Shartnado Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 (edited) Weekend was filled with running and carbs but still no alcohol. I got a new photo but this one is terrible quality. I'll make a better one soon. I think I peaked for the year on Saturday morning, but I don't think I would have gotten any kind of pump going with that dry condition. For these pictures I went for a 45-minute run with stairs included, went to sauna afterwards and then a 1-hour pump workout at home. This is the first attempt for this year. ...Ok, that's a little bit better. Edited June 12, 2023 by Shartnado Let's try this one! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 12, 2023 Share Posted June 12, 2023 I just did chest and shoulders in the office gym (can't get to the real gym today), 7 exercises, 5 sets each (3 of 8-12 reps, then two drop sets). Dumbbell flat bench Arnolds Dumbbell incline bench Side raise Cable fly Cable cross rear shoulder fuckfest whatchamacallit Dumbbell decline bench My arms feel like they want to fall off. But the real win is I made it out of the gym just as this weirdo, who does one unrelated superset over and over and hogs the equipment, was coming in. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StretchMediatedHypertrophy Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 (edited) Gym weirdos are definitely a thing. I remember this guy who would always wear a cardigan, load up way too much weight on machines and do tiny ROM, plates would be a helluva racket. Tbh there have been a lot of guys at my current gym (which is a work gym, but it's practically a campus so the gym is decent) a bit like that, but the Summer has really thinned them out. It's pretty hot in the UK right now, least for the UK. It definitely saps the will to train hard & long, as does a calorie deficit. So I generally do try to keep most of the workouts to a hourish, exception will probably be Friday when I do some RDLs and realistically do need to rest between sets to make the work worth it. Helpfully that's the day when you can get Fish and Chips at the canteen (all work canteens in the UK offer fish & chips on a Friday in my experience), & I will continue to allow myself to have it (I had previously been known to eat 2, but that's out of the question currently). I am continuing to focus on shoulders, though I might do a machine chest press as primary tomorrow. I've been starting to sneak in some medium which is wide for me (pinkies in the rings) bench at 40kg for really quick sets of 12 with short breaks. On Monday I did it Larsen style...and tbh after the shoulder work it is giving me a very big chest pump - I'm basically bastardising Jim Wendler's Boring But Big protocol from 531 here. I will see how the wider bench feels as I very slowly take the weight up. Because my gym day volumes are down I do try to get mini-workouts in, so I'll probably do some kettlebell curls, abs and calves in a bit later today. Once it cools down though! Edited June 14, 2023 by SprintingFromAmerica 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 (edited) At the office yesterday, had to use their gym again, this time for back & biceps day. It's weird. I gauge my workout by "total calories" on my Apple Watch. I try to go over 700. I know the watch gauges "Traditional Strength Training" by heart rate, but god damn, I consistently need to do much more on back & bi day specifically when I'm in the office to get to that number. Here's yesterday's workout (again, 3 of 8-12 reps, then two drop sets): Lat pulldown with normal ol' lat bar Dumbbell curls Vertical grip row Dumbbell curls with your arms more "out," like imagine you're making a "W" Janky-ass rack pulls using the work gym shitty bench press machine Lat pulldown using the close grip handle Horizonal grip row Hammer curls Lat pullover So two more exercises, 10 more sets, to hit the same caloric goal. Best guess is curls, as a smaller muscle set, non compound exercise, just don't get your heat rate going as much. That's my best guess. I'm an IT middle manager, not a physiologist. Thanks again for reading my account of self torture. Today is LEG DAY at the real gym. Here's hoping the adductor/abductor is fixed. Edited June 14, 2023 by Technico Support 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StretchMediatedHypertrophy Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 Tbh 700 calories probably isn't burnt in many weight workouts, though your volume is pretty crazy admittedly. Is that all your back work for the week? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 (edited) 48 minutes ago, SprintingFromAmerica said: Tbh 700 calories probably isn't burnt in many weight workouts, though your volume is pretty crazy admittedly. Is that all your back work for the week? Friday is supposed to be biceps and back (more focus on biceps than back), but that's typically a busy day for my, so it's hit or miss whether I can get to the gym. Last week I ended up just running a few miles instead. Yeah, I know it's more of an estimate than a real thing. But I need some way to gauge it, some goal to shoot for. Edited June 14, 2023 by Technico Support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StretchMediatedHypertrophy Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 I mean....you do you obv....but that's a.....yeah.. large amount of lat and upper back volume to be doing in 1 day for a natty, at a very high amount of apparent intensity...especially if you're not doing it consistently. All those drop-sets......I can't even imagine it tbh. Like the back is big and yeah some exercises don't hit the lats super-well and some don't hit the traps super well, you want to hit all those fibres brah.....but in all honesty I suspect you could pretty half that back volume without any negative change in results. I could be wrong, I just don't know anyone in the fields who would program that. I mean vertical grip row for lat emphasis AND 2 types of vertical pulldowns AND lat pullovers??! I honestly believe there are pro-card bodybuilders who would be scared by that. Honest advice - do whatever makes you happy, but probably you should just do an upper lower-split, or a trunk-limbs split or somesuch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shartnado Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 This week has started nicely. Monday was focused on getting the new pics and I didn't have enough time to do the home workout AND a real workout at the gym, but I did some abs as an extension of the bike ride, once I got to work. Tuesday included an intense (well, more intense than originally intended, anyway) jog that went to the stairs, even if I wasn't sure if I should. The workout was upper body based, with lat pull down combos and incline bench dumbell press as the cornerstones. Apparently, the 88's were too much for me this week as were 84's, so 10 reps with a pair of 79's was the first real set after one warm-up set. I did 5 sets overall, going down 4lbs each time and did hammer curls after each set with the same dumbells. Decent pump, not much more of note. Today I just made food and watched wrestling and did some rolling and stretching in preparation for trapbar. Didn't even go for a walk. Ok, so trapbar was eventful. Not great, but some good stuff happened. Did two reps with 505,5 lbs without Versas and one rep with 516,5 lbs, so that was good. I did singles with 611, 622 and 684 from not entirely the shittiest distance, but jumping to 779 was not a great idea. Failing it 3 times, but at least getting it off the blocks on the third attempt, I gave up on that. Decreasing the weights just a little bit didn't help either, so I had to go back to 684 to get that up again from an easier height. 4 reps with 611 off the easiest height and then going back down to 495 at a bit more challenging height and with rest-pause, I lifted that sumbitch 22 times (10+6+6) only taking a few breaths and readjusting my Versas before continuing. Then some shrugs. So, a bit disappointed with the heaviest shit, but the volume set at the end made up for some of it. Tomorrow, more walking. The weight is still going down, but at this point the bike ride means nothing and the gym does only a bit more. The 8-hour workday on my feet is also not very effective. Will be a rough few more weeks to keep this shit up! I'm currently at 168 lbs and without the pump, looking like a stick-figure, all things considered. The edited photos turned out great, though, so I'll always have that! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StretchMediatedHypertrophy Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 Hammer curls with 79s is pretty sick dude. Maybe I'll have a go and trying to body english some 50s up but I don't fancy my chances tbh! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shartnado Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 17 minutes ago, SprintingFromAmerica said: Hammer curls with 79s is pretty sick dude. Maybe I'll have a go and trying to body english some 50s up but I don't fancy my chances tbh! Oh, they are not pretty and I have to lean forward a bit, but they move and they feel heavy, so that is the main thing. If the intended target is the forearms and the outer side of your biceps, I think they are working as intended, as much as anything is, these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 14, 2023 Share Posted June 14, 2023 5 hours ago, SprintingFromAmerica said: I mean....you do you obv....but that's a.....yeah.. large amount of lat and upper back volume to be doing in 1 day for a natty, at a very high amount of apparent intensity...especially if you're not doing it consistently. All those drop-sets......I can't even imagine it tbh. Like the back is big and yeah some exercises don't hit the lats super-well and some don't hit the traps super well, you want to hit all those fibres brah.....but in all honesty I suspect you could pretty half that back volume without any negative change in results. I could be wrong, I just don't know anyone in the fields who would program that. I mean vertical grip row for lat emphasis AND 2 types of vertical pulldowns AND lat pullovers??! I honestly believe there are pro-card bodybuilders who would be scared by that. Honest advice - do whatever makes you happy, but probably you should just do an upper lower-split, or a trunk-limbs split or somesuch. Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, it might be a little excessive. It's probably because I was worried about not getting a good enough workout in the somewhat substandard office gym. I've gotten back into lifting more seriously since maybe April. I've been trying to lift M-F but, with family and work stuff, I've settled into a different schedule of Monday: chest and shoulder with maybe one tricep set, Tuesday: back & bi, Wednesday: legs, Thursday: all upper body, maybe 1 exercise or so per part, Friday: run. Today's leg work was: Squats Hip thruster Smith machine calf raises Hamstring curls (had to do double leg, the machine I use for single leg was broken) Leg press machine supersets (6 with legs wide, 6 with legs close) Fire hydrants with a band because the adductor/abductor is somehow still broken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shartnado Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 An intense 11km run with a bunch of stairs included yesterday and an hour walk today. Yesterday I did regular bench with 154-242 lbs and EZ Bar curls with 86 lbs alternating between the two moves from set to set. At one point I changed to reverse grip for the curls. At the end of the workout I did a few sets of overhead press with the 86. Today I did some form of a leg day but I had nothing left for anything heavy. At the end there I did have something left for ab work, but apparently not the legs. Good week overall, but I need some goddamned food during the weekend. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StretchMediatedHypertrophy Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 Because reasons, I have found myself in the position of goalkeeper in a work 5-a-side tournament happening on Tuesday. I suspect I will be the oldest person playing by a considerable margin, but they needed a player and I said I'd do it but I'm not match-fit for outfield so I will have to stay in goal. Although I still did my upper workout as normal yesterday, it changed my approach slightly in terms of lower day today. I went ahead and got what I am pretty sure is a PR on what I will call Bodybuilder RDLs (deep af, pause at the bottom to minimise stretch reflex) - 125kg for 7. I then did speed work for the first time in a while - for both squat and deadlift My rack was next to the sun window, but that's actually what I wanted since I'll likely be playing in the sun. I think I will do more speed work the night before the game as although it bollocks me at the time I can recover from it ok as long as I eat properly and sleep. Upper body work will have to get skipped for a day or two. I really hate lunges so very very much, but I did some based on something I saw in a youtube video for 5-a-side goalkeeping. If I am not too stiff, I'll probably do a few more tomorrow and some lateral drills though realistically I then need to let my body rest. It's a glorified kickabout to be honest, but I am mildly competitive and I at least don't want to embarrass myself if I can possibly help it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contentious C Posted June 18, 2023 Share Posted June 18, 2023 (edited) As much as you hate lunges, I think lunges hate me more, but I'm going to try to do them from now on, at least in 1 workout a week. I watched a few of Dr. Mike's celebrity workout critiques and felt a little bad about how hard he went at Henry Cavill, who, to be fair, had by far the best celebrity workout of any of the ones Mike has ripped. But I pulled a fair few things from Cavill's workout for a while, and hey, they've done OK for me. But I wanted to try something different, and one thing that came up over and over (especially with Brie Larson's) were front foot elevated lunges for glutes. Holy crap those kicked my literal and metaphorical ass. Did them in the Smith machine, 50 lb, with just the step itself from one of those make-your-own-size-step aerobics things. We'll see how I feel tomorrow, but they could be a winner. If anyone else tries them, do not be a fucking hero: go light, get used to them, the Smith machine is good for you. My real problem with them isn't the weight or the fatigue; instead, I have *yet another broken body part* (though one that's been long broken, maybe the first or second one): a fairly nastily arthritic first joint in the big toe of my right foot. I used to love the rowing machine about a decade ago, but it didn't love me back, specifically because of my toe. I'd get to about 500m and have to call it a day because that's when my foot would start screaming. So I'll have to see if there are modifications I can make to mitigate the pain I'm feeling in my foot when I have my right leg as the back leg. Edited June 18, 2023 by Contentious C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shartnado Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 Weekend included plenty of food, some chocolate and finally some much needed drink of white wine, ice and orange juice with pulp. Saturday morning I went for a jog that I wasn't planning on and on Sunday I did a long, leasurely walk and a pump workout that was split into three parts in the course of a couple of hours. The final segment included 5 or 6 sets of push-ups, totalling around 250. Monday, back to the usual. Incline dumbell bench went very nicely, as after a warm-up set of 12 with a pair of 61,5's, I managed two sets with a pair of 88's (10 and 8 reps) and not only that, I also did a set of hammer curls after both of them. The same with 84's and 79's (getting around 8-10 reps with the bench and until the range of motion becomes sad with the hammer curls, probably around 12). Some extra pump with side delts and light overhead dumbell presses, mixed with resistance band lat pulldown combos, push-downs and chest flies. In the evening, I went for along walk that included the stairs and some jogging towards the end. Today, I did conventional standing double bicep curls with dumbells getting a nice looking 10 with a pair of 39,5's and almonst nice 10 with 44's. Then a not pretty 8 with 48,5's and an ugly 5 with 53's. Then some barbell rows with 132 and then using the same 132 for a few sets of behind the back shrugs. Then I went on a shrug tear with the dumbells starting with 88's and finishing with 44's with 4 lbs decrease per dumbell each set. Actually, I did 53's twice, as I did a set of shrugs after that ugly set of 5 curls, too! The ab work is getting pretty intense too! I did more than 20 hanging knee/leg raises with a 26,5 lb chain around my neck, then 4 short sets of crunches, then a set of 27 wih the ab wheel and then hanging upside down, 4 different crunch, bend, hold and turn sets and held the 53 lb kettlebell off the ground for a bit while hanging. It has been very warm today, but I should still at least go for a walk before bed time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shartnado Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 (edited) More cardio on Tuesday evening as well as Wednesday, after a bench and lightish squat/calf workout. Weight is a little bit stuck at this point and with Finnish Midsummer right around the corner, it will only go up. Today it was trapbar day. Started by standing on a block doing 8x261, 2x355, then on a lower block 1x450, 1x545 off almost floor level with Versas. Then 1x611, 1x684 off almost lowest level and then 1x778,5 (tried it again afterwards, but nope) 1x727, 3x684, then back to a more demanding height, using rest pause I did 11x611 (4+3+2+2) and 19 times 495 with rest pause too (13+3+3). Afterwards, I only did one set of shrugs with 295, but that was more than 50 reps. This was another good week, but the upcoming 4 days off will definitely have an adverse effect on the proceedings, but I'm looking forward to every second of it! The freezer is packed with the essentials: Vodka, Dark Rum and Gin and there's a bunch of pork in a few forms in the fridge, waiting to be grilled. Hopefully, I get the time to catch up on wrestling during all this debauchery, as well! Edit. We went for an hour run this morning. Opted for the city center so we could run along side the waterfront. The weather wasn't the best but the run itself was really nice! Edited June 23, 2023 by Shartnado Morning run on Friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 (edited) Started going to the gym again for the first time in 15 years in February. I started Swimming again for the first time in 25 years and that's something I didn't see myself ever doing again. Been using floats till I get my confidence up. I tried Yoga for the first time ever and it wasn't for me. I lost track of all these positions and last 15 minutes you lie down in the dark to be one with nature. Felt a right muppet. Contrast that to Pilates. I like how the instructor who is a right character goes through each level, 1-4 twice and you choose. I go fortnightly. The Pilates class sell out quick but touch wood I usually get in. I can now go to the gym closest to where I live which makes a big difference having had my induction there instead of going to the other gym further away needing two buses. I then got a emergency doctors appointment sending me up to surgery the next day. The healing process takes a while with this operation needing it packed daily then alternate days as it has to heal from the inside out. Can't swim until then. Edited June 25, 2023 by The Natural 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shartnado Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 The extra day off in many sense left me with plenty of extra water weight as well. No worries, I will squeeze it out in the next couple of weeks. Saturday I did some resistance band stuff at home and about 250 push-ups over several sets. Sunday we went for a leisurely bike ride, which also included getting ice cream, so there goes any of that calorie burning. Later on, while cooking food I once again did push-ups, this time ending up around 450. Evening was spent catching up with wrestling and consuming drinks. This afternoon I went for a 2-hour walk, which included also slowly walking up and down the stairs. Before night shift I also spent more than 1,5 hours in the gym with relatively light stuff for basically whole upper body to get a good pump and some decent sweat going. Tomorrow we'll see how much of the excess water I was able to push out with this? I do feel kinda rejuvenated now, so I am pretty sure I can get through the next two weeks without too much of a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Earlier today: High school boys at the gym, doing curls together, then taking time after their sets to check their bi’s and tri’s in the mirror. Youth truly is wasted on the young. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contentious C Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 There's a gaggle of four of them who are in my gym for about 2 hours at a time (if you believe their bullshit anyway), and listening to them stoke each other's bro nonsense and burgeoning-body-dysmorphia insecurity is fucking annoying as Hell. And they tie up whatever piece of equipment they're on for 20 minutes at a time. If I hit the lottery, I'd think of buying the place just so I can revoke their fucking memberships. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 It’s typically 3-4 on the bench being almost unsafe and you can only just kinda hope they grow out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Log Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 There's always a part of me that wants to say something to those guys. In hindsight, I wish someone would've done that for me when I was their age. It would've sent me on such a better path lifting than the one I was on forever. On the other hand, if some random "old" dude had come up to me at the gym when I was that age to tell me what I was doing wrong, I probably would've hated it and brushed him off. I'm glad I have a gym at home now. My son is starting to show interest in working out. He's only 6, so I'm not putting him under any weight for a while, but I'm encouraging him. He likes to do bodyweight stuff and I let him use the light resistance bands a little. Along with some heavy bag boxing, it's a nice little workout for him. When he's ready, I'm glad I'll be able to start him working out smarter than I did. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 I’m definitely anti gym advice. I never want to assume someone doesn’t know what they’re doing (even when odds are good they don’t) and 9 times out of 10 you’re going to be perceived as an asshole. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contentious C Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 (edited) I'm always the asshole anyway; I just avoid giving advice since it involves speaking to other humans. Actually, that's not 100% true. Same said young nitwits tied up a deadlift floor spot about 3 weeks ago doing weighted hip thrusts when I was trying to do RDLs, never mind that we've had a glute drive machine for at least 3 months. Nitwit Prime explained "this feels different." OK, Mr. Bias, first name Confirmation. That's what got them on my shit list in the first place. Edited June 27, 2023 by Contentious C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Technico Support Posted June 28, 2023 Share Posted June 28, 2023 I like my gym a lot but they just put in like 5 more squat racks and deadlift platforms while still only having ONE incline bench press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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