5k accomplished. Slowly. New goal: Half Marathon.

[hector]

Thursday is an Off Day

Bike Erg: 23 minutes, 10k

[alek]

In other news, Bas Rutten might not be full of shit with his cardio/breathing-inhibitor device afterall. Looks like it not only works, but may also lower blood pressure:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-sho ... cebook.com

Whoa. That's pretty interesting. It looks like the paper came out on 15 September 2022, and it hasn't made it on to sci hub yet. I'd love to see the whole paper, but a 9 point reduction in SBP and a 4 point reduction in DBP is really significant. I may have to pick up one of those devices...

AbstractShow

Above-normal blood pressure (BP) is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In a retrospective analysis of five pilot trials, we assessed the BP-lowering effects of high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) in adults aged 18-82 years and the impact of IMST on maximal inspiratory pressure (PIMAX), a gauge of inspiratory muscle strength and independent disease risk factor.

Participants were randomized to high-resistance IMST (75% PIMAX) or low-resistance sham (15% PIMAX) training (30 breaths/day, 5-7 days/week, 6 weeks).

IMST (n=67) reduced systolic BP (SBP) by 9±1 mmHg (p<0.01) and diastolic BP (DBP) by 4±1 mmHg (p<0.01). IMST-related reductions in SBP and DBP emerged by week 2 of training (-4±1 mmHg and -3±1 mmHg; p≤0.01, respectively) and continued across the 6-week intervention.

SBP and DBP were unchanged with sham training (n=61, all p>0.05).

Select subject characteristics slightly modified the impact of IMST on BP. Greater reductions in SBP were associated with older age (β=-0.07±0.03; p=0.04) and greater reductions in DBP associated with medication-naïve BP (β=-3±1; p=0.02) and higher initial DBP (β=-0.12±0.05; p=0.04). PIMAX increased with high-resistance IMST and low-resistance sham training, with a greater increase from high-resistance IMST (+20±2 vs. +6±2 cmH2O; p<0.01). Gains in PIMAX had a modest inverse relation with age (β=-0.20±0.09; p=0.03) and baseline PIMAX (β=-0.15±0.07; p=0.04) but not to reductions in SBP or DBP.

These compiled findings from multiple independent trials provide the strongest evidence to date that high-resistance IMST evokes clinically significant reductions in SBP and DBP, and increases in PIMAX, in adult men and women.

Agreed! I should NOT be buying new fitness equipment right now, but I'm strongly tempted.

I just emailed the lead author asking for a copy of the paper; we'll see what he says.

Def interested in your take if you get to read it!

He sent me a copy! It's the referee's copy, but it has the graphics at the end. I'll pm you a download link.

[hector]

In other news, Bas Rutten might not be full of shit with his cardio/breathing-inhibitor device afterall. Looks like it not only works, but may also lower blood pressure:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-sho ... cebook.com

Whoa. That's pretty interesting. It looks like the paper came out on 15 September 2022, and it hasn't made it on to sci hub yet. I'd love to see the whole paper, but a 9 point reduction in SBP and a 4 point reduction in DBP is really significant. I may have to pick up one of those devices...

AbstractShow

Above-normal blood pressure (BP) is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. In a retrospective analysis of five pilot trials, we assessed the BP-lowering effects of high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) in adults aged 18-82 years and the impact of IMST on maximal inspiratory pressure (PIMAX), a gauge of inspiratory muscle strength and independent disease risk factor.

Participants were randomized to high-resistance IMST (75% PIMAX) or low-resistance sham (15% PIMAX) training (30 breaths/day, 5-7 days/week, 6 weeks).

IMST (n=67) reduced systolic BP (SBP) by 9±1 mmHg (p<0.01) and diastolic BP (DBP) by 4±1 mmHg (p<0.01). IMST-related reductions in SBP and DBP emerged by week 2 of training (-4±1 mmHg and -3±1 mmHg; p≤0.01, respectively) and continued across the 6-week intervention.

SBP and DBP were unchanged with sham training (n=61, all p>0.05).

Select subject characteristics slightly modified the impact of IMST on BP. Greater reductions in SBP were associated with older age (β=-0.07±0.03; p=0.04) and greater reductions in DBP associated with medication-naïve BP (β=-3±1; p=0.02) and higher initial DBP (β=-0.12±0.05; p=0.04). PIMAX increased with high-resistance IMST and low-resistance sham training, with a greater increase from high-resistance IMST (+20±2 vs. +6±2 cmH2O; p<0.01). Gains in PIMAX had a modest inverse relation with age (β=-0.20±0.09; p=0.03) and baseline PIMAX (β=-0.15±0.07; p=0.04) but not to reductions in SBP or DBP.

These compiled findings from multiple independent trials provide the strongest evidence to date that high-resistance IMST evokes clinically significant reductions in SBP and DBP, and increases in PIMAX, in adult men and women.

Agreed! I should NOT be buying new fitness equipment right now, but I'm strongly tempted.

I just emailed the lead author asking for a copy of the paper; we'll see what he says.

Def interested in your take if you get to read it!

He sent me a copy! It's the referee's copy, but it has the graphics at the end. I'll pm you a download link.

Thank you!
Can't wait to read it.

[hector]

Friday. Thank God.

Main
SSB Squat: 300 x 3s x 5r
SSB Squat: 240 x 5 x 5 (one set was 260)
Bench: 285 x 5s x 3r
Bench: 245 x 6s x 5r
T-Bar Rows (close grip): 200 x 5s x 8r

Aux
Scapular Chins: 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 160 x 5s x 10r

Tonnage
SSB Squat: (4,500 + 6,000) = 10,500
Bench: (4,275 + 7,350) = 11,625
T-Bar Rows: 8,000
----------------------------------------------------------
Total: 30,125

##########################

Sleep deficit built up from the dogshit commute this week. Excited to sleep in tomorrow.
Got home and I was so exhausted I just laid on the couch for an hour. Didn't get any more energy. But I realized I wasn't getting any energy, so it didn't make sense to put off lifting anymore. So I got up and lifted.
Just finished lifting. Now I feel great.

Currently watching:
(1) Baki on Netflix. (Sick anime show about hand to hand combat.)
(2) Handmaid's Tale on Hulu. (New season has, based on first episode, pole vaulted over the shark. I like it.)

A Dream Deferred
I told myself that when I got my easy, short-break backoff sets up to 245 x 5 x 5 that I would celebrate this bench press progress by buying hundred pound plates. Now I'm there. But I don't want to be a debt slave buying stupid shit: I'm trying to be frugal right now.
So I'm moving the goal posts.
New Goal: When I get my easy, short-break, back-off Bench 5x5 sets up to 265 then I'll buy 50kg plates.

[hector]

Sunday Morning

Bike Erg: 10,000m, 23 minutes

[hector]

Sunday Night is an Off Day

Overhead Press: 135 x 3s x 8r
EZ Curls: 105 x 5s x 6r

######################

Getting some Overhead Press in on my off days lets me feel better about my bench press being my only pressing movement on my actual workout days.

[hector]

Monday, Back Already. F.

Main
Ssb Squat: 305 x 3s x 5r
Ssb Squat: 240 x 5 x 5
Bench: 285 x 5s x 3r
Bench: 245 x 6s x 5r
T- Bar Rows (close grip): 205 x 6s x 8r

Aux
Scapular Chins: 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 160 x 5s x 10r

Tonnage
Ssb Squat: (4,575 + 6,000) = 10,575
Bench: (4,275 + 7,350) = 11,625
T- Bar Rows: 9,840
----------------------------------------------------------
Total: 32,040

###########################

2nd week of the two week long, two hours each way, commute. Over soon. God willing.

245 lb backoff sets of bench were flying. Will increase to 250 if it is still feeling easy come Friday or Monday.

Listened to this podcast on protein with Peter Atilla and Don Layman. Learned that bits of protein don't do much for you unless you've already had a large bolus (at least 30g) of protein. Lots of other cool stuff too if you're the type of person to geek out on protein for a 2 hour podcast.

podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/episode/5rZlffRoLoRtDJmu2dnaOo?si=1MgUscfETn6CXWhDUd-1_w&utm_source=copy-link

[hector]

Tuesday Night is an Off Day

Bike Erg: 60 min, 26,000m

[hector]

Wed Night

Trap Bar Deads: 405 x 5 x 5
Bench: 250 x 6s x 5r

No time. 2 hour commute home ballooned. Was this better than nothing? I think so.

Cannot wait for the week to end. On Friday, even if I get home late, I shouldn't have any work to do at home and should be able to lift late if I have to.

[hector]

Thursday Night

Bike Erg: 20k, 45 minutes

[hector]

Friday!!!! Freedom!!!!

Main
Ssb Squat: 300 x 3s x 5r
Ssb Squat: 240 x 5 x 5
Bench: 290 x 5s x 3r
Bench: 245 x 5 x 5
Bench: 225 x 5 x 5 (stupid easy.)
T-Bar Rows (close grip): 205 x 5s x 8r

Aux
Scapular Chins: 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 160 x 5s x 10r

Tonnage
Ssb Squat: (4,500 + 6,000) = 10,500
Bench: (4,350 + 6,125 + 5,625) = 16,100
T-Bar Rows: 8,200
----------------------------------------------------------------
Total: 34,800

#############################

2 hour, each-way commute I've been these past 2 weeks is done. Thank God.

After my backoff sets of bench I did some backoff, backoff sets. The backoff sets were 245 x 5 x 5, the backoff backoff sets were 225 x 5 x 5.
It is incredible how much lighter 245 is than 290, and then how much lighter 225 is than 245. Like a 10x difference each increment. Only had 60 second breaks between sets of 225 x 5 and it was beyond easy. 290 for triples on the other hand was a pain.

Made some ribs to celebrate. On sale at Costco. Wouldn't normally do pork, but the recipe was easy. Just put them in chicken broth in a slow cooker for a few hours, then broiled for 6 minutes. Outstanding.

[Renascent]

Bench: 290 x 5s x 3r

Fucking A.

Seems like a bench PR is on the way.

[hector]

Bench: 290 x 5s x 3r

Fucking A.

Seems like a bench PR is on the way.

Yes!!!!!

Haven't gone for a 1RM Bench in awhile. Looking forward to testing a new 1RM soon.

[hector]

Saturday is an Off Day

Overhead Press: 135 x 6 x 6

Bike Erg: 20k, 50 minutes.

Bike ride was slow and easy bc legs were fried.

[hector]

Sunday is a Bike Day

Bike Erg: 20k, 50 minutes

EZ Curl: 105 x 5s x 8r
EZ Curl: 75 x 5s x 10r

[hector]

Monday. F.

Main
Ssb Squats: 300 x 3s x 5r
Bench: 290 x 5s x 3r
Bench: 245 x 5 x 5
Bench: 225 x 6s x 5r
T-Bar Rows: 205 x 7s x 8r

Aux
Nothing. Will revise later if I can get any in.

Tonnage
Ssb Squat: 4,500
Bench: (4,350 + 6,125 + 6,750) = 17,175
T-Bar Rows: 11,480
----------------------------------------------------------------
Total: 33,155

#############################

Didn't do my backoff sets of squats for 2 reasons:
(1) my legs were fried AF from biking on Saturday and Sunday. Guess I overdid it a little.
(2) I intended to get in some sets of trap bar deads after bench, and the time saved on squats was intended for sets of deadlifts.

Then, life happened, session was cut short. Didn't get in my trap bar deads. F.

In other news, life is short. I should enter a PL meet. No matter how shitty I do, it'd be nice to have some kind of application for this arcane shit I do in my garage alone for hours every week.

[hector]

Tuesday Night is a Bike Day

Bike Erg: 10k, 22 minutes

Overhead Press: 135 x 6 x 6
EZ Curls: 100 x 5s x 8r

[hector]

Wed is Hump Day

Main
Straight Bar Deads: 420 x 3 x 3
Straight Bar Deads: 315 x 6 x 6
Bench: 290 x 5s x 3r
Bench: 245 x 5 x 5
T- Bar Rows (close grip): 205 x 5s x 8r

Aux
Scapular Chins: 5s x 10r
Reverse Hyper: 160 x 5s x 10r

Tonnage
Straight Bar Deads: (3,780 + 11,340) = 15,120
Bench: (4,350 + 6,125) = 10,475
T- Bar Rows: 8,200
-------------------------------------------------------------------‐-----
Total: 33,795

#################################

Exhausted before I even started lifting today. Not sure why. Scaled my session back accordingly.

[hector]

Thursday is a Bike Day

Bike Erg: 10k

Overhead Press: 135 x 6 x 6

[hector]

Friday

Everything
Low Bar Back Squat: 275 x 3s x 5r
Bench: 250 x 3s x 5r

#########################

Determined why I was lethargic on Wed. I'm sick.

Still a little sick today. Had enough energy to at least get a few light sets.

Decided to try back squats. First time in a long time, since my default for a year+ has been the SSB.
Low bar squats felt different. I'd lost the shoulder flexibility I had. I could still get in position, but shoulders felt the stretch. Not comfy.
Then, on the squats themselves, my core felt strong. I'm guessing as a result of this past year of SSB squats.
My legs felt weak though. I attribute that more to recent biking and to being sick than I do the low bar back squats.

Fuck it.
Tomorrow's another day.

I thought this thing looked cool. I'll probably never see it in real life. I can't justify the expense and am not sure where/how it would fit into my training and goals. Despite that, it still looks cool. It's the "Prime Super Squat Bar." (Prime made my trap bar and it is legit AF.)

https://www.primefitnessusa.com/co ... 2551105