Time to get serious...

[Frank.S]

Looking great!

2 small things I noticed,

have you tried the front squat grip like this? Might let you do more of them.



And maybe its just me, but on your deadlift sets where you go for a 1rm I bet you are pretty tired by the time you get to the heavy weights. It helped me alot to lower the volume before the big lifts.

But your numbers are going way up! motivational log to read!

[Eric Cressey]

Paul,

Lisa encouraged me to check this out.

Substitute in some side-lying external rotations for the L-lateral raises and drop the side-lying abductions to 45 degrees. You need to avoid abduction for a bit. Use some push-up iso holds in place of the push presses and you'll do fine.

Also, try the Neanderthal No More GPP program; that should square you away quickly.

And, tell Lisa to call you at work every 30 minutes to remind you to get up and stretch!

[pjb923]

Thanks for the tips Frank. I tried that method of front squats a long time ago and didn't fel comfortable. Maybe i'll give it another try.

Next time I go for a 1rm deadlift, I will try to keep the volume down. Those heavy sets of 5 can't be good for trying to set a max.

The higher rep deads have been feeling good. I have a feeling that next time a I go for a max I will be able to add a significant amount of weight to my previous best.

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by Eric Cressey

And, tell Lisa to call you at work every 30 minutes to remind you to get up and stretch!

HA! Now THAT would get old quick!

[pjb923]

Wow, my log is getting some attention today.

Thanks Eric, and thank you Lisa for sending Eric this way.
I will give the GPP program a shot and lay off of the OH pressing for a little while. If that doesn't do it, my next step will be to take a trip over to South Side and see Eric in person.

I like the phone call stretch reminder, but I might start to develop neck problems if I have to answer the phone every 30 minutes.

[Eric Cressey]

Originally Posted by pjb923

Wow, my log is getting some attention today.

Thanks Eric, and thank you Lisa for sending Eric this way.
I will give the GPP program a shot and lay off of the OH pressing for a little while. If that doesn't do it, my next step will be to take a trip over to South Side and see Eric in person.

I like the phone call stretch reminder, but I might start to develop neck problems if I have to answer the phone every 30 minutes.

Don't wait too long; I'm moving to Boston next weekend...

[Lisa~]

Originally Posted by Eric Cressey

try the Neanderthal No More GPP program; that should square you away quickly.

If you need any help incorporating this program into what you are already doing, let me know. I'd be happy to help.

Lisa

[pjb923]

7/21/06
NROL Fat Loss II: Workout A

Superset:
Front Squat
135 x 8
185 X 8
205 x 8
225 x 8* with a very short break at 4
245 x 8 back squats (increase of 10 lbs)

Wide grip cable seated row
80 x 8
100 x 8
120 x 8
140 x 8

Superset:
Supine Hip extension with leg curl
BW x 10

Cuban Press
20 x 10 x 3 sets

Superset:
Dynamic Lunge
115 x 8 each leg
135 x 8 each leg
145 x 8 each leg

Upper-body Russian twist
5kg medicine ball x 12 x 3 sets

I had a lot of energy today and added 10 minutes of intervals on the rowing machine at the end of my workout. Total distance covered: 2495 meters with an average 500 meter time of 2:12.9.

My front squats are still getting better. After seeing a video that Lisa posted in another thread (You can see the video here I made some small adjustements to my form by bringin my elbows in closer and taking a few fingers off the bar. These small adjustments made a difference and allowed me to get a few more reps at 225 than I did last time. I felt like I was started to lean forward a bit on the last few reps, so I switched to back squats for the last set and increased the weight.

For some reason I could not to the leg curls today. My legs felt like they were going to cramp during the movement. I did one set and moved on. I substituted the cuban press for the push press in order to save my shoulder.

I was able to keep the same weight on the lunges and increase the number of reps to 8 per leg. Only 2 more than last time, but they were not easy.

Not a lot of big increases, but overall this was a really great workout. My stamina really seems to be improving with every workout. I find myself needed less time to recover between sets. Adding the intervals should also help improve my recovery rate.

[Lisa~]

Wow, intervals at the end too! Way to go! And good job on getting more front squats. They are tough. And you even got your ab work in at the end too!

I sometimes threaten to cramp on those ball hamstring curls too, so I know exactly what you mean. How did the cuban press feel? Did you like doing it?

Overall an excellent workout!

Lisa

[pjb923]

Thanks Lisa. The cuban press felt really good. I started out very light with only 20lbs. I will probably increase it a little next time.

I didn't put it in my log, but the other night I went through some of the GPP exercises from Neanderthal no More. I did the chin tucks, prone cobra, scap pushups and Single Leg Knee-to-Chest on Foam Roller. Holding the prone cobra for 60 seconds is much harder than it sounds.

I don't have a theraband to do the external rotations with. I was thinking I could just do db rotations lying on my side.

I would prefer to do this type of work at home so I don't have to spend too much time in the gym. Any advice for integrating this program into my schedule would be appreciated.

[Lisa~]

When you say you prefer to do this program at home, then do you have 20-30 minutes three times a week at home to do it? Will you do that?

It might work even better to break it up and do the foam roller work at home, but some of the other parts at work and as part of your warmup at the gym.

Are you doing any kind of warmup before you lift? We could take the same warmup time and use some of the NNM movements in its place. Are you currently doing any type of energy systems work? We could create a Cardio Confusion type plan to replace a steady-state cardio day if you are.

[pjb923]

Lately I haven't been doing much of a warmup, usually a few very light sets of whatever movement I am going to be doing.

I can put aside time to do the program at home 3 times a week. But I also like the idea of doing parts of the program at the gym as a warmup. If I can get it done in 10-15 minutes I would be happy. The reason I said I preferred to do the routine at home was to avoid spending over an hour and a half in the gym. If I can take pieces of it and use them as a warmup, and do a more extensive program at home, I can get the best of both worlds.

Currently I'm not doing dedicating a day for energy systems work. I would like to add intervals on my lifting days more regularly and at some point add a 4th day to my routine for this type of workout. Right now, getting to the gym a 4th day is not possible, but it should be in the near future.

[Lisa~]

OK, so for now, let's talk about creating a 10 minute warmup routine to do before you start to lift. Instead of looking at FL II, have you decided what program you are going to do next?

And then you can add 2 stretching breaks during work, different stretches each time, and that will get your stretching done every day. Will you do that?

And then do the foam roller work at home.

[pjb923]

I am leaning more towards fat Loss III as my next routine. I am going on vacation at the end of August, so I figure that would be a good time for a rest week. After the rest week I will move onto either strength I or hypertrophy I.

I have no problem spending some time stretching and using the foam roller every night when I get home and taking the occasional stretch break at work.

[Lisa~]

OK, take a look at this first pass at a plan. Let me know what you think so far. After we get it set, I hope that you’ll log it. You wouldn’t have to list everything you did, but just write, MAMP Warmup, or Stretches 1 or 2, or At Home Soft Tissue Work, something simple like that.

Home: Soft Tissue Work
Warrior Lunge Stretch
Downward Dog
Prone Cobra Ys and Ts

If you can’t hold the Y position for 60 seconds, then do it first for 30 seconds, then the T for 60, then the Y again for 30 more.

Single Leg Knee-to-Chest on Foam Roller
Keep your arms out at a palms up T position.
Thoracic Extension over the Foam Roller held for time

Then since you’re down there, any other foam roller work you want to throw in. And if you decide to do some soft tissue work on your scapular area, I’ve found that a baseball works a lot better than the foam roller for around the shoulders.

At Work Stretches 1
neck stretches: ear to shoulder, roll chin to shoulder
Shoulder rolls (to ears, then back and down)
Appley's scratch test (What do you call this when you do it as a stretch?)
seated side bend/QL stretch

At Work Stretches 2
Lat stretch (hold on to something chest high, lean back)
doorway chest stretch
MR’s “good morning” hamstring stretch

On the drive to the gym, do the chin tucks against your headrest. You can get 40 reps in by the time you get there.

MAMP Warmups (These aren't really MAMP because I didn't put any mobility stuff in them. I was trying to keep it short!)

Workout A (horizontal push/pull, bilateral hip dominant, unilateral quad dominant)
Lat stretch
External rotation (either cable or side-lying db)
What else would you like to go here?

Workout B (vertical push/pull, bilateral quad dominant, unilateral hip dominant [stepups twice? Yuk!])
Hip flexor stretch
Supine bridges (or other glute activation movement)
Scap pushups ending with pushup iso hold

Let’s consider substitutes for the DB Push Press and the DB Shoulder Press.
Consider replacing the ball crunch with prone and side bridges held for time.

[pjb923]

I really like what you put together so far. The at home work looks great, and the at work stretches will be a great way to get me moving a few times during the day.

Originally Posted by Lisa~

Workout A (horizontal push/pull, bilateral hip dominant, unilateral quad dominant)
Lat stretch
External rotation (either cable or side-lying db)
What else would you like to go here?

I went back and re-read the warmup section of NROL and there are a few exercises from the Semi-Specific warm-up routine that I think will fit nicely in the workout A warmup.

Body weight T-Pushup (to prepare me for the explosive pushups later on)
Either the Walking lunge with upper-body twist or Lateral lunge with opposite-hand reach and touch.

Originally Posted by Lisa~

Workout B (vertical push/pull, bilateral quad dominant, unilateral hip dominant [stepups twice? Yuk!])
Hip flexor stretch
Supine bridges (or other glute activation movement)
Scap pushups ending with pushup iso hold

I like this warmup, and will probably add a lat stretch here also, since the workout includes 6 sets of lat pulldowns. At my gym the pulldown station is right near all the ab machines. The foot pegs on the ab crunch machine make a great place for a nice lat stretch. That is the only time you will find me touching that machine.

Originally Posted by Lisa~

Let’s consider substitutes for the DB Push Press and the DB Shoulder Press.
Consider replacing the ball crunch with prone and side bridges held for time.

Eric suggested that I avoid abduction for a while, and to use push-up iso holds in place of the push press. I'm not sure how well iso holds fit into a fat loss giant set. I may have to find something that uses a bit more energy (I will be wishing i never said that during the workout). Maybe I should post the question in the NROL forum, I may get an answer directly from Lou or Alwyn.

For replacing the db shoulder press in the 2nd giant set, I can use the Cuban press. It's a high rep set, so I will be using light weight anyway.

Swiss ball crunches were never my favorite. The prone and side bridges are a welcome replacement.

I am so glad that you took an interest in my log and I really appreciate the time you are taking to help me set up this program. There are not many people that I can get this type of advice from locally. The trainers in my gym don't seem to know anything beyond their one-size-fits-all circuit routine that they all seem to use. Their idea of a warmup is 5 minutes on the treadmill. Asking them for advice would, most likely, be a waste my time.