Helton's Log

[JohnHelton]

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

wgt. x reps x sets

Bench Press
255 x 2 x 10
EMOM

Cable Rows
110 x 11 x 3

Leg Extensions
110 x 12 x 3

Leg Curls
95 x 12 x 3

Face Pulls
110 x 11 x 3

Bench was a bit harder than I anticipated. However, that was less rest than I usually take. I might extend it from 10 minutes total to 20 minutes.

[JohnHelton]

Weight Report:
196.5 lb (down 6.4 lb, 1.1 lb/week)
34" waist (down from 35.4")
Looking to take another 2-3" off the waist. I'm not sure I have ever been that lean (since college). Slow and steady wins the race.

[EricK]

cole The DDS polarized training has definitely been working. Because of running, I am concentrating on bench as a comp lift. A couple of weeks ago, @8 was 280, then 295 last week, and 310 today. Now that I’m back to more previous strength, we’ll see what happens from here.

MarkKO For my hypertrophy bench, I think I am going to try to get 50 reps in 10 minutes. If I get it, then the weight goes up. You are the only person I know that uses the clock as an autoregulation tool, but I love it. I will probably have to drop to 165 lb to start. That will be on Friday.

That sounds intense. Make sure you update your will.

[JohnHelton]

cole The DDS polarized training has definitely been working. Because of running, I am concentrating on bench as a comp lift. A couple of weeks ago, @8 was 280, then 295 last week, and 310 today. Now that I’m back to more previous strength, we’ll see what happens from here.

MarkKO For my hypertrophy bench, I think I am going to try to get 50 reps in 10 minutes. If I get it, then the weight goes up. You are the only person I know that uses the clock as an autoregulation tool, but I love it. I will probably have to drop to 165 lb to start. That will be on Friday.

That sounds intense. Make sure you update your will.

I guess it works if you start light enough. I did 165 lb last week and it wasn't too bad. Today I will try for 170 lb. It could be an entirely different story. However, I will just get as many reps as I can.

[JohnHelton]

Friday, March 1, 2024

wgt. x reps x sets

Bench Press - Volume
170 lb x 5 x 10
EMOM. Still easy.

Leg Press
360 x 3 x 10
EMOM. Less easy.

Lat Pulldowns
120 x 5 x 10
EMOM.

I am enjoying this format. It gets me in and out of the gym quicker, yet it feels productive. Things will get more interesting as I begin to struggle to get all the reps. Hopefully, I won't just plateau there.

[JohnHelton]

Monday, Mar 4th, 2024

wgt. x reps x sets

Bench Press
260 x 2 x 10
Notes: Every 2 min. I tweaked my left pec on the 9th set. Went slowly on the 10th set on purpose. I'll probably back off a little for a week or so to give it time to heal. Every 2 min was much better than every minute for strength.

Cable Row
120 x 4 x 10
Notes: 6 min total

Leg Extensions
110 x 4 x 10
Notes: 6 min total

Leg Curls with Seated
95 x 3 x 10
Notes: 6 min total

Face Pull
120 x 10 x 3
Notes: 6 min total

[JohnHelton]

Monday, March 11, 2024

Bench Press
85 x 20, 20, 15
Pec rehab. I could definitely feel some pain in the left pec.

Seated Cable Row
120 x 4 x 5
120 x 5 x 5

Face Pulls
120 x 11 x 3

Leg Extensions
110 x 4 x 5
110 x 5 x 5

Leg Curls
95 x 3 x 5
95 x 4 x 5

[JohnHelton]

I ran a 1 mile time trial yesterday, and it was pretty bad. 8:43. I was in better shape in August when I ran 8:04. Excuses: 1) training has been down due to a broken finger and move to Montana 2) 4,800 ft elevation. Still, this was a bit disappointing. I have decided to work on my 1 mile speed before switching to longer races. I really need to get my mile time down below 7:30/mi before I can come close to running a respectable longer race. Shooting for closer to 7:00/mi. My plan is to ramp from about 13-15 mi/week to 30 mi/week. Leg speed isn't my problem. My VO2 max is just crap. Thus, I will be doing more intervals and threshold runs. I would like to not suck at this.

For the record, when I was a runner I could only run a mile in 6:30/mi. Not gifted.

[cole]

you seem more oriented towards power output and less towards endurance.

[MattimusMaximus]

Sorry to hear about the pec! Hope it heals quick.

[JohnHelton]

you seem more oriented towards power output and less towards endurance.

Yeah. I'm definitely not built for endurance. However, that is the challenge. I would just like to be better than average.

Sorry to hear about the pec! Hope it heals quick.

Thanks, Matt. Great to see you back here. We seem to be on similar paths. Just get in good shape. Forget about all the big numbers...at least for now.

[slowmotion]

Sorry to hear about the pec problems. When tings like that happens it's always annoying.

[JohnHelton]

Sorry to hear about the pec problems. When tings like that happens it's always annoying.

Yep. Annoying. It should be good in a couple of weeks though.

[JohnHelton]

Friday, March 15, 2024

wgt x reps x sets

Squat
225 x 3 x 10
EMOM. Felt like running intervals, but not too heavy.

Bench Press
95 x 20 x 3
Every 2 min. Rehab.

Conv. Deadlift
225 x 2 x 10
EMOM.

Lat Pulls
125 x 5 x 10
EMOM.

I haven't been doing any squatting or deadlifting. That probably is a bad idea. They are on maintenance, but that doesn't mean to ignore them. I am doing conventional rather than sumo deadlift, since I am not preparing for a meet and am just looking for general fitness. Plus, that will keep the weight from getting too heavy.

This workout felt a bit like CrossFit.

[KarlM]

Sorry to hear about your pec tweak. Lots of bad luck on the forum at the moment. I feel like I should light a candle or something

[JohnHelton]

Sorry to hear about your pec tweak. Lots of bad luck on the forum at the moment. I feel like I should light a candle or something

Thanks, Karl. It is getting better, just slowly.

[JohnHelton]

Monday, March 18, 2024

weight x reps x sets

Bench Press
105 x 20, 17, 15
Pec rehab.

Seated Cable Row
120 x 5 x 10
6 min

Leg Extensions
110 x 5 x 10
6 min

Leg Curls
95 x 4 x 10
6 min

Face Pulls
120 x 12 x 3
6 min

[JohnHelton]

Weight update:
196.4 lb trend weight
33.75" waist
2,871 TDEE

I put Macrofactor into active maintenance 18 days ago. However, I set the target weight to 195 lb when I was at about 197 lb. The program has kept me in a slight deficit, causing my weight to slowly decline. Veins are starting to pop in my lower abdomen. I can still pinch about 14 mm with the calipers next to the navel though. The lowest that I have seen with that measurement is 9 mm, so I still have a ways to go.

We are going to visit the UK at the beginning of April. I'll try to keep from ballooning on that trip and then plan to start cutting again after we get back. I still don't know how lean I will go, but I figure that I will know when I get there.

[JohnHelton]

Friday, March 22, 2024

weight x reps x sets

Squat
230 x 3 x 10
every 1.5 min. The extra time made this much easier.

Bench Press
135 x 5 x 10
EMOM. This felt pretty easy. Almost no pain. Need to bump weight to 155 next time.

Deadlift (conv.)
235 x 2 x 10
Every 1.5 min. Easy.

Lat Pulls
130 x 5 x 10
EMOM. Still going up. That was pretty tough though.

[JohnHelton]

Thursday, March 28, 2024

weight x reps x sets

Bench Press - Volume
165 x 5 x 10
EMOM. Pec feels good. This wasn’t easy. Last set @9.

Leg Extension
125 x 3 x 10
6 minutes. Jump in weight. Started rep scheme over.

Leg Curls
95 x 4 x 5
95 x 5 x 5
6 minutes. Still some tendinitis in the back of my left knee.

Seated Cable Rows
125 x 5 x 10
6 minutes.

Face Pull
120 x 13 x 3

Last lifting until after trip to the UK.