Remember that talk about needing sleep? My body is getting there. Been napping the past few days, and this morning I slept in HARD. So I got to the gym late.

A good reminder why I like working out alone. 🙂

Nothing bad… it’s just like Gossamer from the Looney Tunes short “Hair-Raising Hare”:

🙂

Everything was what it was. I have been thinking about a deload week, but I may not. Things work-wise are shifting and I actually should be able to get some good sleep. So, I’ll just see how I feel and go from there.

The rotator cuff work will slowly ramp up… but all in all, I think it will be good for me.

Oh, and to the kid that came into the gym before I left that proceeded to put 135# on the bar and half-squat it, then put 185# and third-squatted it… dude, I’m no authority, but I do know that you’ll get more out of life if you do what works and stop feeding your ego by half-assing things.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

Today was… good and bad.

Generally speaking it was good. Everything went as you’d expect. I opted to drop deficit’s in favor of conventional deadlifts. I was going to do that next week anyways as long as I was switching up my bench press to model 2, but I just went ahead and did it today. But on the whole, things went as expected.

What was bad was feeling beat up. I do think part of it is still lack of rest. Since the Overkill concert last week I just haven’t slept as good as I need to, and it’s taking a toll. Before I consider other things, I do want to deal with that first and see what comes of the rest of it. But regardless, there is one thing that is of growing concern.

My knee.

I am feeling more and more beat up on my left leg, be it my knee or the ankle, or now even my hip felt a couple pops today. When I went down for the first rep on the 225 something felt odd enough that I racked the weight because I wasn’t sure I’d be actually able to do the next rep. A bit scary, but I did a couple bodyweight squats, felt ok, and went back to it. But regardless of all that, I am starting to think my knee is not some problem that will heal in time — I think I do have something wrong with it. But I fear it’s only going to be thousands of dollars for an MRI that will tell me there’s nothing else to do but either rehab it or get surgery — and if I’m going to get surgery I might as well wait until the knee blows out. sigh If I gotta go under the knife, incur the expense, the downtime, etc., might as well wait until I truly can’t live without it. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Because of this, the squat work sets focused heavily on form. I didn’t care about bar speed, I just wanted everything to be perfect. I find that yes in fact I am leaning some to my right, favoring my right leg to do more work. So whereas normally I put the blinds down so I don’t see my reflection in the windows, I’m keeping the blinds up so I precisely watch my form as I squat to ensure I’m staying level and evenly distributed. I am also finding my eye and head position matters a lot in terms of helping me keep “distributed” — haven’t nailed down precisely the spot because it kinda changes as I stand up, but I’ll nail it down eventually.

It made me think of a few changes I might consider making.

First, I thought about changing deadlifts to sumo-style. I’ve always done conventional and supposedly my body mechanics are better suited for conventional. But, I tried a very poor sumo stance today — didn’t actually pull, just got into such a stance and “air lifted”. It didn’t seem to affect my knee so much. So… not sure I will do it, but I probably will start reading a lot of articles on sumo technique, then if I do start, start with like 135 on the bar and just try to figure out the technique. We’ll see.

Second, I also thought about changing my lifting to be more bodybuilder style. Lower the intensity, up the volume, and see if that puts a little less wear and tear on me. Some day it does, others say it may not because now you use the joints more often. I’m thinking about it. I think it may also be due to the diet — I’m still lifting pretty intensely, and with the weight-loss diet it just may not be supporting it.

Anyways, that’s that. Every day is something new.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

• Squats (model 1)
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 150 x 5
  • 175 x 4
  • 205 x 3
  • 225 x 2
  • 260 x 1
  • 180 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 180 x 5
• Conventional Deadlift (model 1)
  • 315 x 3
  • 315 x 3
  • 315 x 3
  • 315 x 3
  • 315 x 3
• Leg Press
  • 165 x 20
  • 165 x 20

Yeah… I’m going to try switching up to model 2 for bench press.

I do feel like I’m treading water. Will model 2 help? Never know until I try it. It may well be because of the diet that I will in fact tread water, and I may just have to accept that (better than regressing). Nevertheless, if there is something I can do to have some sort of forward progress — even if slow — I will take it. So switching to Base Building model 2 (just for bench press) seems reasonable to try.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

• Bench Press (model 1)
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 130 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 170 x 2
  • 190 x 1
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 6
• Machine Flies
  • 90 x 10
  • 90 x 10
  • 90 x 10
  • 90 x 10
• Close-grip bench press
  • 95 x 10
  • 95 x 10
  • 95 x 10
  • 95 x 10
• Hammer Curls
  • 30e x 10
  • 30e x 10
  • 30e x 10
  • 30e x 8

Today felt good. Just solid good.

I did switch up to do some rotator cuff work. Never done that before so today was a bit of stabbing to figure out what protocol to use. Certainly was interesting. I do think this will be good for me, or at least I’m going to give it 1-2 months to see how it goes. I couldn’t do that much weight on the external rotations — this is not a max-effort exercise, and I’m trying to be very strict with them, only using shoulder rotation to make things go. I may have to try an alternative like doing it with a dumbbell seated or lying. I also need to add in a couple sets of upright rotation. Point is, I want to hit all the shoulder rotations: internal, external, upright, etc. and try to help strengthen up my shoulder area, rotators, etc.. Should be good for me.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

Man, you go up 10 lbs and everything feels different.

So I felt that I made good progress at the prior weight in model 1, so time to bump up the weight. I bumped up the “working max” by 10 lbs. and then recalculated everything. Interesting that all the calculated weights only went up 5 lbs except for the 1 rep weight. But even just going up that small amount added a larger workload. So the 5×5 went slower. That’s how it goes.

Or it could be today was that plus just being off. I felt sluggish getting out of bed. Work’s been stressful, maybe that’s in play. Who knows. I wouldn’t chalk today up as a -10% day tho; still a good 80% day… but just not all mentally there this morning.

In related news, I keep feeling stiff in my legs. Sitting all day in front a computer, I reckon. I’m making an effort that every day I do some bodyweight squats, at least 10 reps. I do some simple stretching, like just standing up straight and reaching up to the sky, holding that for a while and just relaxing into it. It feels more yoga-like than “athletic stretching” (for lack of a better way to describe it), but it feels good and my body is feeling better doing it. Just take the dog out back in the afternoon, and while she runs about, just stand on the back patio and do these stretches and squats. Feels good.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

• Squats (model 1)
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 150 x 5
  • 175 x 4
  • 205 x 3
  • 225 x 2
  • 260 x 1
  • 180 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 180 x 5
  • 180 x 5
• Deficit Deadlift (model 1)
  • 275 x 3
  • 275 x 3
  • 275 x 3
  • 275 x 3
  • 275 x 3
• Leg Press
  • 165 x 20
  • 165 x 20

Well, maybe today was better… I don’t know. I don’t quite feel like I’m treading water, but today’s progress wasn’t much over last week. Still, a bit of progress is still progress, so I’ll give it a little more time to see how things go, else I’ll switch up to “model 2”.

I did opt to make one change. I swapped close-grip bench presses in and behind-the-neck presses out. I don’t have problems getting the bar off my chest nor through the mid-way point, but it’s after that point, which is perhaps a triceps weakness. So hey… how about some close-grips instead. If a little extra triceps work can help me there, I’ll take it.

Oh, I am going to make an effort to pause all my warm-ups. I was reading John Phung’s “A Very Important Letter to my 14-Year-Old Self”, which reads like a letter I’d write to my own 14-year-old self, and one thing he wrote:

Pause your warm ups at the bottom position. It’s an easy way to sneak in paused work into a training session.

Geez… duh! Yeah.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

• Bench Press (model 1)
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 130 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 170 x 2
  • 190 x 1
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 6
• Machine Flies
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
• Close-Grip Bench Press
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 12
  • 95 x 12
• Hammer Curls
  • 30e x 10
  • 30e x 10
  • 30e x 10
  • 30e x 8

I just don’t look forward to back day. It just feels like a bunch of assistance exercises. I dunno… maybe all the time spent doing 5/3/1 and how every day involved a major movement then assistance work. Who knows… maybe I’ll try to get back to that somehow, but if I do, I suspect I may need to also get back to a more 5/3/1-style split so there’s a bit more recovery time in there. Or could be as simple as putting squats on Monday, bench Wednesday, and deadlift Friday, but I dunno…. I’ll think about it.

And today, I also changed it up a bit. I realized that hyperextensions aren’t really doing anything more than following what Paul wrote in the eBook. I figured what I could actually use more of would be some shoulder work. Not like delt work, but things say for the rotator cuff and other shoulder health things. So today for lack of a better thing, I did face pulls, but I’ll be looking into what I need most. Should be more useful for me and my shoulders.

Other big thing was trying to think more about pulling from my back. That is, from the elbows to my hands? They don’t exist. All pulling comes from the back muscles working to pull at the shoulder, to pull the elbow. The elbow only moves because the back muscles moved it — no biceps, no forearms. At least, that’s the way I visualized and tried to move.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

Today was pretty damn good.

Sleep proves itself yet again. I woke up earlier than usual (bathroom) and figured it was too early, but lay down and get another 45 minutes. I got another 90 minutes. Annoyed because I felt behind schedule for the day (and it hadn’t even started), but I know in the end my body needed it. It likely contributed to a good day in the gym.

Squats went up solid and fast every time. Going to bump up the weight for next week.

Deficit deads, I’m glad I dropped the weight. I’m able to focus more on technique and ensuring I really get down in the starting position and “squat the weight up” as the saying goes. I’ll stay at this weight for at least another 1-2 weeks to make sure I find the technique groove. But today felt good.

Just cannot complain with today.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

• Squats (model 1)
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 145 x 5
  • 170 x 4
  • 200 x 3
  • 220 x 2
  • 250 x 1
  • 175 x 5
  • 175 x 5
  • 175 x 5
  • 175 x 5
  • 175 x 5
• Deficit Deadlift (model 1)
  • 275 x 3
  • 275 x 3
  • 275 x 3
  • 275 x 3
  • 275 x 3
• Leg Press
  • 165 x 20
  • 165 x 20

I’m really not sure what to make of this.

It feels like I’m treading water. Some bench sessions are better, some are worse, but if you average them out, it’s treading water. Meanwhile squat/deadlift and back work seems to be progressing.

I still think it’s too soon to REALLY tell. I want to give it a couple more weeks at least and see what happens. I mean, the others may be progressing merely because they were “too light” when I started, by comparison to how bench work started. So again, it’s just too soon to tell.

But I also thought that it may be just how it is for the coming months, while on the RP diet. Thing is, I have to change perspective. I mean, if I’m losing weight (fat) but everything in the gym remains the same? Then at least I’m not losing any strength, which is important. I mean, I don’t really expect to gain (I’ll take it if I get it tho), but to maintain? That’s good. And so, if I do continue to just tread water then so be it; it means I’m at least keeping my strength. I just expect it’ll get really boring, so I’ll probably want to change things up merely to combat boredom.

That said tho, what I am thinking about is switching the bench to basebuilding model 2. So if I do change something in a couple weeks, it would likely be that.

Otherwise, today was just a day.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

• Bench Press (model 1)
  • bar x 5
  • bar x 5
  • 115 x 5
  • 130 x 4
  • 155 x 3
  • 170 x 2
  • 190 x 1
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 8
  • 170 x 4
• Machine flies
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
• Behind the Neck Press
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 10
  • 85 x 9
  • 85 x 7
• Hammer Curls
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10
  • 25e x 10