tech-money's log - gainz and dessert

[thekmoney]

2/27

Still some residual soreness in mid-back, hamstrings, and triceps from Sunday from new program stuff.

Sleep was 6/10. Food was extra credit 11/10. Chocolate sheet cake. Oh yes.
Tried to donate blood yesterday but found out 1. I'm dehydrated 2. My hemoglobin is low so I'm slightly anemic. Not sure those will impact lifting greatly, but I'm taking steps to correct.

LBBS
many @ bar, lots of paused stuff @ 115, 1 @ 145, 165, 185, 5x2 @ 190
- 5 reps were not going to happen with good form so I did 2 reps every 2 minutes. Focus was on making every rep the same and perfect form.

DB rows
10 each @ 50, 55, 60

DB lunges
10 each @ 45, 50

Chin-ups
2x5 @ +10#

Weighted plank
1:30 + 30 seconds @ +45#

BW: 153.0

[thekmoney]

2/28

Bro day. Sleep was 7/10. Food was 11/10. >3000 calories yesterday. This workout is dedicated to chicken pot pie and chocolate sheet cake.

Bench
many @ bar, 5 @ 95, 2 @ 105, 2x5 @ 115 - 7, 8 RPE
- Placing hands about 1.5 inches wider out. Feels better. Might go even wider.

Incline DB bench
5 @ 30, 3x5 @ 35, 12 @ 35
- getting DBs in place without workout buddy - RPE 10. Will do just high-rep, low-weight DB stuff without a partner.

DB row
2x5 each @ 60, 65, 5 @ 70

Lat pull-downs to sternum
5x5 @ 120

Dips
12, 15, 15 @ BW

BW: 153.0

[thekmoney]

3/1

Food was 11/10 >3000 calories, sleep was 8/10.

LBBS
many @ bar, 5 @ 115, 1 @ 145, 165, 180, 2x5 @ 190 - RPE 9, 10
- Yay

OHP
5 @ bar, 2 @ 65, 1 @ 75, 2x4 @ 77.5 - RPE 9.5, 9.5

DB OHP
2x5 @ 30#, 2x5 @ 35#, 5 @ 30#

Narrow grip chin-ups
10,8,8 @ BW

Front squats (lol)
5 @ 115, 3 @ 145, 2x5 @ 115
- I had so much fun squatting I decided to go for some front squats. Nah. NAHHHHHH. Not that fun.

Weighted planks
1 min, 30 sec, 30 sec @ +45#

BW: 152.0

I am officially a member of USAPL and registered for my first meet on July 14th/15th. Doing it!

[Wilhelm]

I am officially a member of USAPL and registered for my first meet on July 14th/15th. Doing it!

It's on!

[thekmoney]

3/3

Food was 9/10 ~2800 calories, sleep was 8/10

Front squat
5 @ 95, 3 @ 115, 2 @ 135, 5 @ 160, 2+f+3 @ 160 - RPE 9.5, 10
- Came up on my toes and dumped the weight forward for the fail, but nbd. Still a PR for 5

Bench
3 @ 95, 3 @ 115, 5 @ 115, 5 @ 120 - RPE 8,8.5
- Took my grip wider and my right shoulder feels less scrunched.

Row
5 @ 115, 2x5 @ 125, 2x5 @ 135

Incline bench
3 @ 75, 80, 3x1 @ 85, 3 @ 80
- I don't know what muscles I should using here. It feels light until it doesn't go anywhere.

BW: 153.2

[Sirimiti]

Hello familiar lady-beast! Nice to see you here.

Wow, you weren't kidding about hitting those "crappy" carbs to reach your calories . Ice cream for the win though. Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia is frozen gold. Haagen Daz also has a new line of spirits flavours (ice cream with booze).

I think incline bench is supposed to "really target those lower pecs dude" (imagine that in a bro voice)

[thekmoney]

3/4

Sleep was 8/10, Food was 10/10.

I had some back irritation immediately after squats on Thursday. There was some stiffness on Friday and Saturday. Today I did deadlifts...

Deadlifts
5 @ 135, 3 @ 185, 2 @ 225, 1 @ 255
- Technically a PR

Sumo deadlifts
5 @ 135, 5 @ 175, 5 @ 195
- I think my torso is so long it's hard to not target my back on conventional deadlifts. I'm going to train sumo for a while.

Lat pull-downs
5x5 @ 112.5 to sternum

Back is seizing up. Clearly, I am way overusing my back on deadlifts and squats. Going to have to scale back.

I wonder if heavy lifting ever causes headaches? Seems like it.

[thekmoney]

Hello familiar lady-beast! Nice to see you here.

Wow, you weren't kidding about hitting those "crappy" carbs to reach your calories . Ice cream for the win though. Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia is frozen gold. Haagen Daz also has a new line of spirits flavours (ice cream with booze).

I think incline bench is supposed to "really target those lower pecs dude" (imagine that in a bro voice)

Yep. I can't imagine hitting 3000 calories without them. I can only do so much protein powder and milk before I get nauseated and stop eating, so... junk food it is. I can't imagine willingly eating so much of anything else.

I love bro-ing out sometimes. Gotta get em a little bit bigger, not big enough. I just googled incline/decline bench and apparently chicks do it to perk up the ladies.

[thekmoney]

3/7

I missed a day of training because my lower back was irritated. Not a good sign. I have never had my lower back so angry at me before.

Bench
2x5 @ 115 @ 7,8
- right shoulder felt less scrunched, trying the "break the bar" cue

Incline DB bench
8 @ 30, 2x8ish @ 35#

DB rows
3 @ 60, 65, 70, 70, 8 @ 60 each

Dips
15, 12 @ bw

Lots of sitting in the bottom of the squat with 115# and 135# to loosen up my lower back. Tomorrow, there will be squats.

BW: 154.0!

[mgil]

Unsolicited advice:

The back issue sucks. Looking at your last few entries, looks like the intensity has been scaling high (RPE 8+, with a few 9s and 10s) which is probably keeping things in a chronic state of inflammation.

Maybe try a week or two where the RPE is under 8 for everything lower body related and then ramping back up again?

[thekmoney]

Unsolicited advice:

The back issue sucks. Looking at your last few entries, looks like the intensity has been scaling high (RPE 8+, with a few 9s and 10s) which is probably keeping things in a chronic state of inflammation.

Maybe try a week or two where the RPE is under 8 for everything lower body related and then ramping back up again?

Thanks for the tips! I appreciate advice. I'm not super familiar with how well my body can take consistently intense sets with lower body stuff. Being able to squat correctly is still kind of new to me. I ended up taking a break from putting any kind of weight on my spine until my lower back felt 100%. It was apparent to me it wasn't a stretching/tightness thing, but a strain. I've had plenty of DOMS, but this was something different. It came on *immediately* after I finished that one deadlift and did not let up even when I tried to relax it with stretching and foam rolling.

Things you learn. I'm not sure if this is something that is from having poor form or just too much all at once. Deadlifts are just gonna put some strain on your lower back, right?

[thekmoney]

3/11

LBBS
2x5 @ 175

Bench
2x5 @ 120, 12 @ 95
- Wider grip still. Feels better.

Single DB row
3x10 @ 50, 55, 60 each

DB lunges
10 each @ 45, 7 + 3 @ 55

Incline BB bench
5 @ 70, 75, 75, 80, 80

BW: who knows, but I have not been eating to excess . Busy week.

[mgil]

@thekmoney, when you have a chance, check out @Austin’s pain stuff if you haven’t already. The low back pain you mention is familiar to many of us; the article may help.

[thekmoney]

3/13

Food: 7/10 - not nearly enough, sleep 6/10, alcohol 11/10 , stress 11/10
Job is increasingly driving me crazy as I await to hear back from a place I interviewed at. Fingers crossed...

Front squat
1 @ 160 - rpe 8, 3 @ 150 - rpe 9, 2x5 @ 135 - rpe 7

Bench
5 @ 85, 5 @ 105, 3 @ 120 - rpe 9

Lat pull-downs to sternum
3x5 @ 120

Was not super feeling it energy-wise today. Work stress + outside projects + interview prep might interfere with my ability to keep up the grind of an LP. I'm not even sure if the alcohol interferes. I get hyped up and pretty zen when I'm slightly hungover and sleep-deprived.

BW: 152.0 Where did all my gainz go?!

[thekmoney]

@thekmoney, when you have a chance, check out @Austin’s pain stuff if you haven’t already. The low back pain you mention is familiar to many of us; the article may help.

Thanks for the suggestion. It's good to know it's a thing others have had the same problem (in an odd way, solidarity through commiseration). I'll definitely check it out.

[thekmoney]

3/14 Pi day

Food was 5/10, insufficient, and sleep 7/10.
Dear god I hate cauliflower. Not even cupcakes look good.
This is kind of a weird week since I missed a couple sessions last week and have to take a break for a seminar this weekend for three days.

LBBS
many @ bar, 5 @ 115, 2 @145, 1 @ 165, 3x3 @ 180 - rpe 8.5, 10 @ 115
- Hips pop out from under the bar so... probably need to take the weight down so that doesn't happen

OHP
5,4 @ 75 - rpe 9, 9.5

DB OHP
8 each then 8 right, 6 left @ 30#

Neutral grip pull-ups
8,7,6 @ bw

Dips
12, 13 @ bw

OHP just neva gets better.

[thekmoney]

3/16

sleep was 7/10, food 8/10, still probably not enough calories

Front squat
2x5 @ 145 - RPE 7/8

Bench - wide-grip with push and flare cue
5,4 @ 110
- LOL I failed on the 5th rep. I was like, pfft 110 come on, but it did not go up. This set-up definitely emphasizes my chest over my triceps though and does not scrunch my shoulders.

DB rows
10 each @ 50, 55, 60

Sumo deadlifts
5 @ 135, 155, 175, 185
- I like big butts and I cannot lie, also my back is not seizing up so yay

[thekmoney]

3/20

Very long weekend, very sleep-deprived.
Sleep was 2/10, food was also 2/10, energy levels are like 2/10.

LBBS
2x5 @ 170
- form was not great on last two reps.

Bench - wide-grip
4 @ 110, 5 @ 105
- still using my actual chest so yay

lat pull-downs
3x8 @ 105

DB lunges
2x10 @ 45#

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz super bloated from eating god knows what at a seminar over the weekend. It wasn't even cake.

BW: a lot

[thekmoney]

3/21

So much bro today

DB bench
8 @ 40, 2x5 @ 45#

DB incline bench (probably 30 degrees)
2x5 @ 35#

DB row
5 @ 50, 60, 65, 70, 10 @ 60

Dips
2x15 @ BW

[thekmoney]

3/23

LBBS
3 @ 180, 185, 1 @ 190 - 9.5 RPE + 4 @ 175, 3 @ 180
- Got a little antzy with someone needing the squat rack so rushed the sets.

Bench w/ wider grip
2x5 @ 110 - RPE 8,9
- I can feel my bewbbbbbs

Incline DB bench
12 @ 35#, 9 @ 35#

Chin-ups
5x5 @ BW

BW: 153.6

Technically this cycle is supposed to be only six weeks, so two more weeks, after which I'm going to switch things up. I do my own thing anyways.