Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 4/8, Workout 5/5
Sat 19 Feb 22 - 0449-0529
Standard Mobility + Stretching ~15 min
Tango Circuits x 3 Work:Rest 1 min:1 min / 3 min
1. Reverse Lunge - BW - 37/37/x
2. DB Incline Bench - 40s - 38/32/x
3. DB Bent Row - 40s/30s - 30/36/x (hi-mid-lo)
4. DB Calf Raise - 40s - 55/53/x (feet in/feet out/x)
5. V-Up - BW - 25/24/x
6. DB Curl - 10s - 40/37/x
1 min RI between exercises, 3 min between circuits
- couldn't figure out why DB Bent Row went so badly, then figured out I'd jumped from 20s to 40s. Walked back to 30s for second circuit.
- did two circuits instead of three. Not sure if I wimped out or if I was being sensible. Plus, I f'n hate metcon training because it sucks and I suck at it. Therefore, I should probably make sure I continue doing SE past Base Building phase. Maybe do one E (LSS) + one HIC + one SE session each week.
- garage was still cold but not so frigid I couldn't work out.
- I might have to stop doing shoulder-intensive exercises. Swapping in DB incl. bench for DB push-press didn't help my right shoulder. Maybe I'll try flat bench to see if that is as troublesome for my shoulder.
B71 return to TB
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 5/8, Workout 1/5
Mon 21 Feb 22 0425-~0530
Standard stretch & mobility routine ~15 min - added pso-rite
LSS 30 min - easy treadmill jog
5:08/500m walking warmup @ 6.0 kph @ 1 deg (33 Cal)
30:00/4.72km @ 9.5 kph @ 1 deg (308 Cal)
5:08/500m 5:08/500m walking cooldown @ 6.0 kph @ 1 deg (33 Cal)
- nose breathing in/out throughout. Not easy, exactly, but maintainable.
- can feel hips (tight?) and low-mid back; not debilitating.
- I felt pretty good, generally.
- thought about going outside but it's wet, sloppy and snowy, so I'll wait until the streets are clear/dry
Thoughts on Week 4
Rearranging the workouts makes sense - I got all of them in last week. LSS-SE-LSS-rest-SE-LSS-rest works.
I'll do two treadmill sessions and one ruck session this week.
My right shoulder is giving me grief again, so shoulder exercises aren't wise right now.
Nutrition was ok. Bizarrely, I hit a new (recent) low for weight but then shot up 2 lbs in one day. Basically, it was more of the same. I need to dial in nutrition more - I was good for sweets and salty snacks, I think, but I should cut down to one glass of white wine per day. I think the wine is more of a habit now than an actual 'want'. I need to break the habit.
Mon 21 Feb 22 0425-~0530
Standard stretch & mobility routine ~15 min - added pso-rite
LSS 30 min - easy treadmill jog
5:08/500m walking warmup @ 6.0 kph @ 1 deg (33 Cal)
30:00/4.72km @ 9.5 kph @ 1 deg (308 Cal)
5:08/500m 5:08/500m walking cooldown @ 6.0 kph @ 1 deg (33 Cal)
- nose breathing in/out throughout. Not easy, exactly, but maintainable.
- can feel hips (tight?) and low-mid back; not debilitating.
- I felt pretty good, generally.
- thought about going outside but it's wet, sloppy and snowy, so I'll wait until the streets are clear/dry
Thoughts on Week 4
Rearranging the workouts makes sense - I got all of them in last week. LSS-SE-LSS-rest-SE-LSS-rest works.
I'll do two treadmill sessions and one ruck session this week.
My right shoulder is giving me grief again, so shoulder exercises aren't wise right now.
Nutrition was ok. Bizarrely, I hit a new (recent) low for weight but then shot up 2 lbs in one day. Basically, it was more of the same. I need to dial in nutrition more - I was good for sweets and salty snacks, I think, but I should cut down to one glass of white wine per day. I think the wine is more of a habit now than an actual 'want'. I need to break the habit.
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 5/8, Workout 2/5
Tue 22 Feb 22 - 0455-0542
Standard Mobility + Stretching ~15 min
Tango Circuits x 3
1 min work, 1 min RI between exercises, 3 min between circuits
1. DB Goblet/Basket Squat - 40 - 41/36/26
2. DB Bent Row - 30s - 38/34/30
3. V-Up - BW - 27/23/20
4. DB Calf Raise - 40s - 57/56/59 (feet in/feet out/feet straight)
- no shoulders or chest exercises, as I wanted to protect my right shoulder
- only 4 exercises instead of 6. I think I needed to recalibrate my expectations and "train where I'm at" instead of where I think I should be.
- it was still hard. I was sucking wind after squats and rows and caught my breath a little in the remaining two exercises. Maybe I'll switch up the order to give me a little bit of a break between squats and rows.
Tue 22 Feb 22 - 0455-0542
Standard Mobility + Stretching ~15 min
Tango Circuits x 3
1 min work, 1 min RI between exercises, 3 min between circuits
1. DB Goblet/Basket Squat - 40 - 41/36/26
2. DB Bent Row - 30s - 38/34/30
3. V-Up - BW - 27/23/20
4. DB Calf Raise - 40s - 57/56/59 (feet in/feet out/feet straight)
- no shoulders or chest exercises, as I wanted to protect my right shoulder
- only 4 exercises instead of 6. I think I needed to recalibrate my expectations and "train where I'm at" instead of where I think I should be.
- it was still hard. I was sucking wind after squats and rows and caught my breath a little in the remaining two exercises. Maybe I'll switch up the order to give me a little bit of a break between squats and rows.
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 5/8, Workout 3/5
Wed 23 Feb 22 0510-0540
No mobility/stretching routine: just wanted to get it over with.
LSS 30 min - Treadmill ruck with 20 lb vest
"Hill" setting - 2-4-6-4-2 deg inclines
30:00/2.76 km @ 5.5 kph @ 1 deg with vest - 230 Cal
- Started at 6 kph but eased to 5.5 kph after a couple of minutes. I did 5.7 kph a week or so ago and that's probably a better approach. 5.5 kph is a bit wimpy.
- Didn't feel much like doing anything this morning - mental fatigue, maybe? - but I did something, so that's a small win.
- Session was pretty standard, nose-breathing throughout, not too taxing.
Wed 23 Feb 22 0510-0540
No mobility/stretching routine: just wanted to get it over with.
LSS 30 min - Treadmill ruck with 20 lb vest
"Hill" setting - 2-4-6-4-2 deg inclines
30:00/2.76 km @ 5.5 kph @ 1 deg with vest - 230 Cal
- Started at 6 kph but eased to 5.5 kph after a couple of minutes. I did 5.7 kph a week or so ago and that's probably a better approach. 5.5 kph is a bit wimpy.
- Didn't feel much like doing anything this morning - mental fatigue, maybe? - but I did something, so that's a small win.
- Session was pretty standard, nose-breathing throughout, not too taxing.
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 6/8, Workout 1/5
Mon 28 Feb 22 0513-0600
Max Str (75%)
No mobility/stretching routine: just wanted to get it over with.
Leg Press 3x8 270lbs (3 plates/side)
Pec Deck 3x8 @115
Assisted Pull-up 3x8 @ -85
-First day back at a gym in 2 years. (Good thing because today was -20C when I woke up, so the garage would have been unbearably cold for a workout.)
-Did 3 work sets of 8 - I'll use 5 on my HEAVY weeks, I think. I don't think rep schemes under 5 reps would be wise for me.
-It's supposed to be 75% this week but I have no idea what my 1RM is, since I haven't lifted heavy or even used a barbell in 2 years. I probably lifted heavier than a 75% training max but I figure I'll do this next two weeks and then maybe test for a 1RM (or a calculated 1RM based on a heavy triple) before I start the continuation training block.
-Used 'alternate' exercises to the big 3.
--Did Leg Press instead of squats or deadlifts. I've never been too keen about the bar position during squats and my shoulder mobility was not good even before my right shoulder started giving me grief.
--Did not do Deadlift at all - mostly because I'm scared to lift super-heavy right now.
--Did Pec Deck instead of Bench Press. I gave Bench a quick go but my shoulder did not like the empty bar. This was a kick in the head because I was looking forward to this. I'm hoping that my shoulder will return to normal to allow me to do OHP and BP but it's not happening right now and forcing it seems like it would just make things worse for longer.
--Did assisted Pull-ups for back. My pull-ups have always been weaker than my chin-ups, so that's a good reason to do them. Plus, I think that pull-ups "opens" the thorax, whereas chin-ups would have me curving forward and inward. Since I'm hunched at a desk all day, I feel like I need to do things that "open" my posture.
- Didn't do any assistance exercises. While I enjoyed being in the gym, the COVID lockdowns have made me leery of being in crowded spaces. Plus, I figured I should just focus on the main exercises and not get too giddy about doing all the things.
Notes on Week 5
I only got 3 workouts in, which was a little disappointing. I jammed out of my Friday workout because we attended a promotion party on Thursday night for a family friend. It was a late night, so I 'slept in' on Friday instead of getting up at 0430. Saturday morning was frigid, so I didn't work out in the gym and, if I recall correctly, my mother-in-law had gotten up super-early and was in the basement watching TV, so I couldn't use the treadmill without displacing her.
I'm not sure if it's COVID-induced cabin fever or boredom with BB phase catching up with me, but I was DONE with this phase. I wanted to get out of the house and lift weights. I wanted to get out of the house to do cardio - running or walking on a treadmill looking at a bare wall was getting a bit dull. Anyway, I re-upped at my local gym.
I am in danger of getting program ADHD or 'shiny-object syndrome'. I stumbled on a UK trainer ("Bellyproof" method) on YouTube who uses a low-carb, intermittent fasting routine with a specific training protocol, allegedly built around hormone maximization. The logic was that to lose fat, it needs to be 'released' from fat stores (lipolysis) and then 'burned' (oxidation). The idea was to manipulate diet timing and training to optimize production of testosterone, growth hormone and adrenaline to promote lipolysis and oxidation. It's pretty compelling, actually. The problem (as described) is that certain healthy diet and exercise behaviours can unwittingly frustrate these processes. I'm not willing to fork out for their whole plan, but I am going to try to reduce starchy carbs (which seems to be working, even just over this last weekend) and consider the 2MAD IF protocol. (I've tried IF before with little success, so I am skeptical.) So - try to clean up the diet a bit and stick with TB for the time being.
The shiny-object thing has also got me wondering about my training goals and the appropriate training protocol. Since my goals, if I'm honest, are basically to look good and move well, maybe I don't need to focus so much on heavy lifting (gasp!). I was contemplating a 3-days-lifting protocol, but now I'm wondering if I'd be better off with a 2-days-a-week lifting protocol. I've got a couple of weeks to make up my mind.
Mon 28 Feb 22 0513-0600
Max Str (75%)
No mobility/stretching routine: just wanted to get it over with.
Leg Press 3x8 270lbs (3 plates/side)
Pec Deck 3x8 @115
Assisted Pull-up 3x8 @ -85
-First day back at a gym in 2 years. (Good thing because today was -20C when I woke up, so the garage would have been unbearably cold for a workout.)
-Did 3 work sets of 8 - I'll use 5 on my HEAVY weeks, I think. I don't think rep schemes under 5 reps would be wise for me.
-It's supposed to be 75% this week but I have no idea what my 1RM is, since I haven't lifted heavy or even used a barbell in 2 years. I probably lifted heavier than a 75% training max but I figure I'll do this next two weeks and then maybe test for a 1RM (or a calculated 1RM based on a heavy triple) before I start the continuation training block.
-Used 'alternate' exercises to the big 3.
--Did Leg Press instead of squats or deadlifts. I've never been too keen about the bar position during squats and my shoulder mobility was not good even before my right shoulder started giving me grief.
--Did not do Deadlift at all - mostly because I'm scared to lift super-heavy right now.
--Did Pec Deck instead of Bench Press. I gave Bench a quick go but my shoulder did not like the empty bar. This was a kick in the head because I was looking forward to this. I'm hoping that my shoulder will return to normal to allow me to do OHP and BP but it's not happening right now and forcing it seems like it would just make things worse for longer.
--Did assisted Pull-ups for back. My pull-ups have always been weaker than my chin-ups, so that's a good reason to do them. Plus, I think that pull-ups "opens" the thorax, whereas chin-ups would have me curving forward and inward. Since I'm hunched at a desk all day, I feel like I need to do things that "open" my posture.
- Didn't do any assistance exercises. While I enjoyed being in the gym, the COVID lockdowns have made me leery of being in crowded spaces. Plus, I figured I should just focus on the main exercises and not get too giddy about doing all the things.
Notes on Week 5
I only got 3 workouts in, which was a little disappointing. I jammed out of my Friday workout because we attended a promotion party on Thursday night for a family friend. It was a late night, so I 'slept in' on Friday instead of getting up at 0430. Saturday morning was frigid, so I didn't work out in the gym and, if I recall correctly, my mother-in-law had gotten up super-early and was in the basement watching TV, so I couldn't use the treadmill without displacing her.
I'm not sure if it's COVID-induced cabin fever or boredom with BB phase catching up with me, but I was DONE with this phase. I wanted to get out of the house and lift weights. I wanted to get out of the house to do cardio - running or walking on a treadmill looking at a bare wall was getting a bit dull. Anyway, I re-upped at my local gym.
I am in danger of getting program ADHD or 'shiny-object syndrome'. I stumbled on a UK trainer ("Bellyproof" method) on YouTube who uses a low-carb, intermittent fasting routine with a specific training protocol, allegedly built around hormone maximization. The logic was that to lose fat, it needs to be 'released' from fat stores (lipolysis) and then 'burned' (oxidation). The idea was to manipulate diet timing and training to optimize production of testosterone, growth hormone and adrenaline to promote lipolysis and oxidation. It's pretty compelling, actually. The problem (as described) is that certain healthy diet and exercise behaviours can unwittingly frustrate these processes. I'm not willing to fork out for their whole plan, but I am going to try to reduce starchy carbs (which seems to be working, even just over this last weekend) and consider the 2MAD IF protocol. (I've tried IF before with little success, so I am skeptical.) So - try to clean up the diet a bit and stick with TB for the time being.
The shiny-object thing has also got me wondering about my training goals and the appropriate training protocol. Since my goals, if I'm honest, are basically to look good and move well, maybe I don't need to focus so much on heavy lifting (gasp!). I was contemplating a 3-days-lifting protocol, but now I'm wondering if I'd be better off with a 2-days-a-week lifting protocol. I've got a couple of weeks to make up my mind.
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 6/8, Workout 2/5
Tue 1 Mar 22 - 0510-0540
Standard Mobility + Stretching ~10 min
HIC: Assault Bike Power Intervals
5:00 easy pedal warmup
1:30 min work, 4:30 min RI * 4
148 Cal
- I came in with the idea that I'd do 2 min/5 min but the first interval showed me that 1:30 was plenty. I recovered for 4:30 because I thought that would be a 'clean' 1:3 ratio of work to rest.
- I'm wondering if I should shorten the work so that I can really go balls out on the sprint. Still, I'm sucking wind at the end of the 1:30, so I suspect the session is doing what it's supposed to do.
Tue 1 Mar 22 - 0510-0540
Standard Mobility + Stretching ~10 min
HIC: Assault Bike Power Intervals
5:00 easy pedal warmup
1:30 min work, 4:30 min RI * 4
148 Cal
- I came in with the idea that I'd do 2 min/5 min but the first interval showed me that 1:30 was plenty. I recovered for 4:30 because I thought that would be a 'clean' 1:3 ratio of work to rest.
- I'm wondering if I should shorten the work so that I can really go balls out on the sprint. Still, I'm sucking wind at the end of the 1:30, so I suspect the session is doing what it's supposed to do.
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 6/8, Workout 3/5
Th 3 Mar 22 0510-0550
Max Str (75%)
Standard mobility/stretching routine
Front Squat 3x8 135 lbs - leg press machines were in use and I wanted to try front squat anyway.
Pec Deck 3x8 @115
Assisted Pull-up 3x8 @ -85 - did pull-up/neutral grip/chin-up
- These are short workouts, which feels weird. I'm not sure if I want to add in accessory exercises or not. Or maybe adding in a 4th or 5th work set. Right now, I'm concentrating on the minimum effective dose - basically seeing how little I can get away with.
- I did front squat and it felt pretty good. I put my heels on a couple of 5-lb plates and I think that alleviated potential knee grief. I really have to focus on pushing through the heels, though.
- I am not enamored with the Pec Deck but it doesn't bug my shoulders, so I guess I'm stuck with it.
- I am completely unimpressed by my pull-up numbers. I honestly thought I was much stronger.
Th 3 Mar 22 0510-0550
Max Str (75%)
Standard mobility/stretching routine
Front Squat 3x8 135 lbs - leg press machines were in use and I wanted to try front squat anyway.
Pec Deck 3x8 @115
Assisted Pull-up 3x8 @ -85 - did pull-up/neutral grip/chin-up
- These are short workouts, which feels weird. I'm not sure if I want to add in accessory exercises or not. Or maybe adding in a 4th or 5th work set. Right now, I'm concentrating on the minimum effective dose - basically seeing how little I can get away with.
- I did front squat and it felt pretty good. I put my heels on a couple of 5-lb plates and I think that alleviated potential knee grief. I really have to focus on pushing through the heels, though.
- I am not enamored with the Pec Deck but it doesn't bug my shoulders, so I guess I'm stuck with it.
- I am completely unimpressed by my pull-up numbers. I honestly thought I was much stronger.
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 6/8, Workout 4/5
Fr 4 Mar 22 - 0507-0548
Standard Mobility + Stretching ~10 min
HIC: Assault Bike Power Intervals
5:00 easy pedal warmup
1:30 min work, 4:30 min RI * 4
4:00 easy pedal cooldown
149 Cal
Fr 4 Mar 22 - 0507-0548
Standard Mobility + Stretching ~10 min
HIC: Assault Bike Power Intervals
5:00 easy pedal warmup
1:30 min work, 4:30 min RI * 4
4:00 easy pedal cooldown
149 Cal
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 6/8, Workout 5/5
Sa 5 Mar 22 - 0710-0740
E: Easy Jog on Treadmill
5:00 walk warmup at 1 deg and 3 mph
20:00 jog at 1 deg and 6.0 mph (309 Cal)
3:00 walk cooldown
- not in the mood for it today. Not the best sleep because of an invading 5-year old who kept poking me awake. Annoyed that the gym didn't open until 0700, when I was ready to go earlier. Woman who opened the gym and 'greeted' you as you came in seemed sour. Treadmill was in mph and miles instead of kph and km. Never really felt 'at ease' in the run. I probably should have slowed down but I cut the jog off at 20 min instead of 30 min. Not an enjoyable workout.
Sa 5 Mar 22 - 0710-0740
E: Easy Jog on Treadmill
5:00 walk warmup at 1 deg and 3 mph
20:00 jog at 1 deg and 6.0 mph (309 Cal)
3:00 walk cooldown
- not in the mood for it today. Not the best sleep because of an invading 5-year old who kept poking me awake. Annoyed that the gym didn't open until 0700, when I was ready to go earlier. Woman who opened the gym and 'greeted' you as you came in seemed sour. Treadmill was in mph and miles instead of kph and km. Never really felt 'at ease' in the run. I probably should have slowed down but I cut the jog off at 20 min instead of 30 min. Not an enjoyable workout.
Re: B71 return to TB
Block 1 Base Building, Ageless Athlete mods, Week 7/8, Workout 1/5
M 7 Mar 22 0513-0555
Max Str (80%)
Standard mobility/stretching routine
Front Squat 3x8 145 lbs - 8/8/8
Pec Deck 3x8 @120 8/8/8
Assisted Pull-up 3x8 @ -75 8/8/8 - did pull-up/neutral grip/chin-up
- I am still not used to the brevity of the workout. Between that and having a brief, intense bout of body dysmorphia where I was annoyed by my noodly-looking arms, I added in some DB curls after my front squats.
- the gym is getting busy. Although I noticed last week that it was pretty lightly attended on Thursday and Friday.
M 7 Mar 22 0513-0555
Max Str (80%)
Standard mobility/stretching routine
Front Squat 3x8 145 lbs - 8/8/8
Pec Deck 3x8 @120 8/8/8
Assisted Pull-up 3x8 @ -75 8/8/8 - did pull-up/neutral grip/chin-up
- I am still not used to the brevity of the workout. Between that and having a brief, intense bout of body dysmorphia where I was annoyed by my noodly-looking arms, I added in some DB curls after my front squats.
- the gym is getting busy. Although I noticed last week that it was pretty lightly attended on Thursday and Friday.