SATIL log

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Not a great week. Sleep has been a little so-so; weight is good (180.x) but the diet has been a little carb heavy. Strength is there but endurance isn't on heavy compounds... missed 3rd sets of squats and incline bench. Dunno if I was drinking coffee before the cut, but I think between my age, baby stress, the weight I'm moving etc I think a cup on leg day is warranted. Maybe a cup on one of the other weekdays but not both. And I have a cup before my long ride by default.

Speaking of which I played with nutrition on my last ride and it helped somewhat. Basically I ride a 4 mile loop.... I'm good for 5-6 laps, which amounts to 25-29 miles door to door. I used to go out with no water or food and need a decent sized break after 3 laps. Saturday I brought some food along and actually caught a nice second wind around mile 13, but totally tapped out at mile 20 or so, so I turned around and went home. Forgot water which is probably just as vital if not more. So this weekend I will bring both and try for 5 laps straight. If I can bang those out with consistent lap times (~15 minutes) I will be very happy.

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

The rides are improving. Really enjoying it. Rides over the last few weeks were 24 miles @ 15.8 MPH, 29 @ 16 and 29 @ 16.2 today. Big helps have been holding back at the beginning so I had more in the tank at the end, and proper nutrition during the ride. 1 granola bar and a decent sized electrolyte drink get it done. I still need to take a break in the middle.... that's my only issue. But we get the miles we need. Rides are good for ~2000kcal I think and with the caffeine my appetite is suppressed further so this is a good maintenance tool.

Got my light full body shyt tomorrow.... should go OK.

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Just for reference.... weight was 183ish, waist still around 29"

Got hit with a cold snap so it's back to indoor riding. Hate it but it is easier and more convenient. Might move to 2 rides a week, again just to keep that going.

Gonna try something different for this training block.... switch to a full body push/pull situation, do all my lifting at work. Then on the weekends do my cardio. Might ride on Saturday AND Sunday. Just shift the energy cycle a bit. Hoping that trading a hair more frequency for more intensity and fatigue will trigger more growth. Volume is the same. Also gonna ditch squats for a block as well, just pound away with leg press and reserve my back. No rush, no stress, just progress

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

First 2 days went well. Hit push Monday, pull yesterday. Push was not bad; leg press is so easy and stress free. Usually for big lifts I have to start the day with them but I threw these in the middle of the workout and was fine. Took off yesterday and I'm back at it today.

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

I think I'm gonna try a push/pull and legs/shoulders/abs split this week. I just didn't like that damn push/pull pump

Cardio this weekend was trash. Weight is in the 184s but I think my waist is still OK. Switching to winter mode Time to cash in though, get my money's worth for this weight

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Metabolism is on fire.... I'm eating 3K+ a day and still hovering in the mid 183s. Still doing an hour long ride on the weekends but that's it

Training is going pretty well. Enjoying the flexibility. For example doing leg press for my lower push now. I think I'm gonna throw a set of heavy squats back in for the next training block. I also still want to bring my damn bench up... thinking about hitting that 2x/week on the next block too. I still want to get to 3x5x275 and hopefully add more reps from there

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Really loving the new split. 4 days... 2 push/pull, 2 legs/shoulders/abs. Did heavy bench 2x this week.... only 225lbs but it feels a lot easier than it used to. Honestly feels like I have reps in the tank, but I think keeping something in the tank on heavy bench is good. Just gonna ease my way up... 5lbs a block (so basically 5lb a month) and see where I land. Liking leg press over squats for sure; much heavier loads and more volume. Nowhere near as daunting. Been on my regular deadlift wave for a minute now... harder than sumos for sure but I think it's better. Sumo was just for ego for me. I think I'll cap those at 4 plates.... 3 months from that based on current progress.

I do want to do a quick cut before summer just to clean up and stay happy.... I'll ramp up the biking a month before but keep the calories up, then cut calories for like 4-5 weeks. Take whatever I can get. The target is a show for 2020 so I'm trying to minimize the roadblocks and down time. In a very nice groove right now

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Wow, a month with no updates??

Weight still in the low-mid 180s. Metabolism has pretty much maxxed out; I think I am maintaining on 2800-3000kcal with no cardio.

Stuff in the gym is going well as well; 235 is going up the easiest its ever gone on heavy bench. Upright rowing 100lbs which I think is also a PR. Need to adjust my volume leg press day... I have been doing 3 heavy sets and 3 light sets from I think 11 plates down to 8.5. Gonna do 2x12/10/8 (with upward tapering reps) and add 10lb each block. Not sure if leg press is better for size on my legs but I'm getting way more load and volume with way less hassle. Need to dig up old photos and see how my legs looked before... hoping my flat weight isn't me losing my legs as I'm definitely looking softer. We'll see I guess

Overall things are going well though... building a good foundation for that 2020 show. Def gonna hop on the bike in the spring but I don't know that I will do a full cut. We'll see

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Wanted to get back to this, it's no fun tracking alone... feel like a crazy person

Anyway weight is in the low 190s, currently in a strength gaining phase but also keeping trim with biking. Really enjoying it.

Like I said I have pretty much moved to all machines in the gym... I just get so much more done and can get way more volume in. It's kind of ridiculous. For example this week I'm shooting for 4x8x580 on leg press today and Friday which equates to about 405lb on squat. I would NOT be squatting 4 plates at that kind of volume by now. Prob would have got sidelined by injury or fatigue. Don't get it twisted though.... in fact go load up your gym's leg press with 10 plates and see what you get done

Stopped doing deadlifts too... I don't want my butt to grow anymore so I just do hamstring curls now. That's actually been working well too. Only free weight stuff left is shoulder (lateral raises, trap bar upright rows) and arm stuff (regular shyt).

Target is to try a show next fall. So far so good

 

[The ADD]

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Damn... weighed in at 195 flat but my waist is under 31"

To kind of put that in context... in 2013 at ~193lb my waist was like 33". In 2017 at ~193lb my waist was about 31". So to be up to 195 and under 31" is significant. That's the kind of slow crawl of natural growth, but it's something. Maybe 2-3lb of lean mass over the last 2 years? Def can't complain.

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

O yea, I am a damn coffee fiend now

I have been sleeping phenomenally though so it's no big deal. But that is one other big change.

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Interesting to see how pacing affects performance. Last week I did 3x8x175 on incline bench and it felt light, so in my next superset I hit 3x8x220 on the Hammer Strength bench. This week I said fukk it and did 185 on incline bench, but was totally gassed on HS bench. So next week I'll prob drop back to 3x10x175 and hopefully get more on HS bench

I do think HS bench is good and translates. I had to do my Monday workout at home and 3x9x215 felt easy. It usually doesn't. Hoping to get to 3x10x225 by the end of the year.

Biked last night... felt good. Shortish ride but got a nice calorie burn. Pace was OK too. Unfortunately today is leg day It's weird but when I bike my appetite kind of goes down

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Damn so I gained 10lbs in the last 6 months But I have def made big strength gains, especially in my legs. Not 10lb worth but enough to warrant some weight gain. Cant make an omelette without cracking some eggs I guess, Truthfully I'm damn near at the point with leg press where I don't know if I want to add any more weight. I don't want to buy new pants again

Was looking back at my old bike ride data... even though I'm heavy AF I have got a bit faster. When I do my next cut I will be flying... even with the new bike I'm probably 10-15lb heavier in total which is a lot with all the damn hills

 

[TLR Is Mental Poison]

Weight seemed to have stabilized... been at 196 flat for like 2 weeks straight

Looking a little flat from last week's deload.... time to get it in again. I think I need to do a little work during deloads just to keep a little pump