Confirmed: strength is fading.

This is just the nature of the beast. I’m starting, I believe, my 15th week on this diet cut cycle. I’ve been seeing everything go down the past couple weeks, but you can’t be sure if it was just an off day or truly the start of something. But now that it’s been a few weeks of constant decline…. yeah…. I’m losing. It is to be expected, but it’s just no fun. It’s a reminder of all the ground gained and now lost that will have to be regained. But of course in the bigger picture, it’s OK because again the fat-loss is my focus and for sure that’s happening.

203 this morning.

Going forward, I’m unsure of what to do. Next week I will actually take some time off, including turkey dinner being my first cheat meal this month. After Thanksgiving, do I start back into things? Do I ramp it up even more (e.g. more dietary cutbacks, increased workload) to try to get things down even more? I don’t know. Body is slowing down, and if I want to get to 190, that’s maybe 2 more months of work. I’m not really sure I want to keep going without a break. At first I was thinking to just go on a weekly basis post-Thanksgiving, each week assessing and either continuing or stopping. Then I figured I’m so close, why not try to just gut it out until Christmas. But now I’m back to thinking about a weekly assessment or even just starting a few weeks of mid during December and start back on a serious cut after Christmas. So when I step back and look at all of this, the best I can say is: just take it day-by-day, week-by-week. I will get there — I’m closer than ever before.

That said, today was OK. Obvious drop in work because I just can’t “go” any more. But I pushed it as much as I could.

• Incline Press
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 85 x 5
  • 105 x 4
  • 125 x 3
  • 155 x 2
  • 175 x 1
  • 155 x 10 (AMRAP)
  • 155 x 6 (50%)
• DB Bench Press (4-0-1-0 tempo)
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 8
  • 55e x 8
• DB Flat Flies
  • 25e x 12
  • 25e x 12
  • 25e x 12
• Press Behind Neck (seated, smith machine)
  • 95 x 8
  • 95 x 7
• Seated DB Press
  • 40e x 10
  • 40e x 8
  • 40e x 7
  • 40e x 6
  • 40e x 6
• Front Plate Raise
  • 20 X 50

Fairly normal, but I changed up a few things to contend with time.

This session has gotten longer because I wanted more work, but of course with more work comes more time. Well, today I didn’t have that time so I tried a few things to drop it down.

First, instead of the 100-reps I just did a rest-pause set. I’m already warmed up, so I can just dive right in. I wanted the first set to hit somewhere 12-20 reps, so that then with 2 r/p sets I’d get enough volume. Just take all 3 sets to true failure. I did this on the reverse curls. Felt fine. Was it any better or worse? Hard to say, but if it’s basically feeling about the same then who knows… maybe it’s better because it’s more efficient. We’ll see.

Then pushdowns… I’m tired of pushdowns. Sure I change handles but meh. So I went for something different: cable bent-over triceps extensions. It’s a longer range of motion and tension due to the cables, and if nothing else it’s just different.

Then, I did the extensions and preacher curls also rest-pause (same protocol as above), AND kept it as a superset. But because RP and supersetting, there was just no rest. Extensions to failure, then curl to failure, then right back to extensions, etc.. Because triceps got enough rest while curling and vice versa.

All felt fine and good, and I certainly got done in much less time.

So, nothing big to report. Just a nice day.

• Cheat Curls
  • 40 x 12
  • 50 x 10
  • 60 x 8
  • 70 x 6
  • 80 x 6 (true cheat set)
• DB Curls
  • 30e x 8
  • 30e x 8
  • 30e x 8
  • 30e x 8
• Reverse Curls (rest-pause)
  • 40 x 19, 10, 7
• Close-Grip Bench
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 135 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 175 x 2
  • 195 x 1
  • 155 x 14 (AMRAP)
  • 155 x 6 (50%)
• Lying Triceps Extensions
  • 40 x 12
  • 50 x 10
  • 60 x 8
  • 70 x 5
• Cable Bent-Over Triceps Extensions (rest-pause)
  • 40 x 17, 10, 6
• Preacher Curls (rest-pause, superset with pushdowns)
  • 40 x 17, 7, 5

Note to self: must pay attention to the plates on the bar…. for dropping a 10 lb. plate on your foot sucks.

For that last set of shrugs I usually do 135 but today opted to do 155 because I figured I might get more out of a set closer to 20 than something so light I’m just repping forever. But when I was done, my brain was still stuck at 135… so I just started pulling the 45 lb. plate off the bar and totally forgot the 10 lb. one was there. But I quickly remembered as soon as the plate slid off and landed square on the top of my right foot. That sucked, and I have an excellent bruise to show for it, as well as pain when I put pressure on it. I don’t expect anything is broken; it’s just a little pain and swelling righ tnow. Hopefully it’ll be better by Tuesday. 🙂

Otherwise, a decent enough day.

Weighed-in at 204 lbs. today as well. Slow and steady on my decline.

• Barbell Rows
  • bar x 10
  • 105 x 5
  • 125 x 4
  • 145 x 3
  • 165 x 2
  • 185 x 1
  • 145 x REP (AMRAP)
  • 145 x REP (50%)
• Cable Row
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 12
• Behind-the-back BB Shrugs (smith machine)
  • 135 x 20
  • 165 x 20
  • 185 x 20
  • 185 x 17
  • 155 x 16
• Close-grip Pulldowns
  • 110 x 12
  • 110 x 12
  • 110 x 10
  • 110 x 8, 5, 4 (rest-pause)

Man… leg day is killing me.

It’s good tho. I need a lot of work, and I’m getting it. It’s the squats with AMRAP, then the high-bar…. then RDL. All together? Leaves me hurtin’.

No question tho, two parts of the equation are simple: 1. the diet: this needs fuel and I just don’t have any (by design), 2. my work capacity. But that said, I can say my work capacity is improving, which is good.

On the RDL’s, I realized that I’m not quite doing them correctly. My back rounds a bit, and RDL’s apparently need a very flat back. So I ended up trying to work that better, dropped weight some, and trying to focus on improving form. I’ll continue my focus there.

Same with the calf raises. I’m trying a suggestion from Paul Carter where you sink into a stretch for a good 5 seconds, then pretty much explode up and hit a really strong peak contraction; slow on the way down, sink into the stretch, 5 seconds, repeat. I suspected I’d have to lower the weight and sure enough I did. Try it.

Anyways, hell of a work day. Now the next 48 hours or so need to be strict to the diet…. which isn’t easy right now. But I see my goal, so… gotta keep that focus.

• Squat
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 145 x 4
  • 170 x 3
  • 215 x 2
  • 240 x 1
  • 210 x 11 (AMRAP)
  • 210 x 6 (50%)
• High Bar, close-stance Squat
  • 115 x 12
  • 115 x 10
  • 115 x 10
  • 115 x 9
• Deficit (1″) RDL
  • 215 x 8
  • 215 x 4
  • 185 x 6
• Leg Extensions
  • 45 x 15
  • 50 x 13
  • 55 x 11
  • 45 x 15
• Leg Curls (superset with Extensions)
  • 30 x 15
  • 35 x 10
  • 40 x 8
  • 30 x 8
• Standing Calf Raises
  • 100 x 10
  • 100 x 6
  • 80 x 8
  • 80 x 8

On paper, it looks like a regression, but paper can’t track everything.

All in all a fair day; 80% day, if you will. I wasn’t thrilled on the inclines — just felt wobbly the whole time.

But when I started the DB bench presses, I realized something. I realized I wasn’t going as deep as I could. I would say I was hitting a depth that’d be about the same as with bar. But these are dumbbells! Part of the point is the additional range of motion they afford. So I went deeper, letting myself go as far down as I could, getting as much stretch as I could, THEN pressing. Made sure this happened on flies and the seated DB presses too. It equated to less reps, but it was a bunch more work.

What was cool about it was feeling it, especially on the flat presses. When I started to press out of the hole, there was a more noticable working of the chest muscles — that “mind-muscle connection” was stronger. The working of the muscle, feeling the muscle work, instead of just moving weight through the air. It was good.

So yeah, on paper it looks like I regressed, but I consider this forward improvement.

• Incline Press
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 85 x 5
  • 105 x 4
  • 125 x 3
  • 155 x 2
  • 175 x 1
  • 155 x 10 (AMRAP)
  • 155 x 6 (50%)
• DB Bench Press (4-0-1-0 tempo)
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 7
• DB Flat Flies
  • 25e x 12
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
• Press Behind Neck (seated, smith machine)
  • 95 x 10
  • 95 x 5
• Seated DB Press
  • 40 x 10
  • 40 x 8
  • 40 x 7
  • 40 x 7
  • 40 x 10
• Front Plate Raise
  • 25 X 50

Tried a little change up today.

I wanted the work-ups to be a little more of a work-up, to see where that would get me. I think it fared alright, or at least I’ll keep at it and see where it takes me.

That said, it’s also a long-ass session, and I need to make it more efficient. I might drop things like the 100-reps and go for maybe sets of 15-25 with drop sets, or just try taking what I am doing and squeezing more out of it (drop sets, rest-pause, etc.). I’ll see. It’s just a long-ass time in the gym… for arm day at that.

Anyways, all in all alright.

• Cheat Curls
  • 40 x 12
  • 50 x 10
  • 60 x 8
  • 70 x 6
  • 80 x 6 (only true cheating set)
• DB Curls
  • 30e x 8
  • 30e x 8
  • 30e x 8
  • 30e x 6
• Reverse Curls
  • 25 x 100 (protocol: AMRAP, rest as many seconds as remaining reps; continue; repeat until 100 total)
• Close-Grip Bench
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 135 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 175 x 2
  • 195 x 1
  • 155 x 13 (AMRAP)
  • 155 x 7 (50%)
• Lying Triceps Extensions
  • 40 x 12
  • 50 x 10
  • 60 x 10
  • 70 x 8
• Pushdowns
  • 40 x 20
  • 40 x 15
  • 40 x 16
  • 40 x 14
  • 40 x 13
• Preacher Curls (superset with pushdowns)
  • 40 x 12
  • 40 x 12
  • 40 x 11
  • 40 x 8
  • 40 x 6

That was awesome.

My back work has slowly been improving. For the longest time anything I did for my back never really felt like I’d be working my back. Maybe here, maybe there, but I rarely would walk out of the gym feeling like my back was really worked hard (other than sometimes my lower back from squats or deadlifts). But slowly that’s been improving.

Lower the weights always helps. But really it’s been a revisiting and more dedicated application of muscle over movement. I’m not pulling, I’m not trying to move weight. I’m trying to contract muscle. And that contraction happens from the shoulder/scapula and/or the elbow. Let the shoulder go forward, be sure to really retract the scapula. I should feel and move from my back, from my elbows — do not feel it or try to move with the arms or hands.

And it’s generally been that way, but I’ll forget or drift or maybe first set is that way, but then I drift because I get more concerned about moving the weight and “getting the sets/reps in”. But today was really great because it was there the whole time.

The BB Rows, I’m liking this approach. Instead of just hitting straight sets, the work-up is good. I mean, BB Rows are the staple of back work, like bench press to chest and squats to legs. So why not work them up just the same way as I’m doing the others? It’s nice to get that heavier work, and the work-up is really helping me set the stage. First just simple warm-up, but it’s also allowing me to really reinforce the proper movements, to really move the shoulder and back and elbows and such. Get that retraction, etc.. That’s just a great mental thing for setting the stage. And the AMRAP+50% is proving to be nice; while I’m getting less volume perhaps than a straight set, by the end I’m feeling more worked.

The cable rows are becoming a favorite. I feel it so much with them. I get that 1-0-3-0 tempo sort of thing where it’s an “explosive/fast” concentric into a tight squeeze at the top, then a slow lowering and ensuring the shoulders go all the way forward so I get the most range for the scapular retraction on the next rep. But I really have to focus on that eccentric to have it come from the shoulders and NOT involve my arms/biceps. But man, this is growing to be a real worker for me.

The shrugs I continue to enjoy. I felt today, now that I’m getting a good groove with ligher weights, to start to ramp up the weight a little more.

Pulldowns I finally remembered to finish with a drop set. Don’t recall the specifics, but I took the 4th set to failure, then dropped 10# and got probably 2-3 reps, then another 10# drop and another 2-3 reps. That was all.

Finally, pullovers. This was an experiment. Last week I thought that maybe using a barbell might be better on my shoulders. So I grabbed a 30# barbell and tried. Every few reps I would change hand position: very narrow, medium, wide, just various things to fiddle around. The grip width didn’t matter so much, or at least as much as elbow position — both flaring or not AND the amount of bend in the elbows. Second set I tried using an EZ-Bar in case that put things in a slightly better position. It was marginally better but still it was all about the elbows. On the 3rd set, on a whim, I tried using a cable, laying down on the cable rows bench (which put me at a slight decline). That was a bust; it gave me more tension all the way through, but I didn’t get the stretch at the top of the movement, which is part of the point. So…. I dunno. I’m starting to feel like pullovers are going to be a bust. My shoulders can only take so much, and I’m not feeling much. But I’m not ready to give up yet; there’s still more exploration and adjustment.

All in all tho, today felt like how back work should be. Worked. 🙂

• Barbell Rows
  • bar x 10
  • 105 x 5
  • 125 x 4
  • 145 x 3
  • 165 x 2
  • 185 x 1
  • 145 x 12 (AMRAP)
  • 145 x 7 (50%)
• Cable Row
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 10
• Behind-the-back BB Shrugs (smith machine)
  • 135 x 20
  • 165 x 20
  • 185 x 18
  • 185 x 15
  • 135 x 25
• Close-grip Pulldowns
  • 110 x 10
  • 110 x 10
  • 110 x 10
  • 110 x 9, then a couple drop sets
• Pullovers
  • whatever.. was experimenting. See above.

What an ass-kicker that was.

It’s pretty clear that my problem is work capacity — I just don’t have any. Lack of food does that. 😉 All is to be expected at this stage of things.

I started out not wanting to squat. The time change is messing with my body-clock, so I was dragging into the gym and had a “do I have to?” moment, but yes you have to. I felt better after a few sets of squats. I actually am getting a better position and groove to my squats, which I’m appreciating. Then the AMRAP is where I start to find my work capacity needs… work. One thing it makes me think of is those true 20-rep sessions where you use a 10RM weight… so I would use this 210, and yes, I can see exactly why around maybe rep 15 or so you’d have a “come to Jesus” moment. That’s not in the cards for me right now, but one of these days I have to try a true 20-rep workout

Then the high-bar. This is where it becomes evident my work capacity is crap. The weight isn’t much, but the work is. That said, it’s better than last week. Last week I felt I ran out of gas before my body really was worked. Today it was about the same. So things are improving. I told myself to just keep repping, 1 rep at a time, until I came close enough to a failure point where it’d be unsafe (e.g. too wobbly), then rack it. Yeah, I still feel wussy. But the high-bars are getting better.

The stiff-legs… btw, I realize that I’m not doing true stiff-leg deadlifts but actually Romanian deadlifts. Just keep forgetting to update that. Dropped the weight because the high-bars add enough work, and I wanted to get enough reps. But still, once I got to set 3, I was spent.

One change on calf raises. Paul Carter suggests a 5 second pause at the bottom to really get a stretch. Then power up, really get a peak contraction, hold it for a second, then repeat. I tried that. Gah…. gonna have to drop weight to really take advantage of that, but I can see it. One interesting thing is after my first couple sets, well… every do that thing where you press your hands out in a doorway for a minute, then when you relax your arms float up? I felt like that, but with my whole body after I was finished. It was a weird but funny sensation. 🙂

But it was an ass-kicker today. Had numerous points towards the end of dizzy and nauseous feeling. I don’t strive for that, but it shows me, I worked today. And work is needed to support Defattening. So, onwards.

• Squat
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 145 x 4
  • 170 x 3
  • 215 x 2
  • 245 x 1
  • 210 x 10 (AMRAP)
  • 210 x 5 (50%)
• High Bar, close-stance Squat
  • 115 x 12
  • 115 x 10
  • 115 x 9
  • 115 x 8
• Deficit (1″) RDL
  • 215 x 8
  • 215 x 8
  • 215 x 5
• Leg Extensions
  • 40 x 15
  • 50 x 14
  • 50 x 12
  • 40 x 12
• Leg Curls (superset with Extensions)
  • 50 x 10
  • 50 x 8
  • 40 x 8
  • 30 x 8
• Standing Calf Raises (5 second pause/stretch)
  • 100 x 10
  • 100 x 10
  • 100 x 8
  • 100 x 7

Just a good “80%” day.

Started out a little slow. Was it from the weekend of depletion? Was it because the Daylight Saving Time change and my body clock is all messed up (can someone remind me again why we still do this? to what productive end?)? Whatever it was, things did start slow. But as the session went along, everything picked up. Just a solid session, what things should be on a regular basis.

I upped the weight on flies, but I might drop it again as I didn’t let myself get as much stretch and hold. But that could just be I need to do so. Still, of all odd things my wrists were hurting from all of this so….

The front plate raises continue to be a fun thing to cap off with. But oh, when the first “set” only gets to 15 reps, you know getting to 50 with that “rest in seconds however many reps you have left” protocol… oye, it’s gonna be tough. The last 5 reps or so were just singles. 🙂 One big extended rest-pause set, basically.

Anyways, just a good day.

And I’m 206 this morning. Downward progress continues.

• Incline Press
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 85 x 5
  • 105 x 4
  • 125 x 3
  • 155 x 2
  • 175 x 1
  • 155 x 10 (AMRAP)
  • 155 x 6 (50%)
• DB Bench Press (4-0-1-0 tempo)
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 8
• DB Flat Flies
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
• Press Behind Neck (seated, smith machine)
  • 95 x 10
  • 95 x 6
• Seated DB Press
  • 40e x 10
  • 40e x 10
  • 40e x 9
  • 40e x 8
  • 40e x 6
• Front Plate Raise
  • 25 X 50 (AMRAP, rest for as many seconds as there are reps remaining; repeat until 50 total)

The rain is awesome.

Big thunderstorms rolling through Austin this morning. No walk to the gym, and it’s always fun when the gym loses power — no worries, just keep lifting. 🙂

Nothing major to report. The bro in me still loves having an arm day. Only real change I made was having the 100-rep set use reverse curls instead of regular. Why? A little variety.

Otherwise, just a good day. Nice way to end the week.

• Cheat Curls
  • 40 x 20
  • 50 x 15
  • 60 x 8
  • 60 x 8
  • 60 x 8
• DB Curls
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
• Reverse EZ-Bar Curls
  • 25 x 100 (protocol: AMRAP, rest as many seconds as remaining reps; continue; repeat until 100 total)
• Close-Grip Bench
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 135 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 175 x 2
  • 195 x 1
  • 155 x 13 (AMRAP)
  • 155 x 6 (50%)
• Skullcrushers
  • 40 x 20
  • 50 x 12
  • 55 x 8
  • 55 x 7
• Pushdowns
  • 40 x 18
  • 40 x 17
  • 40 x 17
  • 40 x 12
  • 40 x 12
• EZ-Bar Preacher Curls (superset with pushdowns)
  • 40 x 12
  • 40 x 11
  • 40 x 9
  • 40 x 7
  • 40 x 6