• bar x 5
• bar x 5
• 65 x 5
• 85 x 5
• 105 x 8
• 105 x 8
• 105 x 8
• 105 x 5/2/2 (rest pause)

Bent Laterals

• 8e x 20
• 8e x 20
• 8e x 20
• 8e x 20
• 8e x 20

Upright Rows

• 70 x 12
• 70 x 12
• 70 x 12
• 70 x 12
• 70 x 10

Triceps Pressdowns

• 45 x 25
• 45 x 25
• 45 x 25
• 45 x 12