Go with the flow!

[Espi]

Next workout will also have a bit more structured balance flexibility work.

Interesting snippet to use for designing the new program. From this article where lots of other good stuff was written!

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1406720

Lesson #5: Incorporate single-leg exercises effectively.

In 2005, I really pushed to try to get people to realize how important single-leg training is. In 2006, after talking more with Mike Boyle and brainstorming a bit, I learned to program them a lot better with sub-divisions:

1. Static Unsupported: 1-leg squats (pistols), 1-leg stiff-leg deadlifts
2. Static Supported: Bulgarian split squats
3. Dynamic: lunges, step-ups



From there you can also divide single-leg movements into decelerative (forward lunging) and accelerative (slideboard work, reverse lunges). I've found that accelerative movements are the most effective early progressions after lower extremity injuries (less stress on the knee joint).

I think it's ideal for everyone to aim to get at least one of each of the three options in every week. If one needed to be sacrificed, it would be static supported. Because static unsupported aren't generally loaded as heavily and don't cause as much delayed onset muscle soreness, they can often be thrown in on upper body days. Here are some sample splits you might want to try:

3-day

Monday — Include static supported (50/50 upper/lower exercise selection)

Wednesday — Include static unsupported (would be the only lower body exercise in this session)

Friday — Include dynamic (50/50 upper/lower exercise selection)

Notice how the most stressful/soreness-inducing option is placed prior to the longest recovery period (the weekend of rest).

4-day

Monday — Include static supported in lower-body training session.

Wednesday — Include static unsupported (only lower body exercise in otherwise upper body session)

Friday — Include dynamic in lower-body training session

Saturday — Upper body workout, no single-leg work outside of warm-up and unloaded prehab work

We rotate our single-leg movements every four weeks, and generally use accelerative movements (reverse lunge variations, especially) twice as often as decelerative movements.

[galya]

Not a bad way to plan (static vs dynamic).
The routine your cyclist friend gave you sounds like something I tried wayy back but it was based on taking a bodypart thru all rep ranges within a single workout...craziness. Your version...even harder, but I see how it would affect recovery. Maybe something to try in the future.
What I do, I always focus on what's most important at the moment, and if in doubt choose strength.
Is the undulating approach you ask about better...when you do the math, it will end up being the same, with better recovery in your friend's version in my opinion.
If a routine worked for you I don't see why not try it again with different exercises or set ups

[Espi]

I'll just try it again. Back then I wasn't as strong as I am now.
Two likely explanations:
- adding too many exercises.
- too low in calories and carbs
I wasn't calorie/carb cycling then, but I am now. So.. about time to try again and see whether there's a difference.

[Espi]

Weekly progress


30d weight etc. averages (Sun)
65,2kg = -0,8 kg
28,0 bf% = -0,9%
F: 18,3kg=-0,8kg = 1,8kg F to go to 63,4kg @ 26%
LBM: 46,9kg=0,0kg
P-ratio: 0% LBM gain/loss re to 30d avg wt loss

30 day average intake, maintenance & predicted expenditure
Fri15 – Sat13
current 30d avg intake = 2023 kcal, which is:
- 89,3% of 30d maintenance = 2265 kcal = 806g fat loss in in 30d
- 89,1% of predicted 30d avg caloric expenditure: 2269kcal

30 day average macronutrient breakdown
carbs: 171g / 34% / 2,6g/kg
protein: 131g / 26% / 2,0g/kg = 2,8g/kg LBM
fat: 91g / 40% / 1,4 g/kg
sat. fat : 35%
fiber: 27g

……………………………………………………………………………… …………

30d avg activity
Amt of rest/WO-days:17/13
kg lifted : 4090kg/day
activity: 64 min/day

Calories eaten: rest 1285 / lifting 3056
Predicted expenditure: rest 1929/ lifting 2746
Carbs: rest 85g / training 291g
Protein: rest 102g / training 172g
Fat : rest 60g / training 135g

Comment: fat loss is slowing down seriously now.. even reversing for the weekly average. Time for a diet & training break, which will start in about 2 weeks.

[Espi]

Sunday Jan 14
TRAINING cycle 6 – day 18

step-ups : BW+(8 kgx2)x12

Bulgarian split squat BW+(9kgx2) x 7 (PR for weight)

chins
BW+7kg :1 (PR for weight)
BW x 2-2-1 / 1-1 (mid-way WO) / 2 (end)

goblet squat
32kg x10

Smith squat
50kgx8
75kg x4
Work set: 70kg x6-6

In slow SS with
DL
77,5kg x 5
90kg x 3
102,5kgx1 (equalled previous PR)
Work set: 92,5kg x 3-3

supine (overhand) row
BW x 12

incline db press
(17kg x2) x 8

Yates supine bb row
55kgx8
65kg x 4 (PR for weight)
Work set: 60 kg x 5-5

In slow SS with
bb press
42,5kg x6
52,5kg x 1 (PR for weight)
Work set: 47,5kg x3-3

Cardio
Treadmill interval cardio :
4 min WU 4,6 to 5km/hr @ 15%,
6 min: 3x30s runs @ 11 km/hr w 90s cooldown
3 min speedwalking 5-6 km/hr
2 min cooldown
186kcal – 744 kcal/hr (+20)
1,46km – 5,84 km/hr (+0,08)


Comment
Posterior chain : very satisfied about equalling previous best of 102,5kg.
Chest: 1x52,5 kg.. first time over 50kg, barely managed 1 rep
Back : chins weren’t as good as last time, now trying for 7kg very very tough, so didn’t get to 3 reps this time. Used highest weight ever for BB BORs (Yates are easier, I admit), and supine rows were again easy.
Small stuff : ditched, really was taking too much time today.

Cardio: again, an easier session
General: feeling good about new PRs but looking forward to diet break as the lifting takes too much time.. need more rest between sets than before.

Training statistics
Rep index: 101 reps/hr (80min)
Volume: 8163kg
Total gym time: 100 mins.
# of sets: 28 - # of reps 134 - avg reps/set : 4,8 - kg/rep 60,9 kg

[Espi]

Am already thinking about my new routine.
I'm going to do the renegade rows in my next routine Galya! Lots of interesting changes are planned.. less 'big' lifts : no DL but a RDL, no big back squts, but goblet squats. No bb rows but renegade rows.
Will be spending more time on pullups.

[galya]

This is cool. I am looking forward to your feedback from the workout.
If you have kettlebells it makes a world of a difference with RRs.

[Espi]

Alas no, we don't even have a squat rack.

I really like the atmosphere there. Lots of elderly people too, where I fit in nicely.
There's another gym nearby (No Nonsense Gym) that's having some things that is lacking in my own gym:
- plate loaded leg press instead of a hack-squatlike leg press (gives knee pain at higher weights)
- glute ham raise
- a squat rack with shortish ledgers

A pity though that opening hrs are extremely limited (5-10pm, only Mo-Fri , perhaps also Sat/Sun) while mine is open from 9-10pm except for Fri night, Sat/Sun). Also the disks are in painted metal and measured in imperial pounds and I've already got a blister from paint chips and spent waaaaay too much time calculating the exact weights needed.

None of them have kettlebells.. I wonder what's the advantage of them. Changing center of gravity.

OK, got to go.. am already late for gym.

[Espi]

Tuesday Jan 16
TRAINING cycle 6 – day 20

chins
BW+8kg :1 (PR for weight)
BW x 2-3- 2-1 / 2 - 1(end)

1-leg press : 26 kg x 8

goblet squat
32kg x11 (PR for reps)

bb front squat
10kg x 8 :

Smith squat
15kg x5
52,5kgx6
80kg x4
85kg x 3
90kg x 2
100kg x 1 (not sure about proper depth?) (PR for weight, either 90 or 100kg)

In slow SS with
DL
60kg x 6
80kg x 5
92,5kg x 3
105kgx1 (PR for weight)
Stopped here, no work sets.

supine (overhand) row
BW x 12

incline db press
(18kg x2) x 4

Yates supine bb row
57,5kgx6
67,5kg x 4
70kg x 2 (PR for weight)
No work sets

In slow SS with
bb press
45kg x4
55kg x 0 (failure)
No work sets.. next time more warm up sets!

rope pushdown
21,25kg x 7

biceps cable curl
18,75 kg x 6

face pull
26,25 kg x 13 (PR for weight)

exo rotation
6,25 kg x 10
8,75 kg x 3 (PR for weight)


Cardio
None.. work was being done and wanted to take it easier today.

Comment
Quads : since I was always underperforming with Smith squats I wanted to try something really heavy.. 100kg x 1 was easy enough . It will be one of the last back squats I’m going to do in a long time, so nice to quit with a PR.
Tried a ‘choke yourself’ front squat with an empty bb and that went fine, at least wrist didn’t hurt and it wasn’t too painful either. We’ll see what happens when the bar is loaded.
Posterior chain : woot 105 kg wasn’t too difficult either, another PR
Chest: will try again next time ., but satisfied with incline db presses. Not a PR though, just equal weight.
Back : need to work on form for pull-ups. , otherwise happy with the 8kg weighted pullup. However, I’ve done 3 reps with BW of 73kg which is better than 1 rep with BW of 64 kg+ 8 kg or?
Yates rows : also a PR but it’s very hard to judge how much worth to put onto that weight as it’s such an upright position, but never mind.. it’s the effect (lat growth) and decreasing spine load which counts more.

Cardio: none, skipped because of lacking sleep as well as the fact that they were working on installing new tv’s in that area.
General: funny how you can be dead tired from lack of sleep and still do PRs for weight/reps as long as the rest time is really really long. Hurrah for caffeine (2 cups of coffee) and Fortega!

Training statistics
Rep index: 125 reps/hr (70min)
Volume: 6078kg
Total gym time: 70 mins.
# of sets: 31 - # of reps 146 - avg reps/set : 4,7 - kg/rep 41,6 kg

[galya]

I don't think I've ever seen that many PRs in a day's log Good job!
Start sleeping, too, it might end up being nice!

[Espi]

I really enjoyed this setup too that I've used for about 5 months = start around 15/20 reps and drop down to 4 reps during every menstruation cycle. It took a while before I had finally dropped enough volume to not overtrain.. the first few months I was constantly on the brink of overtraining. So a few more rest days, less sets and viz. cardio not trying to do HIIT/interval cardio every single time...
Not work harder, but smarter... it also paid off for weight loss as working too hard makes me overeat all the time as a 'kneejerk' response.

Apparently I am now finally learning how not to overtrain by cutting down on volume of the lifts by doing less sets. Concentrating on ramping up the weights instead of ramping up the reps as well as smarter warmup sets with overloading (a heavier warmup set preceding the workset) has done wonders for my results.

For bench pressing though, which doesn't have my attention like DL or squatting I do need more sets before attempting that 55 kg press.

Tomorrow (Thursday) there's a rest day. Originally I'm supposed to do cardio, but I'll be away most of the day and probably will not have time. So be it. Saturday I'll try that 55kg bench press again right at the start when I'm still fresh. And for the rest it'll be a depletion training with 15-20 rep sets. Originally it is always on day 22 of my cycle as this traditionally is my natural 'binge' day. Tracked about 35 cycles and it's not just the week preceding TOM that leads to overeating but it's very specific days, especially ovulation and approx. 1 week out from TOM. Not even as much the 4 days preceding TOM so it can happen that I drop water weight right before TOM instead of right after TOM.

Did you know that women tend to have a higher glycogen storage capacity before TOM? Read that somewhere recently and it now makes perfect sense because the body thinks it's about to 'give birth' .. at least the hormonal status is quite similar. Progesterone is higher pre-TOM and is a 'binge' hormone it seems.. Estrogens OTOH are very similar to leptin and suppress appetite, which explains the lack of appetite in the first part of a cycle.

[UConnJulie]

Espi, that's interesting to me about hormones around TOM ... I am ravenous about a week before (probably when progesterone is high) and have a really hard time sticking to my plan ... then when it gets here, I'm almost nauseated at the thought of food!! Interesting ...

[Espi]

That fluctuating appetite pattern has only become stronger. Another reason why I chose for that title. Why fight against your natural tendency to eat less or more? The key overeating days are: day 20-21-24-17 and 12. Counting backwards it's 4-5-7-8 days as well as 13-15 days before TOM.
But never in the 1 to 3 days before TOM nor 9 to 12 days before TOM.
Or again forwards, never on day 5-6 or 9 to 11.

[UConnJulie]

I would say that is pretty typical for me too ... I had never noticed it until I started logging my food about a year ago ... some days I would barely eat all that I had planned and other days I couldn't stop eating it seemed!! Are there any research studies out there that support this in any way?

Just curious since I get sick of men always telling me that there is nothing really different about women's metabolism ... when clearly there is!!!

[galya]

Men know as much about our relationship with food as we know about their relationship with games/cars/beer...whatever.

[tkinsley]

Originally Posted by galya

Men know as much about our relationship with food as we know about their relationship with games/cars/beer...whatever.

So true, Galya! I'm thinking football... and fantasy football. That type of thing just puzzles me.

I have noticed a similar pattern as Espi... two weeks prior: ravenous, for a day or two. Then one week prior: same. Two days prior: same. Day of: nothing much (usually I am appalled by the scale bump that day, maybe that suppresses the ole appetite... but definitely I have also noticed that on the days when I am craving/starving, my weight is also up on the scale that morning, sometimes by a couple of pounds. How interesting.