Urgan Shows Up, Does the Thing

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

I choose bored and safe.  Just about every time. 

 

 

[Urgan]

 

9-3-2016

No kidding

Recovery

Food!

Lunch - Jason’s Deli New York Yankee sammich

Dinner - Eggs and rice, because protein and calories

 

Fought the Food Fuck-Its and managed to nail my macros.

 

Mobility!

...lol. Heat and ice applied once because, say it with me now, the migraine makes icing while lying down Unpleasant. The bleeping migraine ruins ice, guys.

 

Sleep!

9AM, Out of Bed - 4/6*

 

*stayed in bed because migraine makes you dread the eye stabbing

 

Lifting

Squat - 45 1x5

            120 1x3

            160 1x1

            187.5 1x2--PR+2.5!!

BP -    NA

OHP - 45 1x5

           56.5 3x3

DL -    NA

PC -   45 1x5

          62.5 3x3

I wasn't sure if I was going to go to the gym until about thirty minutes before I was supposed to meet dad...so I went. Glad I did. Me with my migraine and dad with his random onset of vertigo (we're going with low blood pressure for a guy with decreasing pressure while on high blood pressure meds...yeah. A good problem to have, methinks) at the bench, we were quite the pair. This session netted me a squat PR and meeting the highest weight I've ever power cleaned. I'm going to drill rack position a bit to work on painting the proverbial target for when I begin to clean.

 

Aikido

Dojo Days - 2/2

 

 

 

Migraine makes me not care about anything except finding a way to make the pain stop. And then I want to watch something or whatever and the cycle repeats. Add to that the limbo that is this job situation, and this weekend has just been shot. By which I mean, I'm not sure what I should be planning for here in the log. So I'm just going to proceed and to heck with whatever happens about this job. I'm going to take measurements ringing out this interim week and ringing in the new month tomorrow morning.

 

4 hours ago, Emerald_Dragonfly said:

I choose bored and safe.  Just about every time. 

 

I think it is possible to be safe AND sorry...

[ixaera]

10 minutes ago, Urgan said:

187.5 1x2--PR+2.5!!

 

BOOM

It's so nice when the ick doesn't get in the way of a good thing~

[Urgan]

4 minutes ago, ixaera said:

 

BOOM

It's so nice when the ick doesn't get in the way of a good thing~

 

Figured a double was plenty, it wasn't the easy PR of last week, sadly, but I will definitely take it happily. I've pulled dad into the gym several times when he'd really rather not, but I think he knows he's better off for Doing It Anyway. Excuses are in plentiful supply...

[Urgan]

September 2016 Goals!

 

What a crazy month August was! All the interviewing, none of the job-getting. So here we are, it's September already. Still waiting on the job front, but in spite of all the shenanigans, I did indeed manage to accomplish quite a bit on the fitness front.  I managed to stabilize my fluctuating weight at 114.2lbs, did a lot of mobilization work, regulated my sleep kinda sorta, PR'd my squats by 10lbs, proved myself with side breakfalls in the dojo, AND leveled up my bokken suburi skills. Whew. If I could just get a job in September, I'd honestly be satisfied. But of course we're not going to settle for that while it's up in the air still, so....

 

 

 

Still gonna be using the same formula, because it works for me. If I get employed, obviously some changes will be necessary, but we'll burn that bridge when we get to it.

 

Recovery

Food!

Alright, so just because the formula is the same doesn't mean I won't be changing anything therein! I'm going to still be logging my macros, but I'm going to do so on a weekly basis along with weight. I am interested in the following averages:

Calories - 2400

Protein - 115g

Sugar - 100g (lol)

Sodium - 3000mg

 

The usual food talk will happen, I'm just going to stop boring everyone with the numbers in a piecemeal fashion. You can always check my MFP if that sort of thing interests you, the link is in my signature, as well as here. At the end of each week, I'll list the averages against my target macros. Body measurements will be taken at the end of Week 4 and compared against the end of the interim week's, blah blah blah.

 

Mobility!

This quest gets a bit of an upgrade post-chiro. Let's get to it:

• 28 - Apply heat to upper back 1/day
• 28 - Apply ice to upper back 2/day
• 16 - Assistance exercises
  • Shrugs 2/wk (8)
  • High rows, low rows, and rear delts 2/wk (8)
• 12 - Hips/glutes mobility + stretch

To clarify, I'm programming the exercises such that shrugs will stand alone and the rows + delts will be grouped together, so I'll record them that way. 8 points go to shrugs, and 8 to the other three exercises. 

 

Sleep!

Same old, same old because I am not an adult. If I get a job, clearly this will go away~

• 24 - Out of bed by 8:30AM 6/wk

 

Lifting

Keep on with TM until failure.

 

Aikido

SOOOO...I have a belt test coming up. I think. This means my priorities shift just a bit.

• BELT TEST (September 14th)
• 12 - bokken practice for the win
• 4 - Standing forward & backward rolls ---- 4x per side
• Dojo days - Do the stretching or rolling or something aside from just sitting

 

Week Debriefs:

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

[Kishi]

Hey. I got a hot second, so I thought I'd come over and see how you're doing.  Looks like the same old same, delicious food and PRs, PRs as far as the eye can see. Even with a migraine and everything.

 

And as long as it's working, why change it?

 

Sorry to hear that the job didn't materialize for you yet. That's rough.  I hope that turns around for you soon!

[Dagger]

Soounds like good goals for September. I'm crossing my fingers for the job!

[Urgan]

9-4-2016

Taking out the...

 

A short recap of yesterday, because it was boring. Plus charts, because Charts. 

 

Food

I bought a Texas Spud from Jason's because it was limited edition, I wanted to try it, and It Fit My Macros. Didn't realize it had BBQ sauce in it, but oh well. Made my dinner at least, because I was tired of trying to figure out how to make eating out work: Creamy Bacon Ranch Chicken (that is in fact the ingredient list, lol) for which I made Homemade Ranch Seasoning. It was pretty darn good. Also, I was tired of the meatloaf. That and some rice as the only thing left in the fridge--so, I'm working on eating everything and throwing very little out. We'll see how well I do at that, with my fussy self...

 

Weekly recap of macros, because that's all the rage now:

 

           Cals   /   Carbs   /   Fats    /  Protein   /   Sugar   / Sodium

AVG    2431      234           111          124             32         2,822

TGT    2300      230           102          115           100         3,000

DLTA    131          4               9              9            -68           -178

 

Meh, close enough, right? If it weren't for the 3000 calorie day that was today (how do you get calories perfect while sodium is down and protein is up? Home-cooked chicken 24/7?), it might have been even closer. That said, managing to juggle sodium throughout the entire week was THE accomplishment, hands down. 

 

I took my measurements, and basically I either stayed static or reversed last week's changes. 

 

8/28/16                                   9/5/16

Weight: 114.2 lbs                   Weight: 115.0 lbs (+.8lbs)

Waist: 24.0"                           Waist: 24.0" (NA)

Hips: 32.0"                             Hips: 31.8"  (-.2")

Biceps(L/R): 10.3"/10.4"        Biceps(L/R): 10.3"/10.4" (NA, NA)

Forearm(L/R): 9.3"/9.4"         Forearm(L/R): 9.3"/9.3" (NA, -.1")

Thighs(L/R): 20.5"/20.7"        Thighs(L/R): 20.4"/20.5" (-.1", -.2")

Calves(L/R): 12.3"/12.1"        Calves(L/R): 12.0"/11.9" (-.3", -.2”)

 

Mobility

Minimal, par for the course while Shark Week and migraines are a thing (the migraine was better for most of the day, but not totally gone yet). A bit of heat, a bit of ice, and some minor neck/shoulder poking.

 

No lifting, no Aikido stuff happened, as per every Sunday. Bought groceries to make dinner on the fly, groceries and laundry happened, FF:1 (a bit...died close to the end of the final dungeon, said F*** it, quit), started ICO HD because I could, worked on my story outline, and then conked out. Such excite...

[Urgan]

20 hours ago, Kishi said:

Hey. I got a hot second, so I thought I'd come over and see how you're doing.  Looks like the same old same, delicious food and PRs, PRs as far as the eye can see. Even with a migraine and everything.

 

And as long as it's working, why change it?

 

Sorry to hear that the job didn't materialize for you yet. That's rough.  I hope that turns around for you soon!

 

Yup, pretty much the same craziness to which you are doubtless accustomed, lol.

 

That's my life philosophy for change, lol. 

 

aoerjeoajfaoejgaoid I don't know anymore. I think life is preparing me to not give a darn if I hear bad news, at least it's bleeping FINAL. 

 

6 hours ago, Dagger said:

Soounds like good goals for September. I'm crossing my fingers for the job!

 

Thanks! Hopefully whatever happens, it'll mesh well with these goals without having to modify anything.

[ixaera]

On 9/4/2016 at 1:10 PM, Urgan said:

BELT TEST (September 14th)

 

BELT. TEST.!

 

Good luck!

[Jord]

I'm here to start along the September wave that rides into autumn. Also, I'm starting to track more nutrition data, so we can have fun doing that together. 

 

Time for some DATA!

 

[miss_marissa]

Has a migraine.

New Squat PR.

 

Oh you know, just typical Urgan things.

 

[Urgan]

9-5-2016

Preemptive apology

Recovery

Food!

Leftover creamy chicken for lunch + brisket and tater for dinner~

 

Mobility!

Morning heat: 1/28

Night cold x2: 1/28

Assistance Work: 2/16

Roll Hips/glutes: 1/12

 

Sleep!

8:30, Out of bed: 1/24*

 

Lifting

-

 

Aikido

Bokken Suburi: 0/12

Standing F./B. Rolls: 0/4

Dojo Days: N

 

I’m experimenting with a different way of logging my day’s doings, so let me know if you think it’s an improvement...so:

 

Despite the holiday, the gym was open so I went and took care of my assistance work today. I really do hate the stupid rows--no more or less than I dislike any random isolation exercise I’m not sure will be useful in any way, it’s just that the equipment is hard to work with and I feel foolish even trying to adjust the height of the cable pulley for my purposes. Basically, the things are an exercise in humiliation if they are set higher than the 5 hole, which is well outside of my leverage. I do not have this feeling about the shrugs or rear delts (not a huge fan of being reduced to 5lbs, but it is all I can handle for the time being…).  I just flat hate cable rows. I do not have trouble with the perfectly legitimate barbell exercises. After the month, I will be dropping them, perhaps in exchange for something else, but whatever it is won’t involve a cable or a pin setting. If I last even that long...

 

I went to the store and bought the components for dinner, then returned to Mike doing yard work. I helped him move a big paver and pruned the roses, hydrangeas, and hibiscus plants. It was stupid hot outside for just basically standing around.

 

No Aikido today because Labor Day. Did the late night mobility things. Mike got me a new PVC pipe so I rolled my quads and hams, stretched ‘em, and applied the lacrosse ball.

*I got out of bed to use the bathroom well in time for 8:30, got back in bed because sniffly coldness under the intentional decision to sit in bed a while longer, surfed NF forums, did some story brainstorming, fell back asleep, got out of bed at 9:30. Giving it to myself because it’s a holiday and this week is “off” anyhow.

 

20 hours ago, ixaera said:

 

BELT. TEST.!

 

Good luck!

 

Makes me think of..."Ban. Kai."

 

 

1 hour ago, Taddea Zhaan said:

I'm here to start along the September wave that rides into autumn. Also, I'm starting to track more nutrition data, so we can have fun doing that together. 

 

Time for some DATA!

 

 

We will learn/prove all the things.

 

1 hour ago, miss_marissa said:

Has a migraine.

New Squat PR.

 

Oh you know, just typical Urgan things.

 

 

It turns out 187.5lbs is a very, very good distraction for most maladies this side of cancer. 

[miss_marissa]

Don't be ashamed of using 5 lbs only for rear delts. Those are hard and such a tiny muscle that 5lb dumbbells is nothing at all to balk about.

[ixaera]

If you see any gains you think might be due to rowing, you could always swap it out for Pendlay rows or BOR

 

[Urgan]

4 minutes ago, miss_marissa said:

Don't be ashamed of using 5 lbs only for rear delts. Those are hard and such a tiny muscle that 5lb dumbbells is nothing at all to balk about.

 

It was hard as absolute crap at 5 the first time. Yesterday I was able to get full ROM on all reps, so after a few more sessions I'll give 10lbs a try. 'til then, it is definitely all I can do. 

 

2 minutes ago, ixaera said:

If you see any gains you think might be due to rowing, you could always swap it out for Pendlay rows or BOR

 

 

One "gain" I suspect I am getting is trap tension leading to yet another headache....oh wait, that's a bad thing. Yup. Actually, I'm not sure which of them (or a combination of all four?) is the culprit or if this is a holdover from hormonal fun. SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. Oi. I was doing pretty good yesterday, too....Who votes I stop all four and add them back in one exercise at a time?

[Sam Ashen]

Over here, I have a sense I am going to get a set of shoulder exercises that will take longer than my MinniBulgarian routines.  I am supposed to be doing the band pull-aparts, face pulls, and shoulder rotations every day and I try to fit them inside my warm-up.  Meanwhile, I think I "lost" one of the little rubber bands I was supposed to work with.  So on Saturday I will try to get another one.

 

However, that is unlikely what kind of accessories you are talking about.

 

You were talking about rows.  The main thing I understand about rows is they help your bench press, among other things.

 

18 minutes ago, ixaera said:

If you see any gains you think might be due to rowing, you could always swap it out for Pendlay rows or BOR

 

 

[Urgan]

7 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

Over here, I have a sense I am going to get a set of shoulder exercises that will take longer than my MinniBulgarian routines.  I am supposed to be doing the band pull-aparts, face pulls, and shoulder rotations every day and I try to fit them inside my warm-up.  Meanwhile, I think I "lost" one of the little rubber bands I was supposed to work with.  So on Saturday I will try to get another one.

 

However, that is unlikely what kind of accessories you are talking about.

 

You were talking about rows.  The main thing I understand about rows is they help your bench press, among other things.

 

Yeah, it's accessory exercises being used as physical therapy rather than pure physical therapy. Or so I deem them because they were basically prescribed by the chiro. I am taking replacements for the cable rows, just because they are inferior to anything done with a free weight.

 

High rows = cable set around head height, lean back, pull toward chest

Low rows = cable set at stomach level, lean back, pull toward stomach

 

Seems to me BOR or Pendlays might work. A completely separate discussion from figuring out what is producing surplus tension.

[Sam Ashen]

5 minutes ago, Urgan said:

they were basically prescribed by the chiro

 

Coming soon:  Once the shoulder is in better condition, (from switching back to Olympic lifts) planks will be prescribed, because planks.  So I get it.  Not that planks are bad.  Darkside Fitness seems to love them.

 

MB is funny.  She keeps saying deadlifts and front-squats.

[Urgan]

1 minute ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

Coming soon:  Once the shoulder is in better condition, (from switching back to Olympic lifts) planks will be prescribed, because planks.  So I get it.  Not that planks are bad.  Darkside Fitness seems to love them.

 

MB is funny.  She keeps saying deadlifts and front-squats.

 

I'm with her up until "front", lol...

[Sam Ashen]

17 minutes ago, Urgan said:

 

I'm with her up until "front", lol...

 

What I find really funny is her line is nearly identical to TW's line.  A year or so ago I asked what TW does for core and she said deadlifts and paused front-squats.

 

Then she (TrollWeazel) went further to say core exercises are boring and had her list of ideas to try to make it more interesting.  It is a post in my Battle Log from a very long time ago.

 

Hmm.  Not big on front-squats yet?

[Urgan]

Front squats are mandatory for Oly, if you're into that kind of thing, lol. Otherwise... * shrugs * You can front squat if you want, but then you could also low bar back squat. If you just have a burning need for a variation of some exercise that "works your core," I guess front squats would be first in line since it's darn close to one of the Big Four...but there again, back squats just do such a darn good job of same for me that I'd need a better reason than that to add an exercise.   

 

Not a challenge to others' programming, just my opinion. 

[miss_marissa]

I actually don't mind front squats. I think I'm in the minority.

[Alanna]

Reporting for front squat love. I use them to train "chest up," hit my quads and core, and also work my upper back (extra static hold time in a clean position = much shaking).

 

But when it comes time to move big weights, low bar all the way. My front squat is just sad comparatively XD.

 

I also knew a powerlifter who couldn't back squat for a while because of a back injury. Didn't stop him from moving some massive weight with front squats, though. #respect

 

6 hours ago, Urgan said:

 

 

One "gain" I suspect I am getting is trap tension leading to yet another headache....oh wait, that's a bad thing. Yup. Actually, I'm not sure which of them (or a combination of all four?) is the culprit or if this is a holdover from hormonal fun. SO MANY POSSIBILITIES. Oi. I was doing pretty good yesterday, too....Who votes I stop all four and add them back in one exercise at a time?

 

Hope the lingering migraine issues resolve soon!

 

But what about possible exercise interactions leading to migraine? You should randomly choose which exercises to do at a given time, keep track of when you get migraines relative to their incorporation in your training, and then find the "best migraine stimulus" by averaging each pre-migraine week of exercises. Only *minor* drawback to this method is that you're gonna need a lot of migraines to get a good BMS.

 

(In case it's not clear, I'm not really suggesting this... but it would be fun data.)

[Urgan]

5 hours ago, miss_marissa said:

I actually don't mind front squats. I think I'm in the minority.

 

You won't get any push-back here, your goals aren't mine and vice versa, and I don't ~hate~ front squats, they just have yet to prove useful for my purposes. 

 

1 minute ago, Alanna said:

Reporting for front squat love. I use them to train "chest up," hit my quads and core, and also work my upper back (extra static hold time in a clean position = much shaking).

 

But when it comes time to move big weights, low bar all the way. My front squat is just sad comparatively XD.

 

I also knew a powerlifter who couldn't back squat for a while because of a back injury. Didn't stop him from moving some massive weight with front squats, though. #respect

 

This is why I don't blast perfectly good exercises I don't personally see the point in...one day there may in fact be a point to them and wow all the crow one might have to eat....

 

4 minutes ago, Alanna said:

Hope the lingering migraine issues resolve soon!

 

But what about possible exercise interactions leading to migraine? You should randomly choose which exercises to do at a given time, keep track of when you get migraines relative to their incorporation in your training, and then find the "best migraine stimulus" by averaging each pre-migraine week of exercises. Only *minor* drawback to this method is that you're gonna need a lot of migraines to get a good BMS.

 

(In case it's not clear, I'm not really suggesting this... but it would be fun data.)

 

I think the two reasonable possibilities would be to either restart and move up slowly using pendlay rows in place of the dumb cable rows OR to isolate each exercise and see if one triggers a backlash (also ditching the cable rows for the barbell version). Which one sounds more sensible?