Go with the flow!

[stingo]

I'm reminded of a joke...

Woman 1: Every time I sneeze I have an orgasm.
Woman 2: What are you taking for it?
Woman 1: Pepper!

[Espi]

Hahaha! That's so funny.

I was wondering whether I sneezed so much because of the cold or because of some allergy response. I'd been indulging in 'bad' chocolate that night. Bad in the sense that it contained some dairy & soy(lecithin): Lindt Crème Brûlée! Yum!
I'm feeling much better today even though body temp is higher again (not enough to call it a fever, but definitely much higher than normal).

To get back to that topic.. libido has been increasing over the last few months. My highest body temp seem to be getting higher, while the lowest body temperatures stay where they are. That's good news.

[Espi]

Regarding the workouts I've made a decision to skip the idea of doing maxes for OHPs, front squats and DLs. With this cold it's a silly idea to think you're going to improve strength.. no way I'm seeing that happen.

I'll either resume lifting tomorrow (Sunday) or Monday or better yet, split it in 2 for both tomorrow and Monday as I'm going to take 2 days off again (involuntarily) at Dec 25/26. Thankfully the gym will open again on Dec 27! First time since I've been a member.

Reason for splitting it up is that I'd been doing smaller volume workouts sofar and am planning to go back to higher volume again. Should be smart to 'test' the waters tomorrow. Probably will do the fluffier stuff tomorrow and then the heavier lifts Monday.. or vice versa.

Here's my plan!

dynamic warmup
the usual 6-10 exercises , shouldn't take more than 5-10 mins, nothing really strenuous.

compound exercises w MAD waveloading
note: linear progression from 20-1-20-1 down/up to 3-1-3-1 and finally a max effort day.

all days
1 lat pull down /weighted chins
2 db press
3 deadlift
4 front squat (w hang cleans for the lower weights)
(no rows, the DLs tax the lower back already enough and I like chins better)
6 sets for all , including 1-2 warmup sets.

I'll see whether it pays off to rotate the order, e.g. 1-2-3-4 / 2-1 4-3 / 3-4-1-2/4-3-2-1

additional exercises
note: with 6-12 reps and 15+ reps for the ligter remedial stuff (neck, shoulder rehab), there's not much increase in weights foreseen

day 1
EZ bar biceps curl (2 sets) + pull throughs (2 sets)
wood chop (1s) + neck flexion (1s) (haven't done this one in a looooong while

day 2
rack lockouts (AKA cheater's bench press , 2s) + step ups (2s)
kneeling crunch (1s) + calf raises (haven't done these in a gazillion months!, 1s)

day 3
military press (2s) + Smith squat lunge (2s)
Saxon side bend (1s) + exo rotation (1s)

metabolic stuff and fun stuff
note: variable amt of reps.. as much as I feel up to, probably 6-12 reps

day 1
goblet squat + db swing
if I feel like it: Exercises you've never tried before

day 2
renegade row + db swing
if I feel like it: (Odd) Exercises you've never tried before

Not counting the 8 sets of dynamic warmup or the odd exercises , that's 31 sets.

I've decided a few weeks ago that I'll postpone the real interval cardio till March. Am having too much fun with exercises, and hopefully doing a few more metabolic ones as well as doing a real full body routine burns enough calories.
I might just do a 500m rowing session at the end to keep aerobic capacity up.. plus I just like to improve on rowing technique so that by next time there's another competion in the gym I'd do better.

[Espi]

Sunday Dec 23
TRAINING Mad Waves 1A part 2
all weights in kilograms

DYNAMIC STRETCHING
1 windmill x 10 each side
2 Frankensteins x10
3 quick ham & calf stretch x10
4 torso stretching x 5 for each (cat/camel)
5 knee pushup x10 (feeling fatigued!)
6 Russian twist w 3kg ball x10 each side
7 lateral lunge x10 each side
8 walking lunge in reverse x10 each side
9 Swiss leg curl x10

METABOLIC
A1+2 goblet squat & db swing
8kgx10-8
Fatigueing quickly.


ASSSITANCE LIFTS
B1 EZ bar biceps curl
17,5x12
15x12

C1 pull through
18,8x15 – 25
Not bad, last time with that weight I pulled 18 & 21 reps. It’s technically slightly complicated so depending on stance/technique you can do less/more. Never really know for sure what’s the right way. I assume the one where I pull most wt/reps.

D1 wood chop
16,3x17/17
Actually same story as for the pullthroughs, lots of difference in amt of reps depending on how I brace myself. Same reps as last time with this weight.

E1 neck flexion & extension & side flexion , last time I did those was July 2006.
3,8x30/30 for flexion (to front) & extension (to rear)
3,8x25/25 for side flexion (L/R)

Feels weird to do those again. A guy in another forum did these (former football player) but I’ve done these as remedial work, just like shoulder extensions. I’m wondering what the optimum rep range is.. assume 15-25 reps? These felt OK, but at the end I was feeling slightly dizzy from all the movements.

F1 barbell clean
25x1-1
Trying to do these from the floor, rather than from the hip. Technique was in the gutter.. not as it should be. Actually the 25kg felt heavy instead of light. No wonder as I’d done some rowing before.

CARDIO
Finished workout with rowing 500m w damper on 1
500m in 2:42,8 min – 11057 m/hr (-526m, compared to last 500m effort, exactly 2 months ago)
AveW = 81 W (-12)
aveRPM: 29 (-3)
Kcals burnt: 26 (0) kcal – 575 kcal/hr (-27)
Started decently enough, but was fatigueing quickly and glad it was only 500m. My neighbour was going for 5000m.

WO-drink : IsoSpark (used Karno4 before WO)

General: I’d deliberately split up the workout in half. Still wanted to do some of the newer exercises I’d not done in a very long time. It was good to be in the gym again, but yes.. despite feeling better, still not really feeling good.. stamina is in the gutter again. Am curious how I’ll do tomorrow on the basic moves.

Training statistics
Volume: 6693
# of sets: 20 # of reps: 279 - avg reps/set : 14,0 - kg/rep : 24,0

[bigDman]

Nice work espi. Keep it up

[Espi]

Monday Dec 24
TRAINING Mad Waves 1A part 1 (yesterday was pt2)
all weights in kilograms

No stretching, being lazy.

MAD WAVES

A1+2 lat pull down & BW chins
Lat pulldown: 28x20-18
Chins: BWx1-1

It was seriously hard to do a single rep after the pulldowns.
Had originally planned for 35kg, but looking at old data, I knew this wasn’t feasible. This was.

B1 db bench press
(10x2)x20
(16x2)x1
(10x2)x20
(16x2)x1
Well chosen weights.

C1 front squat
25x20
40x1
30x16
45x1
Only cleaned the 25 & 30 weights, didn’t bother for the other ones.

Originally planned for 30/50, but I was sure I’d not be able to pull this one off now. Stopped at 16 reps for 3rd set as I thought to run a risk of toppling over from fatigue.

D1 deadlift
50x20
80x1
50x20
80x1

This was truly aerobic work! To think that I'd planned for 60x20! I'd have died at 12 reps!

WO-drink : IsoSpark (forgot the Karno4)

General: it might have been smarter to do this on Sunday and the additional stuff today. Lowered weights most of the time, except for presses which were well chosen. Had left my plan at home but I still remembered most planned weights.

Training statistics
Volume: 7768
# of sets: 18 # of reps: 164 - avg reps/set : 9,1 - kg/rep : 47,4

[stingo]

Looks good Espi - hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas!

[Espi]

Thursday Dec 27
TRAINING Mad Waves 1B
all weights in kilograms

DYNAMIC STRETCHING
1 windmill x 10 each side
2 quick ham & calf stretch x10
3 torso stretching x 5 for each (cat/camel)
4 knee pushup x10
5 Frankensteins x10
6 lateral lunge x15 each side
7 walking lunge in reverse x10 each side
8 Russian twist w 3kg ball x10 each side
9 Swiss leg curl x10
10 prisoner squat x10

MAD WAVES

A1 front squat
WU: 25x3 – 28x3 – 30x5
50x1
30x15
52,5x1
32,5x15
Had seriously a lot of trouble with the 30kg.. felt winded. I did change the rhythm this time though, viz. warmed up with low weights, did a single and then the 15 reps.

B1 deadlift
WU: 50x5 – 60x5
82,5x1
60x14
82,5x1
60x15

Hmm. Form wasn’t like I wanted it to be.

C1+2 lat pull down & BW chins
WU: 31,5x5
Chin: (BW+1kg)x1
31,5x15
Chin: (BW+1kg)x1
31,5x15

OKish.

D1 db bench press
WU: (8x2)x8 - (12x2)x5
(17x2)x1
(12x2)x15
(17x2)x1
(12x2)x15
When putting back the 16 kg dumbbells , I dropped it to the floor. Clumsy & weak!

ASSISTANCE LIFTS

E1 rack lockout
42,5x4 hmm durrr it is a lockout not a bench press
42,5x3 hhmmm durr, you’re seriously weak as a kitten!


F1 step ups
(8x2) x 8 for each side
Was supposed to do 2 sets but no way!

G1 seated calf raise
68x13

Had no idea what weight to use, so just used what a guy before me had been using. Not badly chosen. Didn’t push myself.


H1 kneeling cable crunch
16,3x34
Too low.

METABOLIC WORK & ODD LIFTS
None. Too wasted.

Cardio
None. Too wasted

WO-drink : IsoSpark w GoatMilk PP

General: feeling seriously wasted and even feverish. The cold I had is coming back. Plus, I’ve been undereating (carbs) for 2 days. Somehow, I’ve transitioned from a low-carber to a medium-carber in my requirements and the previous 2 low-carb days were doing me harm on top of being ill.. felt very weak! That 20 rep workout drained me and I didn’t replenish with enough food.
Decided to split up my workouts in an UB/LB fashion again. I’ve been spoilt rotten with the low volume work I’ve done in the past month to be able to do high volume workouts again. Never mind adding metabolic work , odd exercises and cardio.

Training statistics
Volume: 14710
# of sets: 37 # of reps: 301 - avg reps/set : 8,1 - kg/rep : 48,9

[stingo]

That's quite a warmup routine you have - how long did all this take you to do?

[Espi]

Probably almost 10 minutes. I'm getting them done faster now than before, since I've memorized most of the routine.

[mel]

hoping that cold goes away for good!

That is a high volume workout. I can see where it would take your body a bit to transition into it.

mel

[Espi]

Saturday Dec 29
TRAINING Mad Waves 3B
all weights in kilograms

DYNAMIC STRETCHING
1 windmill x 10 each side
2 quick ham & calf stretch x10
3 knee pull-ups (holding onto shins) x10 (alternative for the Frankensteins)
4 torso stretching x 5 for each (cat/camel)
5 knee pushup x10
6 Russian twist w 5kg ball x10 each side
7 lateral lunge x10 each side
8 walking lunge in reverse x10 each side
9 prisoner squat x12
10 Swiss leg curl x12


MAD WAVES

A1 deadlift
WU: 50x5 – 70x5
85x1
70x12
85x1
70x12
Phew.. that 12th rep was hard!

B1 front squat (cleaned all weights but the heaviest)
WU: 25x3 – 28x2 – 30x3 – 37,5x5
52,5x1
35x12
55x1
37,5x12
Must admit to have paused for a gasp of breath after 6 reps but feeling much stronger than 2 days ago. Did this as a semi superset , viz. warming up for DL , then for squats, then 2 sets of DL (1-12 reps) and then 2 sets of squats (1-12r) etc.

ASSISTANCE LIFTS

C1 Smith lunge
35x10 /10
32,5x12/12

C2 cable exorotation
3,8x12/12



D1 pull through
21,3x12 – 8
Can barely keep standing upright while doing those, keep being pulled back

D2 wood chop
16,3x12/12
Not as strong as last time.


E1 neck flexion & extension & side flexion
6,3x25/32 for flexion (to rear) & extension (to front)
6,3x20/20 for side flexion (L/R)

METABOLIC
None today, will relegate those to upper body days.


WO-drink : IsoSpark & jelly beans at the side (ate those at home)

General: as of this workout, I’ll do an UB/LB split again and relegate the more taxing metabolic stuff to the UB as the LB exercises are taxing enough. Then the lighter ab & shoulder exercises are done on LB day too. Still a handful! Today TOM arrived, a bit early as I’d thought my cycle had lengthened again.. but then I should’ve stuffed my face when the body asked for it, 2 days ago! Always ‘go with the flow!” When the body asks for food , give it! When not hungry, don’t force-feed either!
Felt happy tired when finished but not tired anymore 2 hours later

Training statistics
Volume: 13063
# of sets: 38 (including dynamic warmup!) # of reps: 310 - avg reps/set : 8,2 - kg/rep : 42,1

[mel]

Espi, your "go with the flow" advice is good, but what if your body lies to you, LOL. Mine says FEED ME all the time.

mel

[Espi]

Oh, it either says : Feed me or it just doesn't give any feedback at all.. appetite is either completely OFF or ON. Mostly only ON when I'm feeding it. I've literally forgotten nearly 1000s of time to feed it and only remember around 6 to 10pm that I still hadn't eaten a single bite.

[kfisherx]

Espi these workouts are very serious. How long do you generally spend in the gym to complete one of these? Nice log btw.

[Espi]

This one took me a bit over an hour. This type of wave loading (1-x-1-x ) takes much more effort than I'd realized and it requires more 'down' time in between.
If I had done all the exercises as straight sets, I'd be bored witless and also need more time. Now I prepare the next exercise during the rest period of the first exercise.

I could have done it in less than an hour if I hadn't chatted with a few persons.. I'm too talkative, but it isn't as bad as it once was, viz. I generally won't really chat to people anymore during a set . Timing my sets is something I've dropped from the NROL workouts reallllly fast. Hated it with a passion! I prefer relying on how much my heart has calmed down.. might get a HR monitor again and decide to resume lifting when HR has dropped below a certain value.