Shaking things up, getting serious

If there's one tragic flaw in my relationship with my workouts, it's that I get bored too easily. I jump back and forth between different programs far too often. I think all of the programs I've tried have their merits; the problem is that no one single program accomplishes what I want. Any workout gets stale after a time. It's good to change things up, but you have to be smart about it.

My problem is, I've not been very smart about it. The expression "work smarter, not harder" applies to some degree, but in weight training, if you're not working harder, you're not working.

The lesson I've learned is, yes, rotate your workouts and routines, but use some common sense. Make each change-up a progression and not a reboot.

Reboots work in the movies (well, not always), but they are seldom satisfactory for bodybuilders and powerlifters.

The tragic mistake I've made each time I've rotated off of one program and onto another is that I've always lowered my starting point. Many programs tell you to underestimate your 1RM or to always max out at a 75% to 90% of your 1RM. Every program I've tried recommends some padding so you always have room to grow.

Fine, that's all well and good. I understand the merits of that and accept the value of periodization. But you also have to continue to push the envelope no matter what you decide to do with your workout program. So when I switch from 5x5, for example, to Wendler 5/3/1, I shouldn't automatically adjust the scale so I'm sort of starting over again. I should make the change with the intent of further challenging myself.

Why change at all? you ask. Well, it's simple: I've never followed a program in which I didn't at some point plateau. The biggest flaw in the 5x5 program, I argue, is that it instructs you to continuously each week increase the amount of weight you're lifting. Yes, true, that's the whole idea behind weight training. The problem is that unless you're among the genetically gifted, you're going to eventually hit a wall. It's the inevitability of meeting that wall that led to the development and success of periodization principles.

With that in mind, I'm moving in a sort of new direction. I'm going to move out of my comfort zone and try some more advanced powerlifting programs in an effort to break out of the mental and physical ruts that are holding me back.

For this cycle I'm going to give the Smolov Jr program a try. But this time, I make the switch with zero padding. I'm going to push the envelope hard and see where it takes me.

Now I just have to figure out how I can apply the workout discipline to my diet. But that's another story.

Here's my preliminary Smolov Jr plan (I reserve the right to adjust the actual weights depending on how well I progress):

Bench Press				Starting 1RM	215
Week 1
Day	Sets	Reps	%	Calculated Weight	Actual
Monday	6	6	0.7	150.5	150
Wednesday	7	5	0.75	161.25	160
Friday	8	4	0.8	172	170
Saturday	10	3	0.85	182.75	180
Week 2
Day	Sets	Reps	%	Calculated Weight	Actual
Monday	6	6	0.7	160.5	160
Wednesday	7	5	0.75	171.25	170
Friday	8	4	0.8	182	180
Saturday	10	3	0.85	192.75	190
Week 3
Day	Sets	Reps	%	Calculated Weight	Actual
Monday	6	6	0.7	165.5	165
Wednesday	7	5	0.75	176.25	175
Friday	8	4	0.8	187	185
Saturday	10	3	0.85	197.75	195

More squats

We've started a friendly competition at work to see who can lose the most weight or the highest percentage of body fat (or both) in a specified amount of time. I don't expect to win—primarily because I don't have that much to lose in the first place. Don't get me wrong—I've put on a lot of padding over the long winter, but I know others who are competing have a lot more to lose and thus have a bit of an advantage.

In spite of the wealth of information that now exists about the benefits of weight training, I still see women straying far away from the barbells in favor of running and walking. And that's just wrong.

Too many people—especially women—pay more attention to the number on the scales than they ought to. Weight is only one small factor to consider in the body composition picture. With the proliferation of body composition scales, it's really the bodyfat percentage reading that should mean more.

Just today when I was having a conversation with a co-worker (sorry, Lisa) about her progress, she mentioned that she'd been running every day and that her knees were sore.

I like running; running's great. But the one point I make to every running enthusiast as that I have never ever experienced knee pain or soreness from squatting.

What I would say to any person—male or female—about what they ought to be doing to get in shape for summer and the beach is, simply, squat. No, no, not Smith Machine squats, good, old-fashioned barbell squats.

And as assistance movements, you might also throw in some frontal squats and goblet squats.

Naturally, that's not the only exercise you should be doing, but it ought to be number one. And you should probably throw in some bench press as well and some chin-ups and bent-over row and some deadlifts. You can go easy on the deadlifts, but it's probably the single movement that has changed my body composition the most.

The squat, however, should be the king of exercises, especially for those conscious of body composition who desire a significant change. Squats employ by far the largest muscle groups in the human body. That means a lot of muscle activation and high caloric expenditure. Couple that with the long-term benefits of added muscle, and you've got the perfect formula to transform your body into a fat-burning machine.

For those just getting started, I recommend following the StrongLifts 5x5 routine. The routine consists of completing three workouts per week, performing three compound movements in each workout. Those exercises consist of squats, bench press or overhead press (OHP) and bent-over row or deadlift. Every workout begins with the squat. You alternate between two different workouts substituting OHP for bench press and deadlifts for bent-over row in the second workout.

The benefits of this routine are first that it focuses on heavy compound movements—which activate the most muscle fiber, burn the most calories and can effect the greatest change in LBM—and second that it incorporates the squat in every workout. A third benefit, and perhaps the most important one of all, is that its simplicity. It focuses entirely on very basic, compound movements. You don't have to go to the gym with a complicated chart filled with cornucopia of exercises.

In short, it represents the best possible combination of movements to build muscle and lose fat. And, yes, as long as you eat enough protein, you will build muscle following this routine.

Now, that being said, I don't know if it's the best routine to follow forever. Every serious weight training routine needs some assistance work to go along with the heavy compound stuff. That's why after a few months on the SL 5x5 plan I switched over to Wendler's 5/3/1. SL 5x5 is great foundational program. It establishes the necessary building blocks to support a more advanced approach. But I found that I started plateauing after being on the SL program for a few months. To shake things up, I moved to something new.

If you get to the point in your routine that you feel like you need more, than Wendler's plan is an excellent alternative that focuses on heavy compound movements while incorporating a lot of assistance work.

Now, I know what most women will read this and think it's not for them because these are powerlifting and bodybuilding programs. But that's exactly why they need to follow these programs. Instead of struggling with overly restrictive diets and exercise programs that consist solely of walking and/or running, more people—especially women—should be not only lifting weights, but lifting heavy and following intense routines.

You don't have to give up on running altogether, but it's time we changed our thinking about the best way to approach a weight loss and fitness program.

New Year's Resolutions

Every January people make renewed commitments to resume or start exercising or dieting or both. To those who have made a resolution to lose weight in the new year, here are some helpful tips guaranteed to melt off those unwanted pounds:

1. Get caught smuggling drugs and spend time in a Turkish prison. Okay, so you'll probably be gone for several years, but think of it as a vacation. If you survive, it'll be a much thinner you that emerges into the sunlight.
2. Become a meth head. How many overweight tweakers have you seen? Okay, even if you've seen a few, consider that in relation to the overall percentage of the population who are overweight.
3. Quit your job, leave your house/apartment and live on the streets. It's only temporary, right? You can get back on your feet. After a few months of soup kitchen fare, you'll be invigorated and inspired by the new you.
4. Hike into the Alaskan wilderness by yourself. No, you absolutely cannot take anyone with you because the only source of food should be the land itself. And those Clif Bars you stashed in your backpack. As long as you steer clear of bears and don't eat the funny looking berries, you should come back (assuming you come back) much lighter than when you left.
5. Eat some of that lunch meat that's been hiding in the back of your fridge for the last several months. Just scrape some of that green stuff off and make yourself a nice fat sandwich. And lather it up with some of that mayonnaise that's starting to resemble cottage cheese. After the cramps, vomiting and diarrhea have abated, you'll find you've lost a significant amount of weight. Just remember to hydrate during your dieting session. No sense dying over the desire to lose a few pounds.
6. Take up smoking. This will probably happen anyway if you opt for number 1 or 2, But evidence shows it can help you lose weight. You could always try the patches too, but why not get the full experience?

Or you could just try eating leaner foods and exercising now and then. Who am I kidding? Book that flight to Turkey and make sure you've got some good stuff in the suitcase.

Benching up

Ah, yes, the Thursday bench press.

I guess from all the years I started every workout with the bench press, I look forward to the bench press days as the "easy" workout. And that's odd, considering I'm never, ever satisfied with my progress on the bench press.

Today I did pretty well. No, not satisfying, but the progress according to the plan I've sketched out is right on schedule.

I felt a lot better today than I have on recent days. I've really felt rundown lately, so to go into a workout feeling energized was a nice change. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with my caloric intake. I have always had a problem getting enough to eat. I always plan on eating at least 5 meals a day—mostly chicken and vegetables—but I often end up missing one of those meals. So I've taken to snacking on peanuts during the day to make up for it. I think it's working.

Today I maxed out at 215 on the bench press for three reps. I was hoping to do five, but it just didn't happen. According to Fitocracy, that's a personal best since I started tracking my workouts on the site. As impatient as I am to move forward, it's still solid progress, so I'll take what I can get. I'm a long way from my all-time best, however, and I hope to get back into that range before the end of the year. I figure I'll have to eat a lot more steak to make it happen, though.

I did a sort-of reverse pyramid after the max on the BP and finished up with four sets of 10-12 reps at 135. During the reverse pyramid, I supersetted in sets of bent-over row and single-arm dumbbell row.

I've been wimping out a lot lately on the assistance work, so I was pleased to get in a full workout with assistance work and high volume on the main lift.

All in all, things are looking up. I need to be more disciplined with my diet to ensure I'm eating enough. Tomorrow is squat day, so I'm going to shovel in as much food as I can.

Dreadlift Day

This was one of those days a part of me was looking for an excuse not to work out. The little voice inside my head said, "It's--it's deadlift day, isn't it?" Still too sore from the last couple of workouts, the voice said. Need a little more rest, the little voice said. That bar is going to get really heavy, really fast, it croaked.

The little voice was right in many ways. I was in fact still stiff from the previous workouts. I felt fatigued, and all I'd eaten to that point had been a couple of eggs and a couple of chicken breasts.

I was, however, also still hyped up on the frozen coffee beverage I got at Java Brewing Co. So I told the little voice to go take a little nap while I finished the workout.

Okay, I openly and unashamedly admit I did not complete the full itinerary.

At the start of the workout I felt like a dried up tree frog on Dixie Highway. With warm-up set one in the books, the little voice was saying its I-told-you-so's. Maybe I'll just go light today, I told myself, ignoring the snickering from Little Voice. Yeah, fine, I said, maybe some higher-rep, lighter-weight sets for today until I fully recover and get some good solid meals under the belt.

By warm-up set three, I was feeling a lot better. The tightness had gone away for the most part, and the fatigue was fading. I think I can do this, I told myself. We'll see what the next few sets feel like.

When I did five easy reps at 275, the idea of doing a few light sets was gone altogether. I followed that up with three reps at 295 as an acclimation set and then did a full five reps at 315.

Now, I've deadlifted more than 315 before, but I don't ever remember doing more than a few reps. Those were five big reps made all the bigger because all I wanted to do was curl up with a pillow.

I finished up with a reverse pyramid back down to 235. I had thoughts of doing a few sets at 205, but, frankly, after the last set at 235 my hamstrings were quivering, and Little Voice was accusing me of  being a masochist. Fearing Little Voice might be right, I quit for the day and didn't even bother with the hanging leg raises or the Pendlay rows. After hitting five reps at 315, I figured I'd done enough for one day.

Yes, Fitocracy, until another day.

Still going--just not the same way

I'm a little off my schedule these days. It's mostly because other responsibilities tend to intrude on the workout regimen, which necessitates adaptation.

Once upon a time such intrusions usually meant derailment for me. Once the schedule was thrown off kilter, chaos ensued, I got frazzled and took a hiatus.

Not this time.

This time, I continue to follow the same pattern, and I'm working out the same number of days per week; I'm  just not doing the workouts on the same days I used to.

What tossed my schedule against the wall this past week was an afternoon meeting with our insurance agent. The longer the meeting dragged on, the less likely it became that I'd complete the scheduled workout.

I have this little problem with my workout timings: If it doesn't happen at the same time it usually does, then it probably won't happen at all. The later in the day it gets, the less likely I am to do anything. The fact is, I arrived home on Tuesday after that meeting completely worn out—mentally more than physically—and I simply could not summon the energy to do anything.

So I made it up later, but that tends to have a domino effect. I took Friday off as well (normally my squat day) and did the squats instead on Saturday. I think taking that Friday off was actually a smart decision. I had more energy Saturday morning and it turned out to be a solid workout. I did the working sets as planned—a bit heavier than intended—and then followed a pyramid scheme down to finish up with the assistance work. I performed a total of 14 sets of squats. That's a lot more volume than I typically do, but I did a gradual warm-up and then focused hard on the lighter sets at the end.

On Sunday I decided to throw an even bigger monkey wrench into the works by jumping ahead to what would normally be the Monday overhead press workout. I finished the working sets at 130 for 4 reps and then supersetted the lighter work with chins and bent-over barbell row. I didn't feel as strong as I did in the last OHP workout, but it still turned out pretty well, all things considered, so I can't complain. I have a feeling that I'm not really eating enough these days, so I may have to work more on micro-managing the diet.

 So now what to do with Monday? I'm weighing two options right now: Go ahead with the deadlift workout, which always follows the day after the OHP, or take Monday off and do the deadlifts on Tuesday on the normal schedule. I'm still feeling some delayed soreness from the Saturday squat workout, so option 2 is a few points ahead of option 1 right now. I'm going to play it by ear and see how I feel when I arrive home from work. If I think the soreness will interfere with the workout, forget it, I'm taking the day off. Otherwise, I'll push through and see what I can accomplish.

BBB: Day One

I decided to try something a little different this week, so I switched to Wendler's Boring but Big (BBB) program. It's the same split as the Triumvirate, the only real difference being that the focus is more on the primary movements. There's little in the way of assistance work.

I deliberately set my sights high for this cycle. I want to push the envelope hard in week three this time around.

Today is OHP day, and I wanted to go as high as I could while still being able to get in some good rep work. Yes, that's counter to the plan, but I just feel it's time I tested the boundaries a bit more. The 5/3/1 program always goes below maxes anyway, so I always know I can lift more. I intended to go up to 125 today, but I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing and lifted 135 instead. I made up for it by dropping back down to 115 for five reps before continuing with the plan.

The "assistance" work consisted of five more sets of OHP at 75 lbs. supersetted with hanging leg raise. I hate hanging leg raises, but I did them anyway.

After completing three reps at 135, I know I can go up to 120 or 125 in next week's Monday workout, so I'm on track with what I intend to accomplish.

I like doing the extra sets of the primary movements. I believe this will help me progress better.

As always, it's logged on Fitocracy.