First lower body day of the new templates.

I needed to dial things in a bit more here, especially due to new equipment. But I think overall the session went ok.

Still aiming to stop “3 from failure” at this point. The weights are light, but it’s deceptive because this isn’t really about weight on the bar.

I will say that high-bar squats are SO different. Bar resting atop the traps. Feet/stance narrow (shoulder-width), pointing almost forward. Very different body mechanics and path.

Plus, everything is paused and/or squeezed at the peak of the movement. No momentum, all emphasis on using the particular muscle(s) to make things move. That really changes things. Not just how things get worked, but also a mental shift that I have to keep reminding myself to do. 🙂

As a note: when I put weight on the leg press sled, I notate it like it was weight on a bar. So if I put 1 45# plate on each side, I note it as 135 — but of course, that’s not really how much is being moved, because that depends upon the angle of the sled, the weight of the sled itself, etc. But it’s the easiest way to stay consistent with plate math. 🙂

Calves. Man, such tightness. Much stretch! I know from past experience to NOT overdo it here, else I’ll be unable to walk for the next week.

All in all, alright. I’m still excited about this new approach. Very curious to see where it goes.

For example, throwing in the pushdowns and the high-inclines at the end. It’s not a lot of work there, but this is all around frequency over the course of the week. It’s not exactly what I’m used to. How will my body respond? Hopefully positively. 🙂

RP Physique, Mesocycle 1, Week 1

• High Bar Squat
  • bar x 10
  • 135 x 10
  • 165 x 5
  • 190 x 10
  • 190 x 8
  • 190 x 7
• Leg Press
  • sled x 10
  • 135 x 10
  • 225 x 5
  • 310 x 14
  • 310 x 14
  • 310 x 12
• Seated Leg Curl
  • 60 x 20 (WAY to0 easy)
  • 75 x 12
  • 75 x 12
• Calves on Leg Press
  • 70 x 12
  • 70 x 12
  • 70 x 12
  • 70 x 12
  • 70 x 12
  • 70 x 12
• Cable Tricep Pushdown
  • 20 x 10
  • 40 x 5
  • 60 x 20 (too light, counting as another warm-up)
  • 80 x 20
  • 80 x 15
  • 80 x 15
• High Incline Dumbbell Press
  • 45e x 16
  • 45e x 14
  • 45e x 14

I guess I’m excited for the next 15-ish weeks as I start on a very different program – because all weekend long my dreams were about the gym. ZMA makes for funky dreams. 🙂

I’m starting on 2 things today:

1. Renaissance Periodization Diet Template
2. Renaissance Periodization Physique Template

The diet goal is to shed 10-20 pounds (hopefully closer to 20) over the next 12-ish weeks. Following a fat-loss template from RP, and striving for a few things this time around:

• More front-end meal-prep, to make it easier to get meals in.
• Letting the earlier weeks be more tasty, saving the bland for the later weeks when it’ll be difficult anyways. Thinking here is if I’m eating chicken for 12 weeks, I’m going to quickly be miserable and then the later weeks will be really miserable. So up front, when I could have slightly fattier foods, have those now, like lean beef. That way when the templates basically force me to have to eat really lean and clean, then maybe I won’t be totally sick of the foods yet and there’ll be some novelty to get me through. We’ll see if this works.
• Don’t worry about strength loss — focus on fat loss (and muscle retention).
• Enjoy the process of becoming lighter and leaner (h/t to Shelby Starnes).

And so my gym work is going to be based on the RP Physique Templates. I picked the 4-day, full-body approach, on the novice/intermediate level. I debated if I should have done novice/intermediate vs. advanced, because their criteria was benching 225 for 10 reps — which I can do — so maybe I should have gone for the advanced template. But sometimes when doing something totally new it’s good to start from the beginning to see what you can learn. So here I am.

Of course, today was totally light and easy. It’s the first day of the cycle, where it’s about starting and getting acclimated. So the workload really wasn’t that tough, and it’s not supposed to be.

That said, there was some new stuff to get used to.

First, right now I have to stop about 3 reps from failure. That’s not something I’m used to. I really wanted to keep going, but I had to cut it off when I felt I got to that point. That was novel.

Second, they provide videos to show how you should execute the movements, and some of it was different enough. Like all the bench pressing was more bodybuilder style, with upper arms more perpendicular to the torso. The BB Rows came to the bellybutton, which I normally don’t do (more upper-abdomen), but wow what a difference in the lats engagement. And everything is with a pause to eliminate momentum. Really changes things, and was tough for me to focus on. So of course, this is why you gotta start really light and easy — you gotta get used to everything new. 🙂

I expect the coming weeks will adjust up to being rather difficult. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.

RP Physique, Mesocycle 1, Week 1

• Incline Wide Grip Bench Press
  • bar x 10
  • 95 x 10
  • 135 x 5
  • 165 x 10
  • 165 x 8
  • 165 x 6
• Incline Dumbbell Flye
  • 20e x 20 (too easy)
  • 25e x 20 (too easy)
  • 30e x 13
• Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
  • 80e x 10
  • 80e x 8
• Barbell Bent Over Row
  • bar x 10
  • 95 x 10
  • 115 x 5
  • 130 x 12
  • 130 x 10
  • 130 x 8
• Normal Grip Pulldown
  • 100 x 12
  • 100 x 12
  • 100 x 10
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
  • 20e x 13
  • 20e x 10
  • 20e x 9
• Slant Board Sit-up
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10

Another day of empty gym. But January will be here soon enough…

And probably my last “arm day” for a while. Details forthcoming.

Arm day has been interesting. I think it actually played a part in helping my arm pain go away, because I think some dedicated biceps work played a part, especially making sure to initiate the movement with the biceps muscle ONLY, full range of motion, and letting those tendons feel some strain. But I also think the arm days, especially the triceps work, has contributed to my elbows being a little unhappy. So, some good things to take from it, but moving away from a dedicated day I think will be good for me.

We’ll see. 🙂

Opted to reduce my work-up on close-grips. Instead of 8-3, I did 5-1. And instead of skull crushers I did standing french presses, moderate weight.

Anyways, fine time. Looking forward to what’s next. Again, details forthcoming.

• EZ-Bar BB Curls (elbows in, wider grip)
  • 25 x 10
  • 45 x 10
  • 65 x 10
  • 65 x 10
  • 65 x 10
  • 65 x 10
  • 65 x 10
• Close-Grip Bench
  • bar x 10
  • 145 x 5
  • 165 x 4
  • 185 x 3
  • 205 x 2
  • 235 x 1
  • 255 x 1
  • 225 x 10 (AMRAP)
  • 225 x 5 (50%)
• Cross-Body Hammer Curls
  • 35e x 12
  • 35e x 12
  • 35e x 10
• Standing French Press
  • 85 x 12
  • 85 x 12
  • 85 x 12
• Cable Curl (hold/sqeeze at top)
  • 50 x 40
  • 50 x 30
  • 50 x 25
• Rope Pressdowns (First 20, twist out hands at bottom; remainder straight hands pushed to failure)
  • 65 x 40
  • 65 x 28
  • 65 x 22

Happiness is a totally empty gym. Because Thanksgiving. But I betcha tomorrow morning, it’ll be packed as everyone pretends to work off their turkey bloat. 😉

Pretty solid day, with quality work done. That weird back pain I felt earlier this week is still around but almost gone. I figured to take today as it came — if there was pain, stop; else continue on because I reckon increasing blood flow to the area would be helpful. Things felt great.

I did not do any Farmer’s Walks today tho, but only because I had to get home to get the turkey on the smoker. 🙂 But when it comes to Farmer’s, I’m thinking about backing off a bit. That is, putting 25’s on the girders becomes heavy day and empty girders is light day. From there, work to increase — walking faster, longer distance (e.g. instead of 1 40 yard trip, make it 40 down, turn, then 40 back), more trips overall, etc.. I may have been too aggressive in how I started.

Anyways, good day.

Looking forward to the carb bloat from today. 😉

And yes, I’m thankful for my good health, the ability to afford a gym, to have a good gym, to be able to eat well, etc.. I know I’m blessed and fortunate.

• Face Pulls
  • 65 x 25
  • 65 x 25
• Barbell Rows
  • 95 x 8
  • 115 x 8
  • 135 x 8
  • 165 x 8
  • 165 x 8
  • 165 x 8
  • 165 x 8
  • 165 x 8
• BB Shrugs
  • 185 x 20
  • 185 x 20
  • 185 x 15
  • 185 x 15
• Cable Row (close, fat grips)
  • 165 x 12
  • 165 x 12
  • 165 x 10
• Wide, Pronated-grip Pulldowns
  • 120 x 12
  • 120 x 10
  • 120 x 9

Did NOT go to the gym today. Why? Pain. Why? Farmer’s walks. 🙂

Yesterday afternoon I felt this crazy pain laterally across my mid-back. It didn’t happen normally, but say trying to get up from lying down, curling the torso up, and oh geez!! It’s not much better this morning. I opted to NOT go to the gym, because today is squats and deadlifts, and a back in pain does not go well.

The more I think about it tho? I am pretty sure I know what caused it.

The Farmer’s Walks. 🙂

My lats are feeling DOMS like I’ve never felt before. This is truly a new sensation, and I’m actually fascinated by it.

Now, I can’t say for 100% sure it’s simply DOMS and the Farmer’s Walks did it, but right now all signs point in that direction. And so, going to the gym and doing a light squat and deadlift session probably would have been good for me. However, I don’t know for certain and I’d rather not risk anything. I’ll see how today goes. Who knows, maybe I’ll go squat tomorrow morning.

But really, this just furthers my appreciation for Farmer’s Walks.

While sometimes I have my doubts if Basebuilding actually is productive for me, I can say I’m feeling better.

There’s a lot of work going on, but the intensity is reduced. My legs aren’t feeling as beat up, my body overall isn’t feeling as beat up. But yet, there is still progress. The bench work sets today moved VERY fast all the way through to the last rep, which is a great sign of progress. I’m tempted to bump up 10# for next week, but I don’t know. One thing I noticed today was I’m finding technique with the new equipment and all the time away from benching, which is great. But I did notice with my leg drive my butt did lose contact with the bench. I’m thinking I may stay here and just keep working on technique, like trying to put my feet further back to see if I can still get drive and keep my butt on the bench. The “curling your legs/feet back towards your head” technique has NOT been ideal for me, but the new gym’s benches are a little higher than the old gym’s, so it could probably work.

Bottom line: stay here, focus on technique, which will have a bigger pay off long-term.

Anyways, progress is small, but still progress. And I’m not feeling as beat up. So… win!

Farmer’s walks today too. I am going to try light and heavy days to see how that goes. Today would be light. I think I’m in a good place, so now it’s just working with this setup to get up to 10 runs, and then doing it faster.

• Bench Press
  • bar x 5
  • 135 x 5
  • 165 x 4
  • 195 x 3
  • 225 x 2
  • 245 x 1
  • 195 x 8
  • 195 x 8
  • 195 x 8
  • 195 x 8
  • 195 x 8
• DB Incline Bench Press (350 Method)
  • 50e x 25
  • 50e x 16
  • 50e x 14
• Press
  • 115 x 10
  • 115 x 10
  • 115 x 6
• DB Lateral Raise
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 7
• Farmer’s Walk
  • outside
  • girders (75# each), added 25# plate to each end – 125# total each hand
  • 40 yards
  • 8 trips

Bottom line: had to make it a short one because of an early morning appointment. But I’ll be curious if doing less will equate to gaining more.

In other news, I’m thinking about doing a formal defattening again. In the past when I did it, I might do some meal prep, but I’m thinking this time about doing a formal meal prep. Like Sunday spends 2-3 hours cooking ALL my meals for the week and truly every meal I eat comes out of a plastic container. This way I can be meticulous about my macros, and if it doesn’t come out of one of those containers (or whey powder), then I don’t eat it.

My trouble is figuring out what will be the best gym approach to help support this. It will have to be a hypertrophy focus for sure, to fight to retain as much muscle mass. Part of my debate is if I want to try Renaissance Periodization again, both food templates AND maybe then lifting templates too to help support it all. Don’t know.

This is what I’ll be pondering on over the coming days, planning it out. I really would like to see if I could drop 20 pounds in 12 weeks or so.

• EZ-Bar BB Curls (elbows in, wider grip)
  • 25 x 10
  • 45 x 10
  • 65 x 10
  • 65 x 10
  • 65 x 10
  • 65 x 10
  • 65 x 9
• Close-Grip Bench
  • bar x 10
  • 145 x 8
  • 165 x 7
  • 185 x 6
  • 205 x 5
  • 235 x 4
  • 255 x 3
  • 225 x 8 (AMRAP)
  • 225 x 4 (50%)
• Cross-Body Hammer Curls
  • 35e x 12
  • 35e x 12
  • 35e x 9
• Cable Curl (hold/sqeeze at top)
  • 50 x 20
• Rope Pressdowns (First 20, twist out hands at bottom; remainder straight hands pushed to failure)
  • 65 x 40
  • 65 x 40
  • 65 x 25