dabears progress thread

Originally Posted by dabears

thanks, USPS tracking really sucks btw, they haven't updated since last friday! I was hoping it would show up today so I could try it out at hockey tomorrow night, but may have to wait. Or it may be one of those trackers that I'll have it in my hands and get an email a day later saying "delivered" haha

thanks again for shipping it out so fast, and cheap

Yeah their tracking is only good until the border. Sucks but they are so much cheaper to ship with than UPS or FEDEX.

Originally Posted by Glight

Yeah their tracking is only good until the border. Sucks but they are so much cheaper to ship with than UPS or FEDEX.

UPS always ****s me with their "customs fees" such bs, I never order from anywhere that uses them

got my stuff glight, looks awesome can't wait to try it out for hockey.

My calves are sore from fridays workout to the point that I walk around like I took a d*ck up the ass all weekend, so embarrassing... I put on the compression socks and they are helping at least.

Unfortunately my current 4 day bodybuilding split hasn't been working the way I thought, I dread going to the gym (not in a "good" way) and the amount of exercises / changing of equipment hasn't worked out either, gym is way too busy. I feel like I am being inefficient and wasting time. Also 4 days of weights, as well as hot yoga and hockey once a week isn't allowing me sufficient rest days to recover. I've also had trouble fitting 4 days of weights into a busy lifestyle.

I don't believe this is me being impatient, but rather recognizing a flaw in the way a proven training method doesn't fit my current lifestyle.

So I developed the following to try out until the spring. It's a redevelopment of a routine I found success with prior to switching to a BB like split. All exercises are done heavy, with the first set being a max effort.

Example for squats in the 5-7 rep range

Warmup then

230lb x 5 (my current max)
210lb x 6
190lb x 7

The key is going to max on your first set. Essentially you pick a weight you will max out with at bottom of selected rep range, and then your subsequent dropped weights should be last sets reps + 1. You hopefully finish near or at the top of rep range, 5 to 7 in this case.

I marked the exercises that apply to this rep scheme below for my reference with an (R).

Day 1

Squats - 3 sets : 5 to 7 reps (R)
Stiff-legged Deadlifts - 3 sets : 5 to 7 reps (R)
Standing Barbell Calf Raises - 3 Sets : 12 - 15 reps

Day 2

Bench Press - 3 Sets : 6 to 8 reps (R)
Incline Bench - 3 Sets : 6 to 8 reps (R)
Dips - 3 Sets (eventually weighted when b/w is 15+ reps for 3 sets in a row)

Day 3

Overhead Press - 3 Sets : 4 to 6 reps (R)
Deadlift - 2 Sets : 3 to 5 reps (R)
Chin Ups - 3 Sets (eventually weighted when b/w is 10+ reps for 3 sets in a row, perform until form suffers)
Pendlay Rows - 3 Sets

Day 1 is a focus on quads/hamstrings/calves, Day 2 is a focus on chest/triceps/front delts, and Day 3 is a focus on front/side delts, the entire back, biceps, and rear delts will get hit well with the pendlay rows. Abs from squats/deadlifts etc.

I wanted to include overhead press, I felt day 3 was best suited for it.

Time to put theory to practice, as I was happy with previous program on paper but in real life it didn't work out for me.

Eating remains the same, as I have been very successful at it so far.

Let me know if you identify any imbalances.

I have a feeling you disprove m3inline, but I welcome your feedback regardless

Look up doggcrapp training. It's based on a similar idea, but with a few warm ups, followed by a max-effort rest/pause set, followed by a "widow maker" 20-rep set.

I don't like the idea of going max effort on the first set. I'd much rather let the engine warm up before flooring it.

Originally Posted by dwass325

Look up doggcrapp training. It's based on a similar idea, but with a few warm ups, followed by a max-effort rest/pause set, followed by a "widow maker" 20-rep set.

I don't like the idea of going max effort on the first set. I'd much rather let the engine warm up before flooring it.

Reading a thorough explanation now, thanks for the tip.

I completely agree with the engine analogy, I guess I didn't specify what warmups would consist of.

Typical squat warmup for instance:

Foam roll for 10 minutes to get loose
Goblet squat position, sitting in the hole also help loosen up

Warmup sets (% of top set weight)
25% x 5
40% x 5
60% x 3

Originally Posted by dwass325

Look up doggcrapp training. It's based on a similar idea, but with a few warm ups, followed by a max-effort rest/pause set, followed by a "widow maker" 20-rep set.

I don't like the idea of going max effort on the first set. I'd much rather let the engine warm up before flooring it.

I agree here. I don't like the idea of going full attack the first set either. I already know I'd fail and likely hurt myself, especially with the weight that I'm tossing up.

dabears, essentially you're doing what I already do: start with a percentage and ascend progressively.

With the warmup scheme that I posted, do you think I'll be relatively warm without sacrificing performance on worksets? (I'll be able to tell today as well when I start this)

I previously was finishing warmups with 80% of top set, I think that was overkill.

Seems like it will work well. You seem to have everything covered.

I wish I could add a 4th day, but I just had to realize the hard way that with the way my life is currently a 3 day split is what works best for me.

Originally Posted by dabears

I wish I could add a 4th day, but I just had to realize the hard way that with the way my life is currently a 3 day split is what works best for me.

I don't think you need it. I do 3 days pretty much but just less rest days

I think you'll be fine dabears. You'll know the minute that you implement the new routine whether you're warm enough, burning yourself out too early, etc. Theory and practice are often very different.

Thanks, I completely agree. I felt fatigued with this latest split, I think it was too much. I don't think I'm quite there with the recovery just yet. There were some a couple times where I put up LESS reps with same weight as the previous week, and it certainly wasn't from lack of eating.

Originally Posted by dabears

Thanks, I completely agree. I felt fatigued with this latest split, I think it was too much. I don't think I'm quite there with the recovery just yet. There were some a couple times where I put up LESS reps with same weight as the previous week, and it certainly wasn't from lack of eating.

That happens to me as well. Sometimes moving up 5 lbs. a week doesn't happen, so I sit at the same weight for two weeks until I can move it for an extra rep or two (..or move it the same amount of reps, but without struggle).

Originally Posted by dwass325

Look up doggcrapp training. It's based on a similar idea, but with a few warm ups, followed by a max-effort rest/pause set, followed by a "widow maker" 20-rep set.

I don't like the idea of going max effort on the first set. I'd much rather let the engine warm up before flooring it.

I checked it out, I agree entirely with it. Lots of smart science in the way of lifting, and I love how it showed that on average a muscle group gets hit 52 times / year (once per week) on a bb split, where this method you can cycle the 3 days and hit each group upwards of 80-90+ times a year.

Same with the rest/pause set, majority of muscle is definitely made on the negative phase of the lift. My only quip with this is that it absolutely requires a dedicated spotter, which I unfortunately don't have at the moment. Squats, deadlifts and OHP I don't need a spotter on, and when I do my one max bench set I don't mind asking for one.

I'll keep this in mind for when I get my workout partner back (if ever).

Originally Posted by M3Inline6

That happens to me as well. Sometimes moving up 5 lbs. a week doesn't happen, so I sit at the same weight for two weeks until I can move it for an extra rep or two (..or move it the same amount of reps, but without struggle).

I notice that, especially on bench... I get stuck at a certain weight and reps for a week or two, maybe get one more rep on third week... then by the 4th or 5th week I'm able to go up 5, even 10 lbs for same amount of reps. Goes to show the non-linear progression!

I also do it on purpose... I got 5 reps at 225 on squats, but it was very shaky. I've stayed at that max for a month now on purpose, and I've moved onwards and upwards to 230+ safely.

Was over 180 this morning for the first time in a year... and it was a perfect reading (if my water weight is 56.6 I know it is legit).

Since august, I have gained 9 lbs total, with 6 lbs of it being muscle, and only 3 being fat (confirmed with scale variances).

2:1 ratio... I'm incredibly surprised. Looks like I can hit my 10 lb goal for the year and still leave time from spring -> august for a cut to 10%.

Originally Posted by dabears

Was over 180 this morning for the first time in a year... and it was a perfect reading (if my water weight is 56.6 I know it is legit).

Since august, I have gained 9 lbs total, with 6 lbs of it being muscle, and only 3 being fat (confirmed with scale variances).

2:1 ratio... I'm incredibly surprised. Looks like I can hit my 10 lb goal for the year and still leave time from spring -> august for a cut to 10%.

awesome man.

Originally Posted by DylloS

awesome man.

thanks... the past two years bulks when I finished around february I was ~195 each time... I gained about 5 lbs of muscle and 20 lbs of fat. Took me from January -> June this time last year to cut the fat gain.

Really starting to become a huge believer in the "leangains" method, its slow and steady but when I cut in the spring I'll be only a few lbs heavier than my summer condition last year, and way stronger.

Originally Posted by dabears

thanks... the past two years bulks when I finished around february I was ~195 each time... I gained about 5 lbs of muscle and 20 lbs of fat. Took me from January -> June this time last year to cut the fat gain.

Really starting to become a huge believer in the "leangains" method, its slow and steady but when I cut in the spring I'll be only a few lbs heavier than my summer condition last year, and way stronger.

That's kind of my approach too. Just be patient with it. I do need to get my sh1t together a bit though. I want to eat hardboiled eggs throughout the day, more veggies, and my pre bed shake and I think I'll be good with what I want to happen.