Old Age and Treachery Will Always Beat Youth and Exuberance

[Zak]

BEFORE/AFTER

I’ve gotten about as lean as I’m willing to get for a little while and am going to build real slowly into and beyond my strongman contest. May not be a magazine worthy transformation here but have definitely leaned out. I was stronger when I didn’t look like I exercised.

[DCR]

May not be a magazine worthy transformation

Disagree. Your results are impressive by any measure. You effectively kept your mass - in your arms at least - and maintain advanced lifts to BW numbers, while losing 20 lbs.

[Zak]

6/28/23

BW: 170

Squat
45/3x5
135/5
210/3
245/3
280/1
315/1
350/3
370/1
385/1
300/3 paused
300/3 paused

Frame
300/5
345/5
390/5
410/5

Good Morning
135/8
185/8
205/12


Everything kind of loosening up slowly, felt a lot better at the end of this than the beginning.

[Zak]

May not be a magazine worthy transformation

Disagree. Your results are impressive by any measure. You effectively kept your mass - in your arms at least - and maintain advanced lifts to BW numbers, while losing 20 lbs.

Thanks man. I don’t think I actually looked as bad as the first picture would suggest, but I’m not a real big guy, dropping a little pudge goes a long way.

[Zak]

6/30/23

BW: 169.4

Log
70/5(viper) + 5(strict)
110/3(viper)
130/2(viper)
145/1(viper)
160/2
170/nope
130/5(press away)
130/5(press away)

Farmers
125/100' w/ turn
165/50'
185/50'
205/30' (L drop)
205/30' + 10-sec. hold

Bag/Bar
150/5
150/5

EZ Curl
40/30


Notes:
Right biceps tendon is absolutely on fire. Concerned the muscle is going to tear off. Man does it fucking hurt. Log is a real bitch, but my hope is that eating and growing a little bit will make it manageable. Farmers I feel good about, the 205 drop was anomalous, just did not get a good grip from when I picked it, so I held it for awhile after the second run. Loading the sandbag feels not very hard from a strength standpoint but it really beats up that biceps tendon. Not sure log + bag on the same day is going to work.

[DCR]

How is it coming along, @Zak?

[Zak]

How is it coming along, @Zak?

Thanks for checking in bud. I'm chugging along here but have withdrawn from the strongman competition because:

1. The 2 other dudes in my division dropped out so it would just be me, kind of silly; and
2. My right biceps and now both shoulders are pretty inflamed and are not responding like I'd hoped to shorter-term measures (rest/NSAIDs). I can train through it but do not want to push heavier loads at this point.

Overall it's a bummer. Just hitting each major lift once a week for moderate reps/moderate assistance. Nothing revolutionary. Trying to be patient and build some momentum.

[Zak]

10.1.23

1.1

BW: 175

BP
245/1@6 (284 e1rm)
220/5@6.5
220/5@6.5

BPfe
215x6@7.5

TBar
115/10@5
125/10@6

DB Curl
35/14@8


Going to log on here again for a bit. Finished up a productive cycle and feel like I learned some things. Made a couple tweaks and forging ahead with a new base block, this is week one/day one. Volume is going to be pretty low here, have some ideas I think are going to work well. Really want to drive the bench and pull this cycle, I think I have the squat formula more or less figured out. Very very easy intro week to start things off.

[DCR]

Going to log on here again for a bit. Finished up a productive cycle and feel like I learned some things. Made a couple tweaks and forging ahead with a new base block, this is week one/day one. Volume is going to be pretty low here, have some ideas I think are going to work well. Really want to drive the bench and pull this cycle, I think I have the squat formula more or less figured out. Very very easy intro week to start things off.

Glad to see you back. Don’t be a tease - what’d you learn / what are the ideas you’re playing with?

[Zak]

Going to log on here again for a bit. Finished up a productive cycle and feel like I learned some things. Made a couple tweaks and forging ahead with a new base block, this is week one/day one. Volume is going to be pretty low here, have some ideas I think are going to work well. Really want to drive the bench and pull this cycle, I think I have the squat formula more or less figured out. Very very easy intro week to start things off.

Glad to see you back. Don’t be a tease - what’d you learn / what are the ideas you’re playing with?

To boil it down:

1. Lot of singles
2. Pretty limited main lift volume, especially on squats and pulls
3. Most squatting and pulling volume from the big supplemental movement (high bar paused squats, RDL to floor)
4. Really trimming the fat all around, no junk movements or volume

The cycle I just ran used this weekly template:
M. Comp Squat and Bench
T. Comp Deadlift, Press
R. Paused Squat and Bench
F. Paused Dead, Spoto Bench

Moving now to an upper/lower type deal. I just like the upper/lower rhythm better, and I think fewer bench touches per week with the volume consolidated to two days works a little better for shoulder health. Also gives me shorter sessions, mostly due to less warm up time, which is never a bad thing. Finally, I like deadlifting after doing some squatting, so this setup will have some paused squats before pulls.

[Zak]

10/2

SQ
375/1@6 (435)

SQhbp
265/6@5.5
275/6@6

GHR
B/14@7.5

[Zak]

10/4

BPspoto
245/1@5.5 (288)
215/6@7
215/6@7

MP
125/8@7

SSPU
15/8@5.5
17.5/8@6.5

DBExt
30/14@8


Low volume/low rpe. My kind of day.

[Zak]

10/6/23

SQ2ct
360/1@6 (417)

DL
435/1@6.5 (495)

SLDLmats
315/12@<5


Everything ramps up next week.

[JohnHelton]

BEFORE/AFTER

I’ve gotten about as lean as I’m willing to get for a little while and am going to build real slowly into and beyond my strongman contest. May not be a magazine worthy transformation here but have definitely leaned out. I was stronger when I didn’t look like I exercised.

Zak, this is a remarkable. Do you recall what your waist measurements were before and after? I am attempting a similar transformation and am projecting that I will need to get down to about 30.5".

[Zak]

BEFORE/AFTER

I’ve gotten about as lean as I’m willing to get for a little while and am going to build real slowly into and beyond my strongman contest. May not be a magazine worthy transformation here but have definitely leaned out. I was stronger when I didn’t look like I exercised.

Zak, this is a remarkable. Do you recall what your waist measurements were before and after? I am attempting a similar transformation and am projecting that I will need to get down to about 30.5".

I believe 34.5-ish in the before and a shade under 31 in the after. I’m 5’10.

[JohnHelton]

I believe 34.5-ish in the before and a shade under 31 in the after. I’m 5’10.

Got it. I am at 192 lb w/ 34.25" waist right now. So I'm looking at about another 20 lbs. That is helpful. Thank you.

[Zak]

10/9

BW: 177

BP
255/1@7 (286)
225/5@7.5
225/5@7.5
225/5@7.5

BPf/e
215/6@7.5
215/6@8

TBar
135/10@7
135/10@5.5
140/10@6.5

DBCurl
40/10@8.5
40/9@9


Solid.

[Zak]

10/10

SQ
390/1@6.5 (444)
355/5@7.5

SQhbp
285/6@7
285/6@7
285/6@6.5

GHR
B/15@8
B/11@9

[Zak]

10/12

BPspoto
260/1@7 (291)
225/6@7.5
225/6@7.5
225/6@8

MP
135/6@6.5
140/6@7.5

N/G Pullup
20/8@5.5
25/8@6.5
25/10@7.5

DB Ext
32.5/15@9.5


Cooking with gas.

[Zak]

10/13

SQ2ct
380/1@7.5 (419)
345/4@7.5

DL
445/1@6.5 (507)
405/5@7

SLDLmat
345/8@<5
365/8@5.5


Really good week of training here. Low back is a little stiff but I think that is from playing hours of Gran Turismo 7.