For Your Health (a hunk's log)

[broseph]

3/23/23

Press 115x5, 135x5, 155x8

Seated DB Press 60x3x9, 1x11

Supersetted:
Incline DB Curl 30x4x13
French Press 108x3x12, 1x14

Titan Bike
10:00
22.4 mph
12.1 Cal/min


Statement of Purpose: My wife's gym participates in a local annual crossfit competition that is starting to grow, so much so that stupid Rich Froning (or similar) is supposed to have a team at it this year. My wife competes, and her gym is hosting a little on-site on-the-side workout for rando's who are not competing in the main event (apparently this a thing at these types of events).

It's at the beach, and I'm going to help set up/judge, and I'm using it as an end date for my "physique cycle" or whatever you might call my current plan to keep bulking until June, followed by a 4 week cut, followed by a 2 week refuel to pump back up and be totally ripped for Rich Froning by July 15.

[broseph]

3/25/23

Bodyweight 195.5#
Waist Circumference 34"
Cold Bicep Circumference 17"
Rate of Winning 100%


Squat 265x5, 305x5, 345x10@9
Felt like @9, but video replay shows pretty fast final reps.

Sisy Squat BWx4x14

Hip Thrust 265x nope
I don't know if it was the pump from everything else, or what? But I could not find a position where the bar didn't dig into my quads to the point of flinching and dropping it. Even at its best I wouldn't call this movement "comfortable", but today it was intolerable. Not sure what to do about it, especially since I'm finally seeing some glute growth.

RDL 265 (since it was already loaded) x3x5

Abwheel 3x14

[DCR]

345x10

Nodding in respect.

[broseph]

345x10

Nodding in respect.

For your top set of 10.

[broseph]

3/26/23

Bench 240x3, 275x3, 310x6@9

Incline Fly 15x3x20, 1x30@tastes like burning

Wide Grip Pullup BW x3x10, 1x14

Inverted Row +16 x3x10

Titan Bike
30:00
20.7 mph
10.00 Cal/min
Slow for 10 minutes, fast for 10, slow for 10 to get 300 Cal in 30:00.

[Renascent]

But I could not find a position where the bar didn't dig into my quads to the point of flinching and dropping it. Even at its best I wouldn't call this movement "comfortable", but today it was intolerable. Not sure what to do about it, especially since I'm finally seeing some glute growth.

Are you using something to pad the bar? If so, might be time for an upgrade.

[broseph]

But I could not find a position where the bar didn't dig into my quads to the point of flinching and dropping it. Even at its best I wouldn't call this movement "comfortable", but today it was intolerable. Not sure what to do about it, especially since I'm finally seeing some glute growth.

Are you using something to pad the bar? If so, might be time for an upgrade.

So… I have a nasty old pillow that I keep in the weight room for things like this. I tried rearranging it a few times thinking that was the problem, but it just kept killing quads.

Do you have a recommendation for padding? I’ve seen some cheap ones on Amazon (of course).

[Renascent]

But I could not find a position where the bar didn't dig into my quads to the point of flinching and dropping it. Even at its best I wouldn't call this movement "comfortable", but today it was intolerable. Not sure what to do about it, especially since I'm finally seeing some glute growth.

Are you using something to pad the bar? If so, might be time for an upgrade.

So… I have a nasty old pillow that I keep in the weight room for things like this. I tried rearranging it a few times thinking that was the problem, but it just kept killing quads.

Do you have a recommendation for padding? I’ve seen some cheap ones on Amazon (of course).

I stashed an old pillow we were going to throw out as well. Was gonna use it to cushion the floor when releasing weighted cables so I can tell my loved ones I'm doing my due diligence to protect the floor, but haven't actually bothered just yet.

Anyway, I use one of those bar pad things for hip thrusts, but I've seen people using those chunky foam square pads as well ("thruster pads" might be what they're called). They always appeared to be overpriced, but might be useful for this exact scenario.

[broseph]

3/27/23

Press 125x3, 145x3, 165x7@10
Making some progress here.

Upright Row 85x3x16, 1x20
Last couple reps were partials and I caught a sick juicy pump.

Supersetted:
Hammer Curl 30x3x16, 1x20
Dip BWx3x14, 1x20
The pump continued with these final sets of 20.


Musings: And so can you believe how much I am in heaven?

[broseph]

3/28/23

Deadlift 300x5, 345x5, 390x10@infarction

Hip Thrust 265x3x8, 1x14@low back pump.
I must be unconsciously hyperextending.
Also, rolled up yoga mat was an annoying but effective pad.

Sisy Squat BWx4x14

Abwheel
Standing x0 (thought I'd give it a shot)
Kneeling x2x20

[DCR]

Musings: And so can you believe how much I am in heaven?

Why yes, yes I can.

I left the gym without lifting tonight, couldn’t get into it. If I’d been down south at the commercial gym I use there, I’d have stayed, done nothing but machines, and gotten pumped out of my mind for no reason other than pleasure.

Also: I saw Pumping Iron for the first time a few months ago. It was both incredibly uncomfortable (bodybuilding culture is really damn weird) and awesome.

[broseph]

I saw Pumping Iron for the first time a few months ago. It was both incredibly uncomfortable (bodybuilding culture is really damn weird) and awesome.

Yeah that culture is such a weird and specific world.

Whenever I watch Pumping Iron (lol, maybe twice?) I just feel bad for Lou Ferrigno. Arnold does so much mean girl shit under the guise of "playing the mental game."

[Renascent]

I saw Pumping Iron for the first time a few months ago. It was both incredibly uncomfortable (bodybuilding culture is really damn weird) and awesome.

Yeah that culture is such a weird and specific world.

Whenever I watch Pumping Iron (lol, maybe twice?) I just feel bad for Lou Ferrigno. Arnold does so much mean girl shit under the guise of "playing the mental game."

I remembering reading somewhere that, to some degree, Arnold was playing up his heelish tendencies to enrich the "storyline" of their on-screen rivalry. Not sure if that means they were all okay with it or not.

Arnold's story about giving some guy advice on yelling still cracks me up just thinking about it.

Anyhow, it needed more Franco. And Ed Corney's mustache.

[DCR]

I saw Pumping Iron for the first time a few months ago. It was both incredibly uncomfortable (bodybuilding culture is really damn weird) and awesome.

Yeah that culture is such a weird and specific world.

Whenever I watch Pumping Iron (lol, maybe twice?) I just feel bad for Lou Ferrigno. Arnold does so much mean girl shit under the guise of "playing the mental game."

Same, and also because, despite the super nice but intense guy that shows up on camera, apparently Matty Ferrigno was an abusive pos.

Arnold tells a story in his Encyclopedia about someone early on tricking him into having a cigarette before going onstage. He didn’t smoke and it fucked him up. IIRC that was what turned him on to the whole mental game thing.

Anyhow, it needed more Franco.

Big agree. Guy was unbelievable.

[broseph]

3/29/23

Bench 260x5, 295x3, 327.5x4@10
Definitely some residual fatigue from dips. Even in the warmups it feels like my pecs and triceps are "getting tired" (you know the feeling). Coming from a low fatigue strength-orientated setup, that is very much a foreign feeling. As long as the bench doesn't crash, I'm not too worried about it. Even though I talk about like once a week. So obviously I'm a little worried about it.

Incline DB Bench 75x3x12, 1x16

DB Row 65x5x12

Titan Bike
30:00
19.0 mph
7.8 Cal/min
@EZPZ

[broseph]

3/30/23

Press 135x5, 155x3, 170x6@9.5

Seated DB Press 60x3x9, 1x14

Supersetted:
Incline DB Curl 30x4x13
French Press 108x4x12


Musings: Driving to Florida tomorrow night. I still can't decide if I want to do legs or not. On the one hand, I won't be lifting for a week, so... gainz. On the other hand, I don't want my hips and low back complaining at me for the 16 hour drive.

[broseph]

3/31/23

Squat 285x3, 325x3, 365x5@<8
Anything less than @8 is impossible for me to judge, but I wanted to take it easy before the big road trip.

Sisy Squat BWx4x14

Skipping hip thrusts again. I'm in no mood for shenanigans.

Skipping knee raises in an effort to keep my abs fresh for the drive. I think I have a greater tendency to let my abs slack off when they're fatigued, and I blame ab slack for the low back pain that nags me when driving.


Musings: Looks like it's going to rain through the entire drive tonight. Super cool.

[alek]

Musings: Looks like it's going to rain through the entire drive tonight. Super cool.

I raise a toast in your honor. Been there, done that and all.

[broseph]

Musings: Looks like it's going to rain through the entire drive tonight. Super cool.

I raise a toast in your honor. Been there, done that and all.

Great news; it only rained for the first 12 hours or so. But it was mostly torrential in nature, such that you had to drive half the speed limit.

Also, I think there was a serious tornado just a couple hours ahead of us in Indiana. For us, the wind was strong enough that when you hydroplaned you also drifted sideways, and we came upon an area that was cartoonishly demolished. It looked like a warehouse was leveled and scattered across the highway. They still hadn't cleared the Northbound lanes it was so recent.

The drive home was less eventful, besides the traffic.


I did 1 workout on vacation; a few rounds of boulder zercher squats, boulder bent rows, pushups, and boulder back-overs (that's what I called a thing where you pick up a thing from the ground and get it up and over your shoulder, dropping it behind you).

I am 3 pounds heavier, even though it didn't feel like I ate much. But I had fast food x3 during the drive home yesterday. We'll see where that number ends up after a few days of normalcy.

[DCR]

I am 3 pounds heavier, even though it didn't feel like I ate much. But I had fast food x3 during the drive home yesterday. We'll see where that number ends up after a few days of normalcy.

Bet you a dollar that 3 lbs is gone in a day or two. You’re holding water from yesterday’s sodium fest. I’m something of an expert in those circumstances.

Also, welcome back - hope outside of the drive, the vacation was cool.