Matt Neilsen's Log - A Hitchhiker's Guide to Montana

[MattNeilsen]

10/21/18 - Sunday; Month 7, Hypertrophy
BW: 201.0 lbs

Squat - 5@60%, 3@65%, 7@65%, 5@65%, 1 set to @8, then 4@65%, 7@65%, 3@65%
205 x 5
225 x 3
225 x 7
225 x 5
225 x 11
225 x 4
225 x 7
225 x 3

OHP - 5@60%, 4@65%, 7@65%, 5@65%, 9@65%, 5@65%, 8@65%, 4@65%
100 x 5
107.5 x 4
107.5 x 7
107.5 x 5
107.5 x 9
107.5 x 5
107.5 x 8
107.5 x 4

Pull-ups - AMRAP, then 7-minute density
11, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 4 = 36 reps total

***Rep, reps, and more reps! I do like the staggered sets, though - very different feel than sets across.

[BenM]

Jagged sets! Did Hanley program those?

They are interesting but I don’t really understand how they work. I should try them again.

[MattNeilsen]

Jagged sets! Did Hanley program those?

They are interesting but I don’t really understand how they work. I should try them again.

These are definitely a Hanley-prescribed (and approved) torture tool.

The reason I like them is mostly psychological (which - on a side note - I'm continually realizing is a huge part of training, and not just physical training). It breaks up the monotony and makes me feel like I'm doing something novel each set.

I seem to recall the advice being given somewhere that you really need to focus on moving the weight with intent, especially on the lower-rep sets. Typically, the weights I use on these sets are in the ~65-70% range, so RM would be ~11-13 reps. If you're only doing ~4-5 reps, then you need to move them quickly to get the benefits of maximal muscle-fiber recruitment.**

**At least that's my understanding - please verify all my pseudo-scientific claims before implementing

[MattNeilsen]

10/25/18 - Thursday; Month 7, Strength
BW: 198.4 lbs

Squat - 3x5@70%, then using same weight 5x3@70%
240 x 5 x 3
240 x 3 x 5

OHP - 1@90%, then drop weight for 4x5@70%, then 5x4@70%
150 x 1 @~7.5
115 x 5 x 4
115 x 4 x 5

SGDL - 295 x 4 x 5

***I tried to do all sets on 1-2 minute rests since the weights were relatively light. Succeeded for the most part, though I was sweating pretty good by the end of OHP.
***This seems to be a common refrain in my log, but I really need to gain more weight. It's not impossible to get stronger, but I'm certainly doing myself no favors by remaining in an isocaloric (or even negative) state. Maybe I'll add some nuts or avocados in, even though I've been trying to stay carnivore for the experiment.

10/23/18 - Tuesday; Month 7, Power
BW: 200.0 lbs

Squat - 4@60%, 3@70%, 2@80%, 2@85%
205 x 4
245 x 3
275 x 2
295 x 2

OHP = 4@60%, 3@70%, 2@80%, 2@85%, 3x2@80%
100 x 4
115 x 3
135 x 2
140 x 2
135 x 2 x 3

Deadlift - 4x4@75%
335 x 4 x 4

Pec Assist - Dips, 1 set amrap, then mini-sets with 50% rep total from amrap EMOM...until you lose ~25% reps or get bored
Dips x 11, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 = 51 reps total

***The dips started to feel a little twingy at the insertion on the sternum (I think it was the sternocleidomastoid), so I stopped after 8 sets of EMOM.

[MattNeilsen]

10/30/18 - Tuesday; Month 7, Power
BW: 200.0 lbs

Squat - 2@300 (ended up @7 ish? @7.5?)

OHP - 3@60%, 2@70%, 2 singles @77.5%, 1@85% (use this rep to gauge load for next rep), 1@10 (you can take multiple tries here)
100 x 3
115 x 2
125 x 1 x 2
140 x 1
165 x F
165 x 1 @9.75

Deadlift - 1@8-9, then 3-4 triples @80%
425 x 1 @8.5
365 x 3 x 3

***I misgrooved the first 1@10 OHP by pushing too far foward (which I'm noticing is a common mistake). On the second attempt, I cue'd myself by "shooting for the back of my head" and grinded it up. I probably could have added ~5 lbs more but that's it. Progress on OHP seems to be glacially slow for me (though to be fair, losing as much weight as I have has NOT helped).

10/28/18 - Sunday; Month 7, Hypertrophy
BW: 200.4 lbs

Squat - 7x5@70%
240 x 5 x 7

OHP - 5x6@70%, then 2x5@70%
115 x 6 x 5
115 x 5 x 2

***Quick in and out workout - I only had 50 minutes to get it done from start to finish.

[MattNeilsen]

Checking back in to say I’m still alive. I got married in November (thus the absence), though I’ve still been training. Should be starting a new cycle soon with Hanley. I lost more weight last month (down to 194 lbs), so I’ve got some work to do to get some meat back on my bones.

Hope training’s been going well for you all! I’ll catch up in everyone’s logs as time allows.

[BenM]

Good to hear, and congratulations on the nuptials! Join me on the bulk....

[Wilhelm]

Congratulations of getting hitched, @MattNeilsen!

[cgeorg]

Congrats man!

[augeleven]

Marriage, the eternal bulk!

Congrats!

[lehman906]

One of us! One of us!

Congrats, man. I'm rejoining the Montana lifestyle myself. I notice that your program has some subtle differences from classic MM.

[MattNeilsen]

Good to hear, and congratulations on the nuptials! Join me on the bulk....

Thanks, man! I probably need to gain ~20 lbs back, so I’m definitely onboard the bulk-train for 2019

[MattNeilsen]

@cgeorg @Wilhelm @augeleven Thanks, guys!

One of us! One of us!

Congrats, man. I'm rejoining the Montana lifestyle myself. I notice that your program has some subtle differences from classic MM.

Haha, thanks man. I’m still working with Hanley directly for programming - he’s the puppet master pulling my strings. Things will probably be changing up a bit since we’re going into somewhat of a bulk-phase, so we’ll see what happens. My biggest challenge has always been eating enough - I might have to add whole milk back into the rotation.

[lehman906]

@cgeorg @Wilhelm @augeleven Thanks, guys!

One of us! One of us!

Congrats, man. I'm rejoining the Montana lifestyle myself. I notice that your program has some subtle differences from classic MM.

Haha, thanks man. I’m still working with Hanley directly for programming - he’s the puppet master pulling my strings. Things will probably be changing up a bit since we’re going into somewhat of a bulk-phase, so we’ll see what happens. My biggest challenge has always been eating enough - I might have to add whole milk back into the rotation.

A cup of instant oatmeal made with a cup of milk. Stir in a scoop of whey and a Greek yogurt. Sounds like it would be gross, but it tastes good, and it has 830 calories and 60 grams of protein.

[appleswag96]

Missing yoru log bro hope you start postign again!

[BenM]

Yeah me too. Come back @MattNeilsen - wanna hear how your bulk is going.

[MattNeilsen]

Missing yoru log bro hope you start postign again!

Still alive, man! I’ve been running an experiment the last couple months with a buddy - should be wrapped up in another 6 weeks or so. At some point I’ll do a write-up if it produces anything of value.

I can’t help it - self-experimenting is too much fun

[MattNeilsen]

Yeah me too. Come back @MattNeilsen - wanna hear how your bulk is going.

Hahaha...I am the world’s worst bulker. Ended up losing another ~10 lbs before getting things under control. I’m slowly regaining it back right now (up to 196 lbs). Eventual goal is to make it back to 220, but...5 lbs at a time

You’ve been doing a solid job on your own bulk, Ben. I know you can be hard on yourself sometimes, but you should be damned proud of your consistent training. 2019 is going to be a great year!

[MattNeilsen]

Alright....been a long while since I posted! This is probably going to be a long post, but at the cajoling of others (thanks @cgeorg, @BenM, and @heidikay, @iamsmu ), I'm gonna try to summarize what I've been up to from a training and nutrition perspective over the past ~6 months.

Training

I was getting an itch earlier this year to experiment with something new in my training and somehow landed on doing an experiment with using resistance bands. I picked up an X3 Bar from a friend and decided to do a strict 3-month trial with DEXA scans before and after to track progress. For those not familiar with the X3 Bar, it's essentially a combination of barbell movements with resistance bands (here are a couple of pictures):




Training consisted of A & B workouts (basically Push/Pull - (Movement #1-4)/(Movement #5-8), and the program consisted of 1 set to failure for each movement in each workout. I've included my DEXA results as well as my body measurements (before --> after) below for comparison. I learned a couple of things from the experiment: (a) 1 set to failure wasn't enough volume, except for (b) my shoulders got quite a bit bigger (developed more of a V-shape), (c) upper body is much easier to grow with alternative methods than lower body, (d) single-leg squats are interesting and something I'll continue to incorporate, but multiple sets of them are fucking brutal mentally, (e) surprisingly, my barbell lifts didn't suffer that much, (f) the excess calories, in combination with ineffective programming, led to more fat gain than desired.

Barbell lifts

Squat - ~330-340 --> ~315-320
Deadlift - ~450 --> ~425
Bench - ~240-245 --> ~225-230
OHP - ~165 --> ~150
Chin-ups - 14 --> 17

DEXA Scan 2/1/19 - 5/1/19

Weight - 189.9 lbs --> 197.7 lbs (+7.8 lbs)
Body Fat - 12.8% --> 14.8% (+2%)
Lean Mass - 158.7 lbs --> 161.5 lbs (+2.8 lbs)
Fat Mass - 24.3 lbs --> 29.3 lbs (+5 lbs)
Bone Density Z-Score - 1.1 --> 1.1 (no change)

Body measurements

Neck - 14 3/4” --> 15 1/8"

Left bicep:
Unflexed - 13 7/8” --> 14"
Flexed - 15 1/4” --> 15 1/4"

Right bicep:
Unflexed - 14” --> 14"
Flexed - 15 3/8” --> 15 1/2"

Left forearm - 11 1/4” --> 11 1/2"
Right forearm - 11 3/8” --> 11 3/4"

Left wrist - 6 3/4” --> 6 5/8"
Right wrist - 7” --> 7"

Shoulders (around delts) - 44 1/2” --> ~47"
Chest - 41 1/4” --> 42"

Navel:
Unflexed - 32 1/4” --> 33 1/2"
Flexed - 31 3/8” --> 31 7/8"

Glutes - 38 5/8” --> 39 1/2"

Left quad - 23 3/8” --> 24"
Right quad - 23 1/2” --> 24 1/4"

Left calf - 15 5/8” --> 16"
Right calf - 15 7/8" --> 16"


After finishing the X3 experiment, I began a new resistance band experiment incorporating programming from James Grage at Undersun Fitness. The programming is more along the lines of a traditional body-part split:

Monday - Back
Tuesday - Chest
Wednesday - OFF
Thursday - Arms
Friday - Legs
Saturday - Shoulders
Sunday - OFF

I've mostly been following that for the past ~3 months and have really enjoyed it. Perhaps my favorite part is that my wife and I have taken several trips (the longest one being a week and a half) and I never once missed a workout since my bands fit in a small backpack. I also love the fact that my joints have felt 100% for the past 6 months - literally zero joint pain, aches, discomfort, etc. I haven't done another DEXA scan, but based on visuals, I appear to have lost 1-2% body fat while staying the same weight (~198 lbs), so it appears I'm trending in the right direction.

Overall, I've become a really big fan of using resistance bands and plan to keep them in my routine moving forward. The only thing I'm going to change, however, is bringing back barbell squats and deadlifts/SGRDL. I haven't been as impressed with my quad/hamstring hypertrophy using only bands, so why continue to use less effective tools when more effective ones exist?

Nutrition

Oh man...the nutrition train has been a ride! I started playing with a low-carb/carnivore approach back in September of last year (2018) and have gone back and forth between that and higher-carb. I wore a WHOOP Strap for 6 months from November 2018 - May 2019 which provided some interesting insights into the effect of diet on HRV (long story short: upping carbs to ~200g a day dramatically increased my HRV).

I mentioned this elsewhere, but in June I finally tried something I've been wanting to do for a while: a 5-day water-only fast. The first day was fine - I regularly eat in an intermittent-style fashion anyway - but Day 2 and 3 were rough. Headaches, low energy, hungry...not fun. Day 4, however, felt like a switch flipped: great mental clarity, little to no hunger, high energy levels, and no headaches. That was the first time I ever experienced the mental clarity that people talk about on the ketogenic diet, and it was very cool. Overall, I lost 12 lbs during the fast (200 --> 188) and only gained back about ~6 lbs even two weeks after, so take that for what it's worth. I was strength training every day during the fast to help retain as much lean muscle mass as possible, and I didn't experience any decrement in strength as far as I can tell (though the workouts were definitely sluggish during the fasting week).

Starting at the beginning of July, I decided to stay on a nose-to-tail style carnivore diet (mostly beef, some fish/chicken/pork, eggs, liver/organ meats, suet, cheese, whole milk, bone broth) for at least 60 days. The first 30 days I experienced the same symptoms I did in the past: lower energy, stomach felt a little weird, headaches, lowered sleep quality....overall, just felt a little off. However, two weeks ago I started adding in a lot more sodium based on a podcast I was listening to about migraines (I've dealt with headaches & migraines most of my life). Surprisingly, I haven't had a single headache in the past 2 weeks and my energy has been awesome - I feel like I'm crushing it in my training again. Perhaps not coincidentally, my sleep has also dramatically improved and I'm usually sleeping straight through the night again. The only thing I changed this time around is the inclusion of a lot more salt...like, I'll literally just grab a generous pinch of salt every time I go into the kitchen (maybe 4-8x/day). It's only an N=1, but I'm still surprised at the difference in perceived experience. My mental clarity feels close to what it did on Day 4 and 5 of the fast, digestion is perfect, energy is high. Certainly trending in the right direction! If things stay like this, then I'm finally going to make a concerted effort to get my bodyweight back up to ~210.

---------

Okay, I think that's enough rambling for one post. If anyone has any questions I'm more than happy to discuss anything further - as you can probably tell, I'm fairly obsessed with this stuff

[Wilhelm]

Great discipline sticking with the experiments.

I've been doing more sodium and potassium regularly, and i started supplementing glycine.
I am cautious with the potassium, and i get a good deal from my whey.

I imagine your glycine intake is pretty respectable with the bone broth and organ meats.
Eggs have good content too.

From what i've been reading, digesting muscle meat actually uses up some of your glycine store.
But if i had to guess, i'd say you are ahead of the curve of what most people are getting.