Urgan Shows Up, Does the Thing

[Mistr]

Yay for the bench PR!

 

4 hours ago, Urgan said:

This felt really good, aside from that whole broken fan overhead thing. Got so bad I moved for deadlifts. Got so hot and humid especially in Sunday (90 degrees, 95% humidity at their worst) that our A/C looked at the external evening temp if 80 and 95% humidity, internal temp of 78 and 50-55% humidity, shrugged, and decided it CBF to work the rest of the night. Worried Mike a bit. I decided at those percentages I CBF either. In the morning it was all like, what lukewarm air? Imma work now. 

 

I'm glad your A/C picked up again after a night off. My A/C was not up to the task last night either. Yesterday we enjoyed a lovely day in the mid-80s. Dumbledore was out of town, so I was able to just leave the windows open and wear summer clothes without freezing. Elf took a blanket outside to lounge in the back yard and read comics. I turned on the A/C in the evening to cool things off for sleeping. It made the right noises, but didn't do much. In 8 hours it cooled the house from 82ºF to 76ºF. While the outside temperature dropped to 60º. WTF? I opened the windows this morning to cool things off.

 

At least we are supposed to get cooler weather this week. If it is dying, we can get it fixed.

 

4 hours ago, Urgan said:

Recover

Eat food: 2548 + 2446 + 3073 + 2544 + 2960 + 2936 + 2630

Avg: 2662

 

I guess I succeeded, huh?

 

Week Averages:

          Cals   /   Carbs   /   Fats    /  Protein /  Sugar

AVG    2662        236         133          121             48

TGT    2500        281         97          125             50

 

Oh look at that fat macro, LOOOOOOL. The rest is pretty good, right?? Another one for the "eating fats will make you fat" file...

 

Yup. Gaining all the weight. New favorite bodyweight: 115.6lbs. This was definitely a Yellow week, ready for ALL GREEN this week plz.

 

I am constantly impressed by how well you maintain your target over time. Plus you made your goal for the week! Fats up by 36g, carbs down by 45g. Not quite the 2:1 (really 9:4) trade-off in calories, but enough to get you where you want to be.

 

I hope that the stress calms down for you this week and you can eat the way you prefer.

[Urgan]

June 2017 Goals!

How about some more rain?

 

May flowers, May showers. Sheesh. But enough about the weather. This past month has seen some good progress. 5/3/1 looks to be beating the odds with my boosted volume. 3 of 4 weeks felt good, and one felt like a dumpster fire, to put it bluntly. I made some good progress with writing and I decided it might be time for an Aikido belt test. Few of these goals have disappeared, but let's see how they need to be changed. 

 

 

Lift

I'm nearly through 2 cycles of 5/3/1 and have only had to make some minor tweaks to the original mod. I've made some big progress with bench press for whatever reason and anticipate movement elsewhere. Just keeping on going.

 

The mission: log workouts. Brag or b*tch as necessary.

 

Recover

I still need to keep away from the vending machine AND need to keep my calories up. This is a tall order, but it must be done. Additionally, I need to make sure I'm taking my iron and mag at night every day. Kind of important. And finally, I'm still going to track how I'm doing under the bar to see if I can find patterns re: feeling weak some weeks. 

 

Log rolling calorie AVG: 7/wk

Log rolling sugar AVG: 7/wk

Iron Maiden: 7/wk

Log when lifts are a struggle: as needed

 

Words

Do the thing once a week. Writing is taking a lower priority this month because Reasons.

 

Writing - 1/week

 

Weekly To-Do

Bonus: Put weekly one-off things I need to remember to do here! The name says it all.

 

 

Weekly Debriefs: 

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

[Urgan]

6/5/2017

Let me be subtle

 

Lift

 

Bench press

45    5
60    5
70    3
80    1
86    1
90    1
95    2
100  1--PR+5!!

 

OHP

45    1x5
50    3
60    1
64    1
52    3x3

 

YEEEEEESSSSS. Cramped my back and left hamstring (wtf legdrive) to do it, but I am now a 100lb bencher. 

 

Recover

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2336

Log rolling sugar AVG: 38

Iron Maiden: 1/28

Lifting status: GREEN

 

Couldn't be better. Had to get creative to make respectable calories not at the expense of sugar. 

 

Words

Writing - 0/4

 

Weekly To-Do

Aikido Test training - 0/3

Fill out Aikido test application

Follow up on taxes refile

Pay for car tag renewal

Find a floor cleaner that doesn't suck

 

This update is simultaneously really exiciting and excruciatingly boring. I made a major lifting goal reality, survived work, drove the longest possible way across town to avoid zombie apocalypse grade traffic jams all over the major highways. It rained. A lot. Again. Ran through most of my techniques--all but 2--and I definitely have some polishing still to do.

 

[Urgan]

On 6/5/2017 at 0:59 PM, Mistr said:

I'm glad your A/C picked up again after a night off. My A/C was not up to the task last night either. Yesterday we enjoyed a lovely day in the mid-80s. Dumbledore was out of town, so I was able to just leave the windows open and wear summer clothes without freezing. Elf took a blanket outside to lounge in the back yard and read comics. I turned on the A/C in the evening to cool things off for sleeping. It made the right noises, but didn't do much. In 8 hours it cooled the house from 82ºF to 76ºF. While the outside temperature dropped to 60º. WTF? I opened the windows this morning to cool things off.

 

At least we are supposed to get cooler weather this week. If it is dying, we can get it fixed.

 

I wish the temperature had been moving down at the time, lol. Luckily it seems to be behaving.

 

On 6/5/2017 at 0:59 PM, Mistr said:

I am constantly impressed by how well you maintain your target over time. Plus you made your goal for the week! Fats up by 36g, carbs down by 45g. Not quite the 2:1 (really 9:4) trade-off in calories, but enough to get you where you want to be.

 

It may be my superpower to balance out undereating with overeating juuuust enough to make this happen.

[ixaera]

16 minutes ago, Urgan said:

100  1--PR+5!!

 

beep beep

beeeeep

excuse me

WIN train comin' through

MAKE WAY

[CourtnieMarie]

20 hours ago, Urgan said:

Bench press

45    5
60    5
70    3
80    1
86    1
90    1
95    2
100  1--PR+5!!

[Urgan]

6/6/2017 + 6/7/2017

Cruising through the week like

 

Lift

Squats

45    5
115    5
135    3
145    1
160    1
167    1
170    1
175    1

 

Deadlifts

135    5
145    3
165    1
175    1
147    3x3

 

This is the most weight I've ever squatted in the AM and almost as much as I've ever deadlifted. Also, symmetry.

 

Recover

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2410 / 2336 + 2401 + 2494

Log rolling sugar AVG: 47 / 38 + 45 + 59

Iron Maiden: 3/28

Lifting status: green

 

Coworker brought Canadian candy from her trip and I was feeling just f-it enough to eat it. Macros are looking sharp.

 

Words

Writing - 0/4

 

Weekly To-Do

Aikido Test training - 1/3

Fill out Aikido test application - DONE

Follow up on taxes refile

Pay for car tag renewal

Find a floor cleaner that doesn't suck

 

All systems are go for Aikido testing. I need to aggressively drill the finer points I need to correct in order for these techniques to be "mastered" as much as one can master a technique without decades in a black belt.

[Sam Ashen]

14 minutes ago, Urgan said:

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2410 / 2336 + 2401 + 2494

Log rolling sugar AVG: 47 / 38 + 45 + 59

 

In the language of the stock market, I would call this a moving average!  (10-day moving average; 50-day moving average; 200-day moving average)

 

15 minutes ago, Urgan said:

Coworker brought Canadian candy from her trip and I was feeling just f-it enough to eat it.

 

Coffee Crisp?  Crunchy Bar?  Smarties?  Not that these are specifically Canadian....  Hmm....  What else?

[Urgan]

3 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

In the language of the stock market, I would call this a moving average!  (10-day moving average; 50-day moving average; 200-day moving average)

 

You will notice it tends to do one of two things: stay low then spike on weekends (calories and sugar) or undulate (sugar). 

 

4 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

Coffee Crisp?  Crunchy Bar?  Smarties?  Not that these are specifically Canadian....  Hmm....  What else?

 

Nestle Aero, eh?

[Mistr]

Congrats on the PRs!

 

Also on setting your aikido test date. I know what you mean about knowing the fine points of a technique well enough to feel comfortable with it. There are plenty of techniques that are still challenging for me after years of practice. Ikkyo is hit-or-miss. Polishing. Always cleaning it up. Just so you know that I still can't see the end of the trail from my view further up that mountain.  

[Kishi]

Oooh. Symmetrical squat and deadlift. Always heard that was a myth. Fascinating to see that it isn't - how are your knees feeling? I ask because I've overdeveloped one versus the other before for me and it wasn't pleasant.

 

Also, I don't think I've ever asked you before: what kind of stuff do you write?

[Urgan]

6/8/2017 + 6/9/2017

Making others do your work shit got me like

 

Lift

 

In other words, DING. OHP 1RM PR+4.5lbs. 

 

Recover

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2478 / 2336 + 2401 + 2494 + 2409 + 2749

Log rolling sugar AVG: 42 / 38 + 45 + 59 + 39 + 30

Iron Maiden: 5/28

Lifting status: green

 

This is getting closer to target. I am taking full advantage of strong macro compliance to make as much progress in the gym as I can. It won't last. I am not sure if it's just that, or writing down my intended lifts beyond the "baseline" jokers I'm calculating using a spreadsheet. I had no intention of lifting this much today. I had 67, 68, and 69 down originally, but 64 and 67 felt so easy, relatively speaking to recent past performance 3 weeks ago, that I just had to go for it. The 75lb PR is on the Insta for your viewing pleasure. It is uber-janky, but fear not, I am fine. I AM noticing my joints are a little more talkative than average, but this train will come to a stop--for the time being--tomorrow, so that's not long to hold out. Been doing a bit of massage on the areas to quiet things down and I've had fairly good success.

 

Words

Writing - 0/4

 

Weekly To-Do

Aikido Test training - 1/3

Fill out Aikido test application

Follow up on taxes refile

Pay for car tag renewal

Find a floor cleaner that doesn't suck

 

Monday we'll get a call back about the tax file, because the knowledgeable person was out today. Plenty of bullshit happened at work today, I stopped a coworker from doing something they by all rights had no responsibility to do since it was out of their scope, and what they didn't know could have blown up live work sufficient to have us back in the office on the weekend--and there were people perfectly willing to let them try to do it and inevitably fail. Also, even if it hadn't blown things up, it wouldn't have done the good thing it was supposed to do in the first place because third parties flipped the script on file naming conventions without telling us first. Additionally, apparently they didn't need the extra stress because Personal Life Reasons. So. At least there's that to say for it.

[Urgan]

On 6/8/2017 at 11:40 AM, Mistr said:

Congrats on the PRs!

 

Also on setting your aikido test date. I know what you mean about knowing the fine points of a technique well enough to feel comfortable with it. There are plenty of techniques that are still challenging for me after years of practice. Ikkyo is hit-or-miss. Polishing. Always cleaning it up. Just so you know that I still can't see the end of the trail from my view further up that mountain.  

 

I am convinced it doesn't matter for the test, but it's not going to serve me well on future techniques if I don't at least try. It's comforting in a weird way to know it's a lifetime thing.

 

9 hours ago, Kishi said:

Oooh. Symmetrical squat and deadlift. Always heard that was a myth. Fascinating to see that it isn't - how are your knees feeling? I ask because I've overdeveloped one versus the other before for me and it wasn't pleasant.

 

Also, I don't think I've ever asked you before: what kind of stuff do you write?

 

Just a happy accident. I can deadlift way more than I squat lol. 

 

I do the fiction--fantasy, sci-fi. Often in the same place. That sort of thing.

[Urgan]

6/10/2017

 

IIFYM: Pulled pork mac & cheese, burrito, chicken tender

 

Lift

 

Squats felt very, very easy. Which was on purpose, because I fully intended to go crazy on deadlifts. No PRs this day, but I did get footage of my 1RM, sooooo that was kind of a win. Also, I am able to double-overhand grip my 1RM, which is kind of hilarious. I obviously have a lot of work to do. 

 

Recover

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2482 / 2336 + 2401 + 2494 + 2409 + 2749 + 2504

Log rolling sugar AVG: 44 / 38 + 45 + 59 + 39 + 30 + 55

Iron Maiden: 6/28

Lifting status: green-ish

 

I am considering a deload week, because my joints have been a little talkative over the past few weeks. Last night, the muscles around my right knee from multiple sides were tired. I put some Tiger Balm on it and that seems to have done the trick. I woke up feeling tight in the middle of muscle bellies all through my legs, but so far my joints (elbows and knees specifically) are alright? We'll see how I feel over the rest of the day and Monday morning. I have been very successful thus far at fueling myself sufficiently, very consistent. This is probably playing a large role in my ability to perform and that performance at high intensity also explains some of the minor recovery issues I've noticed. Not concerned at all, I just don't want to be a complete moron. 

 

Words

Writing - 0/4

Meh. I'll try to get this done tomorrow...

 

Weekly To-Do

Aikido Test training - 1/3

Fill out Aikido test application

Follow up on taxes refile

Pay for car tag renewal

Find a floor cleaner that doesn't suck

 

Car tags have been paid for, we are legal for yet another year. I completely own failing at doing Aikido last night as I intended to do, but decided my body had had enough for the time being anyhow. I did do some rolling and shikko practice after lifting, so I didn't completely ignore my training. 

[Urgan]

6/11/2017

 

Rest days...y tho?

 

Lift

Rest day. 

 

Recover

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2515 / 2336 + 2401 + 2494 + 2409 + 2749 + 2504 + 2713

Log rolling sugar AVG: 42 / 38 + 45 + 59 + 39 + 30 + 55 + 27

Iron Maiden: 7/28

Lifting status: green-ish

 

The jury is still out on the deload, but that macro average tho. 

 

 

 

 

Words

Writing - 1/4

I am PLANNING on getting this done tonight. If not, I'll update this post with the correction. 

 

Weekly To-Do

Aikido Test training - 2/3

Fill out Aikido test application

Follow up on taxes refile

Pay for car tag renewal

Find a floor cleaner that doesn't suck

 

So I haven't quite gotten everything done that I wanted to...there's always next week. I DID do a two-a-day for Aikido training (bokken + regular techniques), but not counting it because these things can't be all slap-dash. 

[Jord]

I'm super late on this but WOOO 100# bencher!!!

 

That is (was?) my goal for 2017, but is probably going to turn into a 2018 goal. You are living my dream life! 

 

I aspire to the magnitude of your leg drive. 

[CourtnieMarie]

AWESOME OHP PR!!! that is a shiny unicorn my friend.

 

also insane DL work. IIRC, that is more than double your BW. and double overhand to boot!

 

 

 

edit - hahahaha your BW graph is right there

[Alanna]

Bench AND OHP PRs? Yeeeesh

 

For what it's worth, I usually deload (or at least take a few extra rest days) about every 2-3 cycles (6-9 weeks) of 5/3/1, and the extra rest seems to help.

[Urgan]

6/12/2017

...yup, it's Monday

 

Lift

 

Recover

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2626 / 2626

Log rolling sugar AVG: 32 / 32

Iron Maiden: 8/28

Lifting status: yellow

 

I must have slept wrong, because I woke up with my neck deciding its right side would just seize up. Seriously tight all day, generating migraine if I used my eyes too much. Also, boss nearly had a heart attack to get me to work on an issue he had no idea what it was, no ticket number, but it was heart-stoppingly critical because work stoppage. Driving after work wasn't fun, either.

 

PSA: you use your traps during bench.

 

This made bench slightly harder. Did it anyway, obviously I didn't take the deload because I figured if the weight itself was an issue, I'd be screwed either way and also I am stubborn. This morning the tension is reduced by 50% so I did not do a bad.

 

Words

Writing - 1/4

I did not write much, but I put some words down. Treating writing like most people treat weight loss.

 

Weekly To-Do

Find a floor cleaner that doesn't suck

Cat hair/claws - 0/4, 0/3

Reschedule chiro

Research plants

 

I did do Aikido yesterday. Was not thrilled about the front falls drill, but lived. We went through all techniques and I am confident in all but 1 of them (kokyunage from two-handed grab from behind), which is pretty good odds. 

 

An explanation of my To Do list:

 

This may be obvious, but I have become dissatisfied with my floor cleaner, Bona, and the job it does at being streak-free. To add insult to injury, they stopped selling the cartidges at the grocery store in favor of wipes that do nothing. 

 

Reschedule my chiro appointment because I stupidly scheduled it for next Monday. I'd like to not wait a week for my belt plz.

 

We have made flower beds on more sides of the house and need to repopulate old beds. Preferably with plants that don't immediately die because (lack of) sun. 

[Urgan]

23 hours ago, Taddea Zhaan said:

I'm super late on this but WOOO 100# bencher!!!

 

That is (was?) my goal for 2017, but is probably going to turn into a 2018 goal. You are living my dream life! 

 

I aspire to the magnitude of your leg drive. 

 

It's amazing what you can do if you aren't afraid of the thing. Or at least not overwhelmingly so. Luckily for you, you have spotters, yes?

 

22 hours ago, CourtnieMarie said:

AWESOME OHP PR!!! that is a shiny unicorn my friend.

 

also insane DL work. IIRC, that is more than double your BW. and double overhand to boot!

 

 

 

edit - hahahaha your BW graph is right there

 

Lol, wish it was. I'm just shy of it. I am very hard to take a weapon away from until my palms get sweaty. 

 

20 hours ago, Alanna said:

Bench AND OHP PRs? Yeeeesh

 

For what it's worth, I usually deload (or at least take a few extra rest days) about every 2-3 cycles (6-9 weeks) of 5/3/1, and the extra rest seems to help.

 

When it rains... lol. 6 month PR intervals get? The last time I had a 1RM PR on these was in Dec/Jan.

 

I probably should do it next cycle for real.

[Kishi]

On ‎6‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 9:49 AM, Urgan said:

PSA: you use your traps during bench.

 

Aaah, yes. One of the things I miss about barbell training is dat trap development. I had such a lovely pair going and now they've flattened back out again, pending increases in gymnastic strength.

 

I don't have gifs, else I'd pour one out right now.

 

Anyway, glad to hear you're feeling better! Hope it improves.

[Urgan]

6/13/2017  + 6/14/2017

She drives like crazy

 

Lift

Squats

45    3
110    3
125    3
140    3
155    3
162    3x3

 

Deadlifts

140    3
160    3
178    3
151    3x6

 

Ugh. 162lbs felt gross. All my deadlifts until 151lbs were too heavy considering the actual weight. Then I just killed 151lbs. I think my squirreling around with applying chalk had a lot to do with it. I didn't use any until the backoff sets. Maybe I should consider not being an idiot. That is an option. 

 

Speaking of which, I was surprised at how bad this session was, until I considered...

 

Recover

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2429 / 2626 + 2304 + 2356

Log rolling sugar AVG: 31 / 32 + 30 + 32

Iron Maiden: 9/28

Lifting status: yellow

 

I have been very good, considering the mounting performance anxiety over these last two days. Test time is worst time. It, not getting to bed until 11PM,  lingering trap disgruntlement, AND using a new caffeine-free preworkout would explain the bar not moving how I'd like. Maybe, just maybe.

 

Words

Writing - 1/4

 

Weekly To-Do

Find a floor cleaner that doesn't suck

Cat hair/claws - 0/4, 0/3

Reschedule chiro - DONE

Research plants

 

I got my chiro appointment rescheduled, yay.

[Urgan]

56 minutes ago, Kishi said:

 

Aaah, yes. One of the things I miss about barbell training is dat trap development. I had such a lovely pair going and now they've flattened back out again, pending increases in gymnastic strength.

 

I don't have gifs, else I'd pour one out right now.

 

Anyway, glad to hear you're feeling better! Hope it improves.

 

I hope you will be ableto return to the gym soon, it is a sad thing to not have access to barbells. It's slowly getting better. I had the headache from hell leading into the belt test....which I didn't talk about at all in the previous post. Whoops.

 

Belt test was both better and worse than I feared. Got shomenuchi kotegaeshi all kinds of wrong multiple times per side, but I was told by sensei afterwards that they're considering changing the belt requirements because everyone messes it up on the actual test. They know I can do the technique. I forgot kaitenage's irimi pin, corrected it in the freestyle portionof the test. Rocked the other techniques and lol'd out an ikkyo when uke wanted to do a lapel grab but it wasn't part of this belt's curriculum. 

[Urgan]

6/15/2017 - 6/17/2017

Me on Friday afternoon

 

Lift

Not my finest work on either day, but I put in the time.

 

Recover

Log rolling calorie AVG: 2519 / 2626 + 2304 + 2356 + 2498 + 2636 + 2695

Log rolling sugar AVG: 42 / 32 + 30 + 32 + 38 + 41 + 78

Iron Maiden: 12/28

Lifting status: yellow-ish

 

I feel this is a fairly solid effort, all things considered. My strength wasn't all there, but I think stress has been a thing this week....

 

Words

Writing - 1/4

 

Weekly To-Do

Find a floor cleaner that doesn't suck

Cat hair/claws - 0/4, 0/3

Reschedule chiro

Research plants - 50%

 

Thursday was fairly unremarkable--I was just glad to have my belt test behind me.

 

Friday was a shitstorm at work, with everything from people refusing to cooperate to Excel deciding to crash 30 minutes before I had to leave work and I absolutely had to check something for my work time entered. I nearly cried at my desk, it was that bad. Resolved SOME of my issues with the discovery that I was not the only one experiencing them, so at some point it might add up enough to matter. Did not buy candy at the store--outside of my allotted weekly stash. 

 

Saturday was amazingly bizarre. Our area has experienced a rash of car break-ins, so much so that we ended up buying a security system in the afternoon. At the same time as my usually scheduled appointment with dad, who started lifting without me. Right after the purchase, the install began immediately. Olive decided that was a good time to barf on the bed. So that's two strangers coming and going in our house and cat barf on the bed, while I'm late for the gym. And I hadn't eaten much to this point. So that was an adventure.

 

I did manage to determine the areas where I am interested in planting things are south by south east and north by north west (back and front of the house, respectively). Our backyard is screened by a hill covered in trees, and the front yard has a bradford pear covering part of the yard, but the hibiscus that were planted there last year thrived, so the big fat tree didn't bother them. I think both areas get a lot of sun at least part of the day. I'm looking for perennials to go in these areas and the only thing I know that would probably work are roses. I happen to like roses, but wondering if there are other options that are easy to obtain....

[Jord]

10 hours ago, Urgan said:

 

I did manage to determine the areas where I am interested in planting things are south by south east and north by north west (back and front of the house, respectively). Our backyard is screened by a hill covered in trees, and the front yard has a bradford pear covering part of the yard, but the hibiscus that were planted there last year thrived, so the big fat tree didn't bother them. I think both areas get a lot of sun at least part of the day. I'm looking for perennials to go in these areas and the only thing I know that would probably work are roses. I happen to like roses, but wondering if there are other options that are easy to obtain....

 

I think the definition of "full sun" is really confusing and does lead to people not planting things they could probably grow. We have a lot of trees around our property but parts still receive a decent amount of sun that I can grow a vegetable garden (tomato plants were taller than me last year!). 

 

Full sun is about 6 hours of light per day. Some fruiting vegetables (like tomatoes and peppers) might need more, but for flowering perennials you don't need the spot to have full blazing sun all day. I have a spot that I thought was pretty shady and surprise surprise, the full sun perennial I put there (because purple cone flowers are my favorite and I like to break the rules) are doing great and the shade plants put in by previous owners are small and sad. 

 

What kind of perennials do you have in mind?