GoalsShow
2023 GoalsShow
Internal Goals
Train and eat consistently and intelligently in a way to facilitate strength and hypertrophy gains. I'm this close to doing bodybuilding for a year or two.
External Goals
Be accused of taking steroids by a muggle. Set individual and total PRs at a meet.
Train and eat consistently and intelligently in a way to facilitate strength and hypertrophy gains. I'm this close to doing bodybuilding for a year or two.
External Goals
Be accused of taking steroids by a muggle. Set individual and total PRs at a meet.
2022 GoalsShow
Internal Goals
Train and eat consistently and intelligently in a way to facilitate strength—primary—and hypertrophy—secondary—gains.
External Goals
Be accused of taking steroids by a muggle.
Train and eat consistently and intelligently in a way to facilitate strength—primary—and hypertrophy—secondary—gains.
External Goals
Be accused of taking steroids by a muggle.
2021 GoalsShow
PR my 1rm’s in squat, bench, deadlift, and press/push press. Current #’s are 405/265/480/165/185.
Close CoC #2.
I’ve trained 3 days per week for almost my entire training history. Assuming no acts of god, have as close to 150 sessions as practical.
Get lean once.
Be accused of taking steroids.
Close CoC #2.
I’ve trained 3 days per week for almost my entire training history. Assuming no acts of god, have as close to 150 sessions as practical.
Get lean once.
Be accused of taking steroids.
2020 GoalsShow
1) PR my 1rm's in SBD; currently at 405/260/475. I set goal weights for 2019, and none of them happened. For 2020, I just want to increase my 1rm's. Before corona, I was able to deadlift 480 and bench 265; we'll see what I'll be able to do with squat after corona.
2) Yet here's a goal weight; press 185 overhead. Current strict ohp 1rm is 157.5; this is not as important as above, and I don't care if it's push press or whatever. Just want 185 over my head. Push pressed 185x1 on Dec. 26, 2019.
3) End the year with an umbilicus measurement under 35"; currently around 35.75". No plans to cut until close to summer, but when I do, I want to then keep it under 35". I did a cut shortly before corona and it last 12 to 15 weeks; I'm down to around 184-185 with an umbilicus hanging around 34.25 as of June 9, 2020.
4) Log close to 145 sessions for the year. I'll end around 145 this year, and I want to keep that up next year. Yeah, I don't think that'll happen this year...cuz da rona.
5) I bought an actual myotape a few days ago. I want to track some measurements periodically and hopefully see an increase--I'm looking at you, biceps... This is the first year anyone would come close to thinking I lift, and I'd like to look the part a little more. After the cut, I'm definitely leaner, but I'd like to be a little more jacked.
2) Yet here's a goal weight; press 185 overhead. Current strict ohp 1rm is 157.5; this is not as important as above, and I don't care if it's push press or whatever. Just want 185 over my head. Push pressed 185x1 on Dec. 26, 2019.
3) End the year with an umbilicus measurement under 35"; currently around 35.75". No plans to cut until close to summer, but when I do, I want to then keep it under 35". I did a cut shortly before corona and it last 12 to 15 weeks; I'm down to around 184-185 with an umbilicus hanging around 34.25 as of June 9, 2020.
4) Log close to 145 sessions for the year. I'll end around 145 this year, and I want to keep that up next year. Yeah, I don't think that'll happen this year...cuz da rona.
5) I bought an actual myotape a few days ago. I want to track some measurements periodically and hopefully see an increase--I'm looking at you, biceps... This is the first year anyone would come close to thinking I lift, and I'd like to look the part a little more. After the cut, I'm definitely leaner, but I'd like to be a little more jacked.
2019 GoalsShow
1) 500 deadlift - No; got 470 in late November, but hopefully it'll happen in 2020.
2) 440 squat - No; didn't really push the squat until starting in August.
3) 275 bench - No; got 260 in November, but again hopefully it'll happen in 2020.
4) Maintain < 36in umbilicus measurement - Yes!!
5) Get jacked - I don't even know what this means.
2) 440 squat - No; didn't really push the squat until starting in August.
3) 275 bench - No; got 260 in November, but again hopefully it'll happen in 2020.
4) Maintain < 36in umbilicus measurement - Yes!!
5) Get jacked - I don't even know what this means.
All Time 1RM'sShow
Squat: 430
Bench: 265
Deadlift: 480
Push Press: 185
Bench: 265
Deadlift: 480
Push Press: 185
Rep PRsShow
As of 12/9/21
Updated on 12/11/21
Updated on 12/15/21
Updated on 12/17/21
Updated on 12/20/21
Updated on 2/7/22
Updated on 2/14/22
Updated on 3/16/22
Updated on 9/19/22
Updated on 9/28/22
Updated on 4/6/23
Updated on 5/17/23
LBBS
1: 430
2: 400
3:
4: 385
5: 345
6: 315
Paused Squat
1: 365
2:
3:
4: 335
5: 315
6: 295
Pin Squat
1: 370 375
2: 285 335
3: 285 315
4: 280 295
5: 280
6: N/A 275
SSB
1: 390
2: 340
3:
4: 300
5: 290
6: 265
10: 310
Bench
1: 265
2: 240
3: 235
4: 220 225
5: 215
6: 207.5
9: 195
10: 185
Pin bench
1: 245 260 265
2: 205
Slingshot
1: 280
2: 260
3:
4:
5: 245
6: 225
Deadlift
1: 480
2: 440
3: 410
4:
5:
6: 405
Paused Deadlift
1: 405
2:
3: 335 370
4:
5: 315
6: 385
SGDL
1: 365
2:
3:
4: 360
5: 280
SLDL
1: 405
2:
3: 375
4:
5: 315
Press
1: 165
2: 140
3:
4:
5: 137.5
6: 115
Push Press
1: 185
2:
3: 135
4:
5: 115
Incline Press
1:
2: n/a 185
3:
4:
5: 155 160
Updated on 12/11/21
Updated on 12/15/21
Updated on 12/17/21
Updated on 12/20/21
Updated on 2/7/22
Updated on 2/14/22
Updated on 3/16/22
Updated on 9/19/22
Updated on 9/28/22
Updated on 4/6/23
Updated on 5/17/23
LBBS
1: 430
2: 400
3:
4: 385
5: 345
6: 315
Paused Squat
1: 365
2:
3:
4: 335
5: 315
6: 295
Pin Squat
1: 370 375
2: 285 335
3: 285 315
4: 280 295
5: 280
6: N/A 275
SSB
1: 390
2: 340
3:
4: 300
5: 290
6: 265
10: 310
Bench
1: 265
2: 240
3: 235
4: 220 225
5: 215
6: 207.5
9: 195
10: 185
Pin bench
1: 245 260 265
2: 205
Slingshot
1: 280
2: 260
3:
4:
5: 245
6: 225
Deadlift
1: 480
2: 440
3: 410
4:
5:
6: 405
Paused Deadlift
1: 405
2:
3: 335 370
4:
5: 315
6: 385
SGDL
1: 365
2:
3:
4: 360
5: 280
SLDL
1: 405
2:
3: 375
4:
5: 315
Press
1: 165
2: 140
3:
4:
5: 137.5
6: 115
Push Press
1: 185
2:
3: 135
4:
5: 115
Incline Press
1:
2: n/a 185
3:
4:
5: 155 160
Training HistoryShow
On Monday, August 15, 2016, I started StrongLifts 5x5 after not touching a barbel since high school. I had done some stupid, silly bullshit in the gym, mostly with machines, and in general I had fuckarounditis. I had also recently lost a little bit of weight because after my first kid was born, I had "let myself go" and was a weak, skinny-fat blob of dough. I decided I wanted to be strong, so I did what any other douche does--I googled how to get strong. I found Mehdi's YouTube video and I was hooked. So as a weak, skinny-fat 175# dude, I started with the bar for squats, bench, and press; for deads, I started with 95#; and for rows, I started with 65#.
After about 6 months, I got my squat worksets up to around 225 and deads up to about 275. I switched to SS after Alan Thrall talked a lot about his coaching from Austin; I also incorporated power cleans for a while. I did SSLP until about Sep 2017 when I entered intermediate programming; I was able to get my 3x5 up to around 305 pounds on the squat with a top set of 5 at 335. I have records of everything, but that's the only thing I remember in terms of weights. I did HLM for about 12 weeks and then took a month off due to the birth of my son in December. Coming back, I LP'ed for a while and then started Hanley's Montana Method in March 2018. I've been doing that up to now, and I totaled 1035 in April 2018 in squat, bench, and deadlift. In July 2018, I decided to "overtrain" as Austin and Jordan suggest as well as trying to get as jacked as possible--since muscle mass is strongly correlated to strength post-novice. My T-rex avatar is appropriate...
Starting in August '18, I'm using an Emerging Strategies approach to the Montana Method. I'm still trying to "overtrain", i.e. do a lot of work; I'm up to 65 reps for squat per week, about 120 reps for bench/incline/press per week, and and 76 reps for pulls per week. Instead of doing the 2-week MM template, I'm going to re-run each week with additional weight on the bar until it doesn't work anymore. Then I'll assess what needs to change.
In middle October of 18, I've switched back to the 2 week Montana Method template. I'm also doing a couple of density blocks at the end of the sessions to help with the bro gainz. I want to total 500 kilos by the end of the year, and then I plan on doing my first ever cut. That should be fun.
In November '18, I got an all-time total of 1105 pounds then started a cut and a hypertrophy biased program. We'll see how long I'm able to cut without going crazy. The programming looks a lot like MM with more higher rep sets and extra density blocks.
In January 2019, I started the Barbell Medicine 4-Day Hypertrophy template while still on a cut. It's a 7 week program ideally done while gaining weight according to Jordan, but it's also good for those cutting because of the increased rep ranges. We'll see... I ran 5 weeks of the program; my wife got a new job, and going to the gym 4 times a week was pretty hectic. I switch to another Montana Method iteration.
In mid February, 2019, I've jumped on the Bench experiment that Hanley has provided on the forum, and I've tweaked the deadlift experiment that he and Chebass have concocted. So I'm benching everyday, alternating between ~65% and ~70%; I'm deadlifting everyday, rotating deficit deads, conventional deads, and sgdl with relatively light intensities to get in da volume. I'm not squatting much--just every three weeks or so with singles and doubles at pretty high intensity. Every day I'm doing leg press instead--also at relatively light intensities for volume. Every three weeks I'm doing singles/doubles for squat, bench, and deadlift in the 80% to 90% range. I've also stopped cutting weight and moved into maintenance; I plan to be here for a while, and I'm hoping to see some good gains on bench and deadlift. As long as there's not any regression on squat, I'm happy with that.
How'd that unilateral leg work go me, you ask? Well, I was an idiot and 1) injured both my knees and 2) detrained my LBBS quite a bit. Thanks for asking. I developed bursitis in my right knee and some mysterious ache--sprain, strain, I don't know--in my left knee. I was able to get the bursitis to go away for a bit with a no-squatting week, but it won't go away completely. The left knee is still achy a couple weeks after switching lower body programming, and I'm trying some specific rehab exercises--303 tempo squats, which f'in suck, and some isometric knee extension holds to see what happens.
Otherwise, I've resumed the MM-inspired deadlifting I was doing last summer/fall, and Hanley is now handling my bench programming starting late March '19. That's going well so far, and I'm excited to see what I can do.
In addition to doing my bench programming, Hanley is doing my deadlift programming starting mid July '19. For squats, I'm currently doing SSB only; my uni gym got one in early August, and since I've done noting but lbbs for over two years, I wanted to change it up.
At the start of 2020, Hanley has me doing a 4 day a week program for bench. I'm deadlifting and squatting twice per week each.
In June 2020, I'm restarting my training with a modified StrongLifts routine. No coaching right now.
Sometime late summer/early fall of 2020, I switched to an auto-regulated scheme based on Austin’s training—top double @ 7, back off sets of 3, back off sets of 5. I continued this until the end of 2020.
In early 2021, I switched to a bodybuilding/hypertrophy style of training while cutting. I did quite a few RP workouts for legs and such, and I saw some good gains in my legs there. Around the middle of the year, I switched back to a strength focus, which is really where I like training, but I’ll continue to incorporate some of the principles I learned from RP.
Through Fall 2021, I’ve done a single @7-8 and 4x4@6-7 on SBD. This approach has mostly gotten me back to lifetime PR territory. Now that I’m here, the question is of course how to improve. So far, I’ve not been very consistent with training once I get here, which I think has been holding me back.
After about 6 months, I got my squat worksets up to around 225 and deads up to about 275. I switched to SS after Alan Thrall talked a lot about his coaching from Austin; I also incorporated power cleans for a while. I did SSLP until about Sep 2017 when I entered intermediate programming; I was able to get my 3x5 up to around 305 pounds on the squat with a top set of 5 at 335. I have records of everything, but that's the only thing I remember in terms of weights. I did HLM for about 12 weeks and then took a month off due to the birth of my son in December. Coming back, I LP'ed for a while and then started Hanley's Montana Method in March 2018. I've been doing that up to now, and I totaled 1035 in April 2018 in squat, bench, and deadlift. In July 2018, I decided to "overtrain" as Austin and Jordan suggest as well as trying to get as jacked as possible--since muscle mass is strongly correlated to strength post-novice. My T-rex avatar is appropriate...
Starting in August '18, I'm using an Emerging Strategies approach to the Montana Method. I'm still trying to "overtrain", i.e. do a lot of work; I'm up to 65 reps for squat per week, about 120 reps for bench/incline/press per week, and and 76 reps for pulls per week. Instead of doing the 2-week MM template, I'm going to re-run each week with additional weight on the bar until it doesn't work anymore. Then I'll assess what needs to change.
In middle October of 18, I've switched back to the 2 week Montana Method template. I'm also doing a couple of density blocks at the end of the sessions to help with the bro gainz. I want to total 500 kilos by the end of the year, and then I plan on doing my first ever cut. That should be fun.
In November '18, I got an all-time total of 1105 pounds then started a cut and a hypertrophy biased program. We'll see how long I'm able to cut without going crazy. The programming looks a lot like MM with more higher rep sets and extra density blocks.
In January 2019, I started the Barbell Medicine 4-Day Hypertrophy template while still on a cut. It's a 7 week program ideally done while gaining weight according to Jordan, but it's also good for those cutting because of the increased rep ranges. We'll see... I ran 5 weeks of the program; my wife got a new job, and going to the gym 4 times a week was pretty hectic. I switch to another Montana Method iteration.
In mid February, 2019, I've jumped on the Bench experiment that Hanley has provided on the forum, and I've tweaked the deadlift experiment that he and Chebass have concocted. So I'm benching everyday, alternating between ~65% and ~70%; I'm deadlifting everyday, rotating deficit deads, conventional deads, and sgdl with relatively light intensities to get in da volume. I'm not squatting much--just every three weeks or so with singles and doubles at pretty high intensity. Every day I'm doing leg press instead--also at relatively light intensities for volume. Every three weeks I'm doing singles/doubles for squat, bench, and deadlift in the 80% to 90% range. I've also stopped cutting weight and moved into maintenance; I plan to be here for a while, and I'm hoping to see some good gains on bench and deadlift. As long as there's not any regression on squat, I'm happy with that.
How'd that unilateral leg work go me, you ask? Well, I was an idiot and 1) injured both my knees and 2) detrained my LBBS quite a bit. Thanks for asking. I developed bursitis in my right knee and some mysterious ache--sprain, strain, I don't know--in my left knee. I was able to get the bursitis to go away for a bit with a no-squatting week, but it won't go away completely. The left knee is still achy a couple weeks after switching lower body programming, and I'm trying some specific rehab exercises--303 tempo squats, which f'in suck, and some isometric knee extension holds to see what happens.
Otherwise, I've resumed the MM-inspired deadlifting I was doing last summer/fall, and Hanley is now handling my bench programming starting late March '19. That's going well so far, and I'm excited to see what I can do.
In addition to doing my bench programming, Hanley is doing my deadlift programming starting mid July '19. For squats, I'm currently doing SSB only; my uni gym got one in early August, and since I've done noting but lbbs for over two years, I wanted to change it up.
At the start of 2020, Hanley has me doing a 4 day a week program for bench. I'm deadlifting and squatting twice per week each.
In June 2020, I'm restarting my training with a modified StrongLifts routine. No coaching right now.
Sometime late summer/early fall of 2020, I switched to an auto-regulated scheme based on Austin’s training—top double @ 7, back off sets of 3, back off sets of 5. I continued this until the end of 2020.
In early 2021, I switched to a bodybuilding/hypertrophy style of training while cutting. I did quite a few RP workouts for legs and such, and I saw some good gains in my legs there. Around the middle of the year, I switched back to a strength focus, which is really where I like training, but I’ll continue to incorporate some of the principles I learned from RP.
Through Fall 2021, I’ve done a single @7-8 and 4x4@6-7 on SBD. This approach has mostly gotten me back to lifetime PR territory. Now that I’m here, the question is of course how to improve. So far, I’ve not been very consistent with training once I get here, which I think has been holding me back.
First Exodus Logged WorkoutShow
Monday, 3-5-18, Hypertrophy
Squat
285x5x4
285x4x5
Bench
135x5x4
135x4x5
SGDL
300x3x4
This took two hours, and I had no time to do any extra density blocks. May not be able to do that on H day. The squats were okay--not too hard, not too easy. Bench was pretty easy. SGDL was kinda hard, but I don't normally do that. Practice...
Squat
285x5x4
285x4x5
Bench
135x5x4
135x4x5
SGDL
300x3x4
This took two hours, and I had no time to do any extra density blocks. May not be able to do that on H day. The squats were okay--not too hard, not too easy. Bench was pretty easy. SGDL was kinda hard, but I don't normally do that. Practice...
FIREShow
BooksShow
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin
A Simple Path to Wealth by Jim Collins
A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine
A Simple Path to Wealth by Jim Collins
A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine
BlogsShow
PodcastsShow
WebsitesShow
What seems to work for me.Show
Squat
Doing Austin’s low fatigue model got my squat to pr territory at a lower body weight without beating me up. MM was the first programming to get me a 405 squat.
Bench
I usually see progress when I spend a lot of time at high intensities, and my strength drops rapidly when I don’t. HVLF along with heavy 1/2/3s seem to be good training.
Deadlift
Long ago, deadlifting 3x a week, using comp deadlift and two variations, led to my best deadlift. Then Hanley got me a few pounds better. JuggAI got me pretty close to pr levels. I think doing paused dl really was good for me. Maybe I should try deficit deads again...
Doing Austin’s low fatigue model got my squat to pr territory at a lower body weight without beating me up. MM was the first programming to get me a 405 squat.
Bench
I usually see progress when I spend a lot of time at high intensities, and my strength drops rapidly when I don’t. HVLF along with heavy 1/2/3s seem to be good training.
Deadlift
Long ago, deadlifting 3x a week, using comp deadlift and two variations, led to my best deadlift. Then Hanley got me a few pounds better. JuggAI got me pretty close to pr levels. I think doing paused dl really was good for me. Maybe I should try deficit deads again...
