CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

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CheekiBreekiFitness
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CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#1

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Tue Oct 11, 2022 3:51 am

Hi all!

I'm starting a log in this great forum.

Some info about me:
- Age: 39
- Weight: 91 kgs (adult male)
- Body Fat (navy method, so probably completely inaccurate): 16%
- Current e1RMs:
Squat: 161 kgs
Bench: 123 kgs
Deadlift: 200 kgs
Press: 70 kgs

Weights are stated in kgs because I am a modern European male with all of the aggressiveness bred out of him.

I am currently starting to try to follow Mike T's "emerging strategies" approach, so I thought having a log with my current thought process might be interesting (at least to me). Since there are people here who are both strong and experienced with emerging strategies, all comments are welcome. I'll try to update each week.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#2

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Tue Oct 11, 2022 3:58 am

I am in the middle of the current block:

DAY 1
Squat 1@8 4x8@70%
Snatch Grip RDL 8@6 8@7 8@8 8@6
DB Incline Bench 10@6 10@7 10@8 10@6
Upper Back Work Density Block 7'
Triceps Work Density Block 7'
Biceps Work Density Block 7'
Calves 4x8-15

DAY 2
Bench 1@8 4x8@70%
Front Squat 8@6 8@7 8@8 8@6
DB Press 10@6 10@7 10@8 10@6
Upper Back Work Density Block 7'
Triceps Work Density Block 7'
Biceps Work Density Block 7'
Lateral Raises 4x8-15

DAY 3
Deadlift 1@8 4x8@70%
Dips 8@6 8@7 8@8 8@6
Chest Supported Row 10@6 10@7 10@8 10@6
Triceps Work Density Block 7'
Biceps Work Density Block 7'
Calves 4x8-15

DAY 4
Press 1@8 4x8@70%
Smith Squat 10@6 10@7 10@8 10@6
DB Bench 10@6 10@7 10@8 10@6
Upper Back Work Density Block 7'
Triceps Work Density Block 7'
Biceps Work Density Block 7'
Lateral Raises 4x8-15


Thought process for this block: the main lifts are done first with a single@8 and then 32 reps @70% (a HNFM of about 400-500). Arms are trained every session, with a lot of reps. Secondary lifts are trained ramping sets of 8 reps or 10 reps. The exercise selection and protocols was done based on my most successful period of training in the past (which I used as a starting point), and will evolve in the blocks to come.
Last edited by CheekiBreekiFitness on Sat Oct 15, 2022 1:22 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#3

Post by SnakePlissken » Tue Oct 11, 2022 4:57 am

I'll be following. I tried ES a few years ago, but I think I gave up a bit too quick (mainly because I get bored with the same protocol every week). It was also a fine line of recovery for me, but I wonder if being naturally over ambitious got me into more trouble than it was worth.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#4

Post by JohnHelton » Tue Oct 11, 2022 6:25 am

Welcome.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#5

Post by MarkKO » Tue Oct 11, 2022 11:43 am

Welcome

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#6

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Sat Oct 15, 2022 1:17 am

Thanks for the welcome @MarkKO @JohnHelton @SnakePlissken

Block 1 Week 4

Everything seems to be moving well. I did not completely stick to the protocols on some of the assistance exercises, oh well. The weight indicated for dips and pullups is bodyweight + added weight.

Weekly average weight: 91.5

DAY 1
Squat 1x145@8 4x8x112.5
DB Incline Bench 11,11,11,17x26
Triceps Pushdown 20,20,20,20,20,20,20,20x20 7'
Calves 4x11x170

DAY 2
Bench 1x111@8 4x8x85
Front Squat 8x80@6 8x85@7 8x90@8 8x80@6
DB Press 10x22@6 10x24@7 10x26@8 10x22@6
DB Row 15,10,12,11,10x32 7'
Lying Triceps Extensions 13,10,10,10,10,10,10,10x46 7'
Cable Curls 17,8,10,10,10,8,9,4x20
Lateral Raises 4x10x16

DAY 3
Deadlift 1x182.5@8 4x8x140
Dips 8x109@6 8x115@7 8x121@8 8x109@6
Chest Supported Row 130x10@6 140x10@7 152x10@8 130x10@6
Triceps Pushdown 19,8,8,8,8,8,8x25 7'
DB Incline Curl 13,5,5,5,5,5,5x16 7'
Calves 4x11x170

DAY 4
Press 1x63@8 4x8x48
DB Bench 4x12x36
Pullups 5,5,5,4,4,5,4x92'
DB Triceps Extensions 17,7,5,5,5,5,5,5,5x14 7'
Cable Curls 20,10,10,10,10,10,10,10x20 7'
Lateral Raises 4x10x16

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#7

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Mon Oct 17, 2022 2:30 am

Just got horribly sick and lost 2 kgs of body weight (mostly water weight I guess). Let's hope it will not affect next week. We shall see.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#8

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Tue Oct 18, 2022 1:58 am

Turns out that it does affect next week ... I could hit the prescribed numbers but at a slightly high RPE, however felt like I was going to pass out throughout the workout. Horrible. My guess is that the main culprit is dehydration, as I could feel my legs cramping up. Lets see how next session goes.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#9

Post by MarkKO » Tue Oct 18, 2022 2:44 am

CheekiBreekiFitness wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 1:58 am Turns out that it does affect next week ... I could hit the prescribed numbers but at a slightly high RPE, however felt like I was going to pass out throughout the workout. Horrible. My guess is that the main culprit is dehydration, as I could feel my legs cramping up. Lets see how next session goes.
You can typically mitigate the impact of something like that by being very aggressive about hydration as soon as your stomach will tolerate it.

Something like four to six litres of Gatorade in the 24 hours prior to training will usually do the trick. Plus, it also should replenish muscle glycogen lost due to not eating and it's often easier to drink rather than eat at that stage.

I'm no nutrition guy, but I've had my share of unpleasant episodes like what I'm guessing you just had.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#10

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Tue Oct 18, 2022 12:09 pm

@MarkKO Thanks for the advice man, I'll try that next time I get sick !

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#11

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Sun Oct 23, 2022 1:11 am

Block 1 Week 5

As I alluded to previously, I got sick so that I felt weaker at the beginning of the week. On top of that my son was sick too. First session was horrible. I'm slowly recovering but still not back feeling at full capacity. Hopefully next week should be back to normal. I'm also trying to improve technique on the deadlift, mainly by taking more time to pull the slack (I noticed I tend to rush it) and extend my lower back better to avoid rounding. I skipped some of the bodybuilding work on some sessions to give myself a bit of rest.

Weekly average weight: 90.7 kgs

DAY 1
Squat 1x146.5@9 4x8x112.5
Snatch Grip RDL 8x130@6 8x135@7 8x143@8 8x120@6
DB Row 20,18,14x32 7'
Triceps Pushdown 10,10,8,6,6,6,6x30 7'
Calves 4x11x170

DAY 2
Bench 1x112@9 4x8x85
Front Squat 8x81@6 8x86@7 8x91@8 8x81@6
DB Press 10x22.5@6 10x24.5@7 10x26.5@8 10x22.5@6
Lying Triceps Extensions 9x46 10,10,10,9,10x35 7'
Cable Curls 20,9,9,8,8,8,8 7'

DAY 3
Deadlift 1x185@8.5 4x8x140
Dips 8x102@6 8x112@7 8x122@8 8x102@6
Chest Supported Row 10x133.5@6 10x143.5@7 10x153.5@8 10xx133.5@6
Triceps Pushdown 19,8,8,8,7,7,8,8x20 7'
DB Incline Curl 14,5,5,5,5,5,4,3x18 7'
Calves 4x12x170

DAY 4
Press 1x63.5@8 4x8x50
Smith Squat 10x85@6 10x95@7 10x105@8 10x85@6
DB Bench 10x34@6 9x36@9 10x32@6
Pullups 5,4,4,4,4,4,3x92 7'
DB Triceps Extensions 12,4x14 10,10,10,9,8x12 7'
Biceps Work Density Block 7'
Lateral Raises 4x11x16

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#12

Post by MarkKO » Sun Oct 23, 2022 1:36 am

Are you doing any work on bracing and your abs? This is something that gets missed a lot and TBH many people do need to train their abs directly.

If, like me, you aren't one of the lucky few whose abs get stronger just from lifting it might help significantly.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#13

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Mon Oct 24, 2022 6:25 am

MarkKO wrote: Sun Oct 23, 2022 1:36 am Are you doing any work on bracing and your abs? This is something that gets missed a lot and TBH many people do need to train their abs directly.

If, like me, you aren't one of the lucky few whose abs get stronger just from lifting it might help significantly.
I usually do 100 reps of ab wheel twice a week. I don't log it out of laziness but I probably should. I absolutely agree that strengthening the torso is important, as squats and deadlifts don't do much for it in my anecdotal experience. Actually I have been trying out a bunch of ab machines (like machines to do weighted crunches) and I'm starting to like it. I used to think that they were gimmicks (it's hard to shake off the "barbell compounds are the best" kind of mentality), but the first time I tried them I got an ab cramp (!) so they might be providing some sort of novel stimulus. We shall see.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#14

Post by MarkKO » Mon Oct 24, 2022 11:25 am

CheekiBreekiFitness wrote: Mon Oct 24, 2022 6:25 am
MarkKO wrote: Sun Oct 23, 2022 1:36 am Are you doing any work on bracing and your abs? This is something that gets missed a lot and TBH many people do need to train their abs directly.

If, like me, you aren't one of the lucky few whose abs get stronger just from lifting it might help significantly.
I usually do 100 reps of ab wheel twice a week. I don't log it out of laziness but I probably should. I absolutely agree that strengthening the torso is important, as squats and deadlifts don't do much for it in my anecdotal experience. Actually I have been trying out a bunch of ab machines (like machines to do weighted crunches) and I'm starting to like it. I used to think that they were gimmicks (it's hard to shake off the "barbell compounds are the best" kind of mentality), but the first time I tried them I got an ab cramp (!) so they might be providing some sort of novel stimulus. We shall see.
That would do it. I like hanging leg raises, but I don't get anywhere close to the volume you're doing.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#15

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Sat Oct 29, 2022 2:16 am

I went to deadlift today. I think I figured out what is wrong with my lift, after watching some training footage: I tend to kick the bar forward when pulling the slack so that the bar pulls me forward as soon at the weight leaves the ground. I need to fix this. It's never a problem with 70% loads, but with 90% loads its a different story.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#16

Post by JohnHelton » Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:10 am

CheekiBreekiFitness wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 2:16 am I went to deadlift today. I think I figured out what is wrong with my lift, after watching some training footage: I tend to kick the bar forward when pulling the slack so that the bar pulls me forward as soon at the weight leaves the ground. I need to fix this. It's never a problem with 70% loads, but with 90% loads its a different story.
That makes sense. Any form issues really only show up with deadlifts once the load gets heavy. I'm the same way. That has led to some missed attempts on the platform for me.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#17

Post by augeleven » Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:41 am

JohnHelton wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:10 am
CheekiBreekiFitness wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 2:16 am I went to deadlift today. I think I figured out what is wrong with my lift, after watching some training footage: I tend to kick the bar forward when pulling the slack so that the bar pulls me forward as soon at the weight leaves the ground. I need to fix this. It's never a problem with 70% loads, but with 90% loads its a different story.
That makes sense. Any form issues really only show up with deadlifts once the load gets heavy. I'm the same way. That has led to some missed attempts on the platform for me.
So what can we do, besides hitting 90+% every week? I tried block pulls on squat days with >90% of my DL and it didn’t seem to help.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#18

Post by JohnHelton » Sat Oct 29, 2022 9:08 am

augeleven wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:41 am
JohnHelton wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:10 am
CheekiBreekiFitness wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 2:16 am I went to deadlift today. I think I figured out what is wrong with my lift, after watching some training footage: I tend to kick the bar forward when pulling the slack so that the bar pulls me forward as soon at the weight leaves the ground. I need to fix this. It's never a problem with 70% loads, but with 90% loads its a different story.
That makes sense. Any form issues really only show up with deadlifts once the load gets heavy. I'm the same way. That has led to some missed attempts on the platform for me.
So what can we do, besides hitting 90+% every week? I tried block pulls on squat days with >90% of my DL and it didn’t seem to help.
I think you just have to practice with a 90% heavy single. However, I don't think you have to do that every week. I think you just need a fair amount of practice at 90%. That could be every other week. Just what you need in order to get the form grooved.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#19

Post by MarkKO » Sat Oct 29, 2022 4:48 pm

augeleven wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:41 am
JohnHelton wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 8:10 am
CheekiBreekiFitness wrote: Sat Oct 29, 2022 2:16 am I went to deadlift today. I think I figured out what is wrong with my lift, after watching some training footage: I tend to kick the bar forward when pulling the slack so that the bar pulls me forward as soon at the weight leaves the ground. I need to fix this. It's never a problem with 70% loads, but with 90% loads its a different story.
That makes sense. Any form issues really only show up with deadlifts once the load gets heavy. I'm the same way. That has led to some missed attempts on the platform for me.
So what can we do, besides hitting 90+% every week? I tried block pulls on squat days with >90% of my DL and it didn’t seem to help.
Execute correctly every rep from the bar onwards. Check by video every set.

Heavy loads to improve technique are generally a terrible idea. Most people I see who use heavier loads regularly before their technique is close to perfect tend to not improve technique.

A better way is to simulate heavy loads by using methods that make the load feel harder to move, like shorter rests between sets (10 to 30 seconds). That way there is no load hindering execution while still feeling the stress of execution under 'duress'.

Focus should always be on executing technique rather than just moving the weight.

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Re: CheekiBreekiFitness's Log

#20

Post by CheekiBreekiFitness » Sat Oct 29, 2022 11:42 pm

I mean my idea was that your 90% single serves as a diagnostic tool, because some problems only become visible by filming yourself moving near limit loads. But once your diagnostic is done, the treatment could be anything really, from more heavy work on the same exercise, lighter work on the same exercise, some variant, another unrelated exercise for hypertrophy etc. It all depends on the diagnosis in the first place.

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