Week 22 - Mild Cut - Deload Week 2 of 2

Day 1 - 12/12/2011

Motivation Level: High
Energy Levels: High
Sleep: 6hrs 21min

Recovery
Not much sleep overnight, sufficient but a crap load of sleep occurred this weekend. Alcohol free too. This was on purpose in preparation for this week. I have three parties to attend to so I know rest/recovery might be affected. I also came into the realisation that it’s been 1 year and 13 days since I quit smoking. So not only was I an ex 100kg+ fat boy, also an ex 1 pack a day smoker (10 years). I might pick up a smoke or two every few weeks while getting plastered, but I’m sure the haters will only make a deal out of that one.

Ex 100kg+ fatty, now an ex 1 pack a day smoker
Taken 1 year and 13 days ago

Routine - AM
Fasted (IF): 11hrs 30min
Routine: Analogue stationary bike 20min (9min hill climb @ 3min intervals)
Duration: 20min

Notes - AM
Great start to the day. Early morning pre-workout workout for my deloading PM workout.

Routine - PM
Fasted (IF): 16hrs
Routine: Back
Duration: 90min

• 5min Treadmill incline LISS warm up
• Wide grip pull up (body weight): 24 10 10 10 10 10
• V-bar T-row (standing on 2x 32cm blocks): 20x25kg 10x50kg 10x50kg 10x50kg 10x50kg 15x50kg
• Barbell behind the back shrug: 10x70kg 10x70kg 10x120kg 10x120kg 10x120kg 15x120kg
• Chin up (body weight): 20 12 10 10 10 10

Notes - PM
Deloading session was tops. Now onto the second and final week before entering a heavy phase again lasting six weeks. That might be a little tricky due to the fact that it’s a “festive” (fucking everyday should be festive.... sad fucks... to me it is....) season coming up but I’ll manage. Considering the status of my arms post broxperimentals on Saturday (see Damage Control section), and when compared to last weeks Day 1 (week 1 of 2 deloading phase), today didn’t feel like hard work at all. A few modifications were made. Pull ups and chin ups were conducted at body weight only. They were also split up apart as I noticed last week that putting these two together, the second routine of these two suffered greatly. Isolated single arm cable pull downs were also removed as they were flagged last week for flaring up my right elbow, replaced with a v-bar/grip t-rows while standing on two 32cm blocks to allow my bar travel movement. I don’t do these regularly so as part of a deloading phase, 50kg is a rough 100% estimate going by what my current seated rows, dumbbell rows, and other lifts are. The barbell behind the back shrugs were the same as last week, no change.

Nutrition
Total: 3,000 calories
Protein: 350g
Fat: 50g
Carbohydrates: 236g
Meals: 2

Notes
The usual tension day intake today, approximately 3,000+ calories total with 75% of today’s total acting as my post workout meal. I made another batch of sweet and sour chicken after last week’s awesomeness but this time it’s a plum flavour variation. I've got three social events to attend to, adjusted a little so intake won't be counted as thoroughly throughout the week.

Upgraded my new masterpiece over the weekend:

• Lots of milk
• 200g of natural peanut butter, no sugar no salt added
• 3x scoops of chocolate flavoured whey protein powder
• 5x tablespoon of Milo
• 1x 380g bag of M&Ms
• 2x 46g bag of Peanut butter M&Ms (Only figured out now that these existed, and area available in Canberra!)

2,000 calorie meal followed by this 4,500
calorie dessert

Yes, there's pretty much half a kilo
of M&Ms there

Sludge it up and whack it in the freezer. I added extra milk, I felt I had to because of the sheer volume of it. Freezer time was 4hrs this time. Surprisingly, my 2,000 (roughly a little more actually) calorie meal before this didn’t quite fill me up so I didn’t have to wait for long before I mouth orgasm’ed while consuming this. This dessert went to heaven, and back, then traveled between Jessica Alba's thighs, and back to me. I love eating like this and keeping my abs.

Lift heavy, eat plenty, party hard, rest heaps,
party hard, look good, feel great

I won’t be tracking calorie intake to the detail this week. As I mentioned earlier, I’ll be attending three parties that I’ve been invited to. So I didn’t cook as much food over the weekend as I normally would have. And I KNOW I’ll lean up a little. I seem to over estimate the calories from alcohol, I always adjust my real food intake on these days to accommodate a shit load of calories from alcohol and yet 9 times out of 10 I’ll look leaner the morning after. Maybe there are other factors for that too but surely I can’t be burning THAT much calories.

Damage Control

• N/A

Notes
Calves are sore (high) for some reason, obviously Friday’s waist down routine wasn’t a deload’ish enough level? Biceps and forearms are moderately sore from the broxperimentals on Saturday. I might need to move my back routine mid week soon, I’m pretty sure the broxperimentals are affecting my usual Monday back day. Right elbow joint hasn’t flared up but the soreness is still evident, slow improvement. Daily loading on injured/healing right tricep tendon maintained all weekend as well as back/pectoral stretches. They average 1hr in duration per session, I’m happy with my consistency here.

Day 2 - 13/12/2011

Motivation Level: High
Energy Levels: High
Sleep: 6hrs + 1hr 30min double sleep in

Recovery
It seems something is coming. I’m getting a sore throat every morning which has come and gone since lunch time and during my lunch time session. Not sure what it is but it seems to be affecting how I get out of bed in the morning. It could just be a sore throat, some nasty viral shit, who knows. Don’t care, it’s not the end of the world. So today, double sleep in was acquired. The usual AM routine was skipped, it was too late in the morning by the time I arrived in the office so I just went straight to the showers, LULZ. I’d decided to change things up this week training-wise along with the dietary changes due to social reasons. First move: turning today into a tension day and extending the session to 2 hours.

Routine - PM
Fasted (IF): 15hrs
Routine: Shoulders/Legs
Duration: 120min

• 5min Treadmill incline LISS warm up
• Cable isolated lateral raise: 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg
• Cable kneeling isolated reverse flye: 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg 10x10kg
• Smith machine seated military press: 10x20kg 10x20kg 10x40kg 10x40kg 10x40kg 10x40kg 10x40kg
• Partial deadlift (raised blocks - bar 1" below knee height - conventional stance): 5x70kg 5x120kg 5x120kg 5x170kg 5x200kg 3x210kg 5x170kg
• Leg press: 40x100kg 30x200kg 30x200kg 30x200kg

Notes - PM
It’s a pity this is a deloading week. I would have loved to have experimented with this schedule during a standard phase where I could go all out. Switching stuff and experimenting this week and this week only. So far, the overview looks like: Monday back. Tuesday shoulders and legs. Wednesday chest and back. Thursday snatches ;) Friday legs.

Deload session was easy. Kept lifts foreign so therefore the 50% effort target were estimates only but as per my other deloading phases, repetition counts were kept high. There was an exception with the partial deadlift which were executed not on the racks but on blocks so that the bar sits roughly 1 inch below my knee. These felt surprisingly great and velocity/explosiveness were maintained majority of the time. Form was great, turned good on 210kg but not terrible. Watching Mark Rippetoe’s vids really helped with preparation. I was visualising in not picking the bar up, but pushing the ground away from me. Breathing was spot on. Effortless all in all. I got a little carried away with the leg press repetition counts and the outside portion of my thighs got very swolle (LULZ) after the 3rd set.

Nutrition
Total: 3,000 calories
Protein: 350g
Fat: 50g
Carbohydrates: 236g
Meals: 2

Notes
Treating today as a heavy tension day. No other changes. And fuck me. I love a large sized full milk cappuccino mixed with 3 scoops of chocolate protein powder and 3 tablespoons of fat overflowing Milo. Bliss!

Progasming carbgasming,caffgasming
All in one

Damage Control

• N/A

Notes
Back is mildly sore. Forearms are crazy sore, not surprising because both forearms in the brachioradialis area were spasming/cramping like crazy yesterday. I was laughing like a maniac when I was at my desk yesterday, my left arm on the desk and when it spasms it’s the weirdest shit, like it’s moving on it’s own. Everything else is all clear. Right elbow joint is come and go but sometimes it feels like it’s not even evident at all. Tricep loading maintained as well as pectoral and back stretches maintained. These are still averaging 1hr per day.

Day 3 - 14/12/2011

Motivation Level: High
Energy Levels: High
Sleep: 4hrs 20min (BUHAHAHAHAHA!!!!)

Recovery
This is fucked. I was too busy running Windows Debugging tools on my primary Windows 7 box last night followed by “testing” in an attempt to replicate various BSOD errors. Suspect source: bad driver. I didn’t allow time for the .DMP file to generate at each crash hence the extra time spent replicating the issue which did not surface after about 2 hours worth of “testing”, convenient. LULZ.

Routine - AM
Fasted (IF): 11hrs
Routine: Pectorals/Back (Minor)
Duration: 90min

• 5min Treadmill incline LISS warm up
• Dip (body weight only): 35 20 20 20 20
• Dumbbell flat bench press: 10x38kg 10x45kg 10x45kg 10x45kg 10x45kg
• Bench dip: 20xBW 20xBW+25kg 15xBW+50kg 15xBW+25kg 15xBW+25kg
• Dumbbell pull over: 10x22.5kg 10x27.5kg 10x27.5kg 10x27.5kg 10x27.5kg (Experimented with last set, legs locked and elevated, I call this "pull over leg hang)
• Cable seated singe arm row SUPERSET Dragon flags: 10x30kg/2 10x30kg/2 10x40kg/2 10x40kg/2 10x40kg/2
• Standing reverse flye SUPERSET Cable isolated low unilateral raise: 10x6kg/10x40kg 10x6kg/10x40kg 10x9kg/10x40kg

Notes - PM
Interesting session especially the amount of rest overnight. The original plan today was to wake up early and spend 2 hours during this deload phase targeting primarily the breastesses and back. Lats are still pretty tender so I kept the back routine to a minimum. I rocked up later than I had planned once again due to some viral shit coming down. I was fighting sleepiness, more so I was trying to wake up during the first 30 minutes of this session during the dips. I was chuckling at myself, it was like sleep-dipping (instead of sleep walking). Aim was to approximately exert no more than 50% effort and I felt I successfully achieved that. I’m going to add more dragon flags (slow and controlled) in my routines, I felt core strength has suffered a little since putting a stop to my kettlebell madness during my non-lifting/non-heavy days. The last set was just a time-filler and made the entire session feel really wanky, nothing new for a deloading phase in an attempt to avoid normal routines.

Nutrition
Total: Pizza, beer, beer, and beer
Protein: Pizza, beer, beer, and beer
Fat: Pizza, beer, beer, and beer
Carbohydrates: Pizza, beer, beer, and beer
Meals: Pizza, beer, beer, and beer

Notes
Not counting today for obvious reasons.

Damage Control

• N/A

Notes
Only soreness is evident on my back, in particular my lats are tender to touch, interesting. Right elbow joint flared up mildly but at insignificant levels during the seated cable single arm rows. Nothing else comes to mind. Tricep tendon loading with pectoral and back stretches maintained overnight at a 1hr duration, tonight I’m not so sure. It depends on my “condition” when I get back home.

Day 4 - 15/12/2011

Motivation Level: High
Energy Levels: High
Sleep: 7hrs 25min

Recovery
Much better, significant improvement. Viral shit is still lingering but as always, I’m stronger than it.

Routine - PM
Fasted (IF): 15hrs
Routine: Barbell Snatches Practice
Duration: 60min

• 5min Treadmill incline LISS warm up
• Barbell single arm snatch - warm up: 10xBar (5R/5L)
• Barbell snatch: 5x40kg 5x40kg 5x45kg 5x50kg 5x50kg 5x50kg 5x55kg 5x55kg 5x50kg 5x50kg
• Plank: 3min

Notes - PM
No usual MIIT spin session this morning. I was in no condition to drive last night so I left my car at work and had to be flexible with travel arrangements this morning.
Barbell snatch practice was excellent. Although I did not have anyone to critique form, the development throughout the session was progressive and positive. I warmed up accordingly as well as took my time stretching at the catch position with both arms locked and extended slightly passed my center point with a wooden stick (?). Sets 7 and 8 really aggravated my right elbow joint. I realised that I was becoming too lazy, way too fucking lazy with this movement. My prep work has improved but somewhere in between where the bar travels from the ground and as I get under it just before the lock out, my arms are too relaxed. I found that if I kept my arms tight, lats tight, chest more proud and arse sexier, that I prevented this and in totality of the movement, it actually felt 1,000x better! I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing but it felt good. More research will be done, as usual. Fucking nerd.
The plank was a first (not just part of a routine), my quads felt more sore here, not my core. Fucking weird.

Nutrition
Total: 2,000
Protein: 248g
Fat: 100g
Carbohydrates: 30g
Meals: 1

Notes
I managed to get some good old tap water and some real food in me late last night. Despite the good alcohol-free stint, no hangovers were experienced this morning after yesterday which I treated as a warm up. Today’s is just another rough number, food always vary but I try and aim at my targets energy intake and macro wise. Tomorrow will be another day of no tracking as well as Saturday.

Damage Control

• Flagged - Barbell snatches - Set 7 and 8 - Right elbow joint

Notes
Core is absolutely sore from yesterday’s dragon flags. It’s a similar soreness that affects my core after a night of intense senseless sexy time. DOMS initiated nicely but at mild levels yesterday evening on glutes and hamstrings. Those leg press at high repetition counts as long as the feet are positioned accordingly, do wonders. Tricep tendon loading was not maintained yesterday nor did the pectoral/back stretching however the impact of not doing so isn’t so critical considering they were being loaded during yesterday’s AM routine.
Right elbow flared up due to laziness during the barbell snatches (I’m trying to concentrate here....). I’ll research some online community forums on the topic on various lifting/power lifting forums. I know the snatches aren’t the source of this elbow issue, it came from my lack of form (and later discovered, flexibility) during barbell cleans but it is sensitive enough that if I slack off during the snatches, it flares up.
My current self assessment on the source/root problem. Replication of pain during the following:
Arm bent 90 degrees during clenching fist, ie. holding an object tightly or preparing my fist to fist your mother
Arm relaxed whilst palm facing any direction bending with slight clenching, most evident at the 90 degree mark
When carrying an object on the arm that requires gripping, pain amplified when attempting to raise this object, nearly like curling whether conventional or hammer type

Next point of action: Research and possibly start cold/ice application. It is clear that whatever the mechanics (as simple as it sounds I’m sure there’s a shit load more behind the concept) of clinching/gripping is required, that whatever is required, something in this action is the source of the problem.

Day 5 - 16/12/2011

Motivation Level: High
Energy Levels: High
Sleep: 7hrs+

Recovery
Great. Had a later night than usual but still acquired 7hrs+ rest.

Routine - AM
Fasted (IF): 9hrs 30min
Routine: Analogue stationary bike 20min (9min hill climb @ 3min intervals)
Duration: 20min

Notes - AM
Nice and easy, minor sweat fest on the 15th minute mark.

Routine - PM
Fasted (IF): 14hrs 30min
Routine: Waist and below
Duration: 90min

• 5min Treadmill incline LISS
• Barbell box squat (parallel with a 35cm box): 10xBar 10xBar 20x40kg 10x60kg 10x60kg 30x60kg 20x60kg 20x60kg 10x60kg 10x60kg
• Barbell halting deadlift: 5x70kg 5x70kg 5x110kg 5x110kg 5x150kg 5x150kg 5x150kg 5x110kg 5x110kg 5x110kg
• Leg press machine calf raise: 30x100kg 30x200kg

Notes - PM
The lateral epicondylitis (see Damage control) issue seems to be A LOT more relieved after today’s session. The pain is still there but it isn’t as severe. I can actually pick up a 1kg+ tub of BCAA with ease. Anyway, the session was tops. This marks my final deloading day for this week, week 2 of 2. The target was an estimate of 50% effort at higher repetition count. The exception was the halting deadlift in which effort was slightly higher but I used a normal repetition range. I would have liked to put more time with the leg press machine calf raise but I did not want to exceed the 90min mark, especially not for a deloading session. I’m feeling refreshed already towards the end of this week. Halting deadlifts are going great and these were done at the conventional stance where my heels were about 6 inches apart and the toes at around 12 inches apart, slight outward facing position but close together. Form was great and preparation work per rep were done with patience. It was a ground-push-pause-lower-bar affair, controlled and breathing was spot on.

One other thing. There was a track and field athlete in the gym today who appears to be going through a photo shoot through various exercises. Two words. Fucking inspirational. She has, probably the best body I’ve ever seen on anyone, in person and up close. It wasn’t just beautiful, perfect, but it from looking at her body I KNEW she is a great athlete. I was chatting to another athlete how I felt about it, I AM absolutely and truly inspired. Perfection. Beautiful. Strength. Unimaginable beauty. Naturally gifted. FUCK, I could go on all fucking day on this! Google Melissa Breen.

Nutrition
Total: N/A
Protein: N/A
Fat: N/A
Carbohydrates: N/A
Meals: N/A

Notes
Composition is in control, hovering and unmoved at 73kg. I can’t conclude on strength at this point since the past two weeks have been spent deloading but I’m feeling great. Not counting today, just like Wednesday. Source of protein will most likely come from a slab of steak or three. Wednesday was a warm for tonight. Tonight will be a warm up for tomorrow. My liver isn’t going through a deloading phase this week, that’s for fucking sure.

Damage Control

• N/A

Notes
Core is still sexy time sore. Mild DOMS on waist down has been all clear since yesterday afternoon. Tricep tendon loading has been completed but pectoral and back stretches will not be conducted. I followed up with more research as intended in regards to my elbow pain generated primarily by clenching my fist and it seems clear that I have a tendonitis type injury. I have consulted with an internal contact who deals with our country’s elites who has assisted me this morning (FUCKING LOVE THIS PLACE, it’s amazing what help you receive simply by helping others’ just because without any expectations) and I may have lateral epicondylitis, exciting. Really, I think it is, yes I’m weird. Several tests were conducted this morning but one thing is clear, the source of the pain has been pin pointed as well as we do have more than an idea (thanks for my anal way of logging things fitness related) of what generates and how to replicate the pain. A strong elastic tape (forgot the name) has been applied from wrist to elbow (top side) whilst wrist was at a deload/unload position (wrist extended upwards) and I will be leaving this on for the rest of the day. From here on in, until recovery is evident, I will generate and continually add to a list of basic functions that aggravate the elbow with a pain rating from 0-10. So here’s the list:

Tendonitis Troubleshooting List - Pain Rating out of 10

• Picking up a jug of water, arms stretched or not - 10/10
• Reaching out at an object from a bent to a lock (as much as possible) position with fingers open (like as if I’m to grope your arse), but not not as evident when fist is clenched (relaxed) - 8/10
• Picking up an upright dumbbell at ANY weight (3kg is BARELY unmanageable) at the large end (similar circumference to a water bottle/jug), but picking it up at the bar is doable at a MUCH heavier weight but pain is evident - 10/10
• Reaching down a washing machine picking up wet clothes - 8/10
• Dumbbell hammer curl, holding position at 90 degrees - 7/10
• Arm at 90 degrees, regardless of palm direction, clenching fist tightly - 8/10
• Arm stretched outwards with palm facing down, then moving palm to face forward - 10/10
• Picking up a 1kg+ tub of BCAA from the ground - 9/10

It’s been recommended that I still continue load as complete passive rest will most likely worsen the situation. I also gather that this is to also ensure I strengthen the area surrounding the pain. The list above will be continually worked on at an elite level and as it builds up, part of the troubleshooting is to cross off the list during the recovery phase to measure and benchmark treatment methods.

Viral throat/sinus challenge is starting to ease away, which explains the uninterrupted and more solid rest periods over the past two nights. Good shit.

Weekend Outlook going Into Week 23

Training
Broxperimentals and shoulder conditioning will be maintained. Maybe an ab work or ten from various things, we’ll see, not planning anything. I’m just going against the flow, to go with my own flow, if that makes any sense.

Nutrition
Flexible. ‘Nuff said.

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