ArgSki77 Counts to 4

[ArgSki77]

I’m a bit late to posting my challenge as life has been crazy with work and grad school. Now I’ve found some time to settle down and actually write this out. So here goes my first challenge, counting to 4!

 

 

I just put down my entry fee for a powerlifting meet at the end of August which will be my first meet. The meet is part of a bigger GoRuck weekend event so rather than strict PvP competition, the event is based more on hitting certain totals to win ruck patches. Patches are awarded for 1000lb, 1250lb and 1500lb totals. My goal for this competition is to break the 1000lb mark and I know it will require some dedicated training in the next few months leading up. Currently sitting at a 930 estimated total:  305 squat, 250 bench, 375 dead (155 OHP not included) with I think a few more pounds in reserve but haven't tested 1RM in a while.

 

Quest 1: 1…2…UHH...3…...

 

This was my original lifting goal before the competition signup and I’m sticking with it as a good intermediate step towards the 1000lb total. 135lb OHP, 225lb bench, 315lb squat, and 405lb deadlift would be 1,2,3,4 45lb plates per side. I have already gotten the OHP and bench but squat and deadlift are not quite there. I’ve got a new strength program with a coach that I have been running for 8 weeks now and seeing awesome improvements that helped me hit the OHP and bench goals so staying on track with that routine.

 

Goal: Squat to up 315lb and increase deadlift (405 is stretch for 1 month of training but would be bonus PR).

 

Quest 2: #SwoleAndFlexy

 

New favorite hashtag. Started doing ROMWOD a few weeks ago to help with range of motion and flexibility. Its 20min a day(40min on Thursdays) which I have no reason not to make time for regardless of what else I am busy doing.

 

Goal: Keep doing this daily. 

 

Quest 3: Eat the right things

 

Nutrition has always been a struggle for me. I got stuck in a weight loss mentality for a long time trying to eat <1800cal at 325+lb BW and it was killing my ability to do anything especially lifting. Slowly working my calorie intake up to break this cycle, currently 2300-2500 on lifting days and 1900-2100 on rest days. My lifts feel better with high daily protein intake and carbs centered on lifting sessions so going maintain that trend.

 

Goal: Keep tracking on MFP to keep honest with calorie intake and macros.

[ArgSki77]

While I was late posting the challenge, I have had it in mind since a few weeks ago and have been tracking progress since Monday. I'm gonna outline the workouts that I do on my new program and just give workout highlights for daily challenge update. Keep the full workout tracking in a google doc, might add a battle log if I find it helpful or if there is interest. 

 

Main lift outline: Monday- Squats, Tuesday - Bench, Thursday - Deadlift, and Friday - OHP

10x30%1RM, 

10x40%1RM,

5x50%1RM,

4x60%1RM,

3x70%1RM,

2x80%1RM, 

1x90%1RM,

AMAPx70%1RM,

(0.5*AMAP)x70%1RM

Increase 1RM for following week when the AMAP set becomes higher than 15.

 

Accessory work outline:

Squat: 350 Method RDL, 4x16 Walking Lunge, 4x10 Ab Wheel, 8-10x50' Farmer Carry

Bench: 350 Method Incline Bench, 4x10 Barbell Row, 4x15 Overhead Plate Raise, 350 method barbell curl

Deadlift: 350 Method 12" Deadlift, 4x20 Battle Rope slams, 4x15-20 hanging knee raise, 4x10 Bulgarian split squat

OHP: 350 Method Dips, 4x8-10 Push Press,  4x8-10 DB Row, 4x8-10 DB Lat Raise, 4x8-10 DB Front Raise, 350 Method pushup

W1D1

Quest 1: Squat Est 1RM was 305 and hit 15 reps on the AMAP set. 50 reps on the RDL at 155lb. 15lb walking lunge,  75lb farmer carry

Quest 2: Did ROMWOD before bed.

Quest 3: Not the best food day, spent all day in training and ate poorly. Lots of carbs, too little protein. Cal: 2662 (298/101/144 C/F/P) 

 

W1D2

Quest 1: Bench Est 1RM was 250 and hit 15 reps on the AMAP set. 41 reps on the Incline press at 120lb. 110lb barbell row. 15/15/14/12 at 35lb plate raise. 42 reps on barbell curl at 70lb.

Quest 2: Did ROMWOD before bed.

Quest 3: Got food back on track and closer to macro goals.  Cal: 2227 (145/72/236 C/F/P) 

[ArgSki77]

Ended up working later than I wanted last night and usually when that happens I tend snack mindlessly and ruin my food for the day, which is particularly bad on rest days with lower calorie intake. Managed to avoid this yesterday which is a plus towards that goal. Today is deadlift day which is my favorite of all the days so counting down time until I get out of work.

 

W1D3 - Wednesday 5/11

Quest 1: Rest day. Did get out at lunch for 15min walk since it was finally sunny and warm.

Quest 2: Got routine done right after work since it was a rest day and dinner took a while to cook.

Quest 3: Try to usually reduce carbs on rest days but sandwiches provided at lunch . Cal: 1994 (122/74/173 C/F/P) 

[Moira]

Good luck!

What do the numbers and percentages mean in your lift outline? I'm pretty new to the whole lifting scene, only did it for a year and that stopped a year ago. Plus, I was focused on more reps per set than improving the actual weight.

[ArgSki77]

I have an estimated maximum weight that I can do for 1 rep. Each set is a certain number of reps at a weight that is a percentage of that 1RM value. 

Example: Deadlifts upcoming after work today

One Rep Max = 375lbs

Set 1: 10reps @ 112.5lbs

Set 2: 10reps @ 150lbs

Set 3: 5reps @ 187.5lbs

Set 4: 4reps @ 225lbs

Set 5: 3reps @ 262.5lbs

Set 6: 2reps @ 300lbs

Set 7: 1reps @ 337.5lbs

Set 8: As Many As Possible(2min) @ 262.5lbs

Set 9: Half of Set 8 value @ 262.5lbs

 

And for all the values not at a 5lb increment, I always round up...otherwise it feels like I am cheating!

[Moira]

Thanks!

I might start trying something like this. But I don't know what my Max would be for each type of lift yet.

[ArgSki77]

27 minutes ago, NucleotidalWave said:

Thanks!

I might start trying something like this. But I don't know what my Max would be for each type of lift yet.

I started out a few years ago with Stronglifts 5x5 and then moved to 5/3/1 for a few months. Stronglifts was a big stepping stone in getting me interested in strength training. I remember my first workout just trying all the main lifts with just the bar when I started and the first time I added weights I knew I found what I had liked. I know there are some other beginner programs out there like Starting Strength but I never really looked into them much. There are plenty of other people running these programs around the forums so take a lookout for those.

[ArgSki77]

Thursdays are my favorite day: free bagels(my carb weakness) at work and deadlifts to look forward to!

 

W1D4 - Thursday 5/12

Quest 1: Awesome deadlift session. Increase was 10lb on 1RM from last week so I was expecting these sets to be difficult, but to my surprise my As Many As Possible set was 15reps at 265lbs. This week was also an increase in some assistance lifts. The 350 Method raised deadlifts were up 5lb to 200 and got 43 reps plus battle rope slams are always a fun stress reliever.

 

Quest 2: Warrior ROMWOD day(40 min instead of 20 and significantly harder). Just finished. Lots of longgg poses and 10 full minutes of breath work at the end but its over now.

 

Quest 3: Free bagel Thursday always leads to a higher carb intake and post-deadlift dinner would include anything I get my hands on if I had no self control so I have to always contain myself to not totally blow away nutrition goals. Managed to do that pretty well today. Cal: 2463 (216/80/205 C/F/P) 

[SpecialSundae]

18 hours ago, NucleotidalWave said:

Thanks!

I might start trying something like this. But I don't know what my Max would be for each type of lift yet.

 

It's worth starting with a beginners' programme like Stronglifts or Starting Strength rather than someone else's intermediate or tailored programme. AMRAPs and daily maxes aren't really ideal for a new lifter.

[Moira]

2 minutes ago, SpecialSundae said:

 

It's worth starting with a beginners' programme like Stronglifts or Starting Strength rather than someone else's intermediate or tailored programme. AMRAPs and daily maxes aren't really ideal for a new lifter.

 

I'm starting a very basic program right now. You can see it in my Log. I'm comfortable with starting it at low weight and high reps and then gradient towards low reps high weight as my body gets used to it over the next 16 weeks.

[SpecialSundae]

2 minutes ago, NucleotidalWave said:

 

I'm starting a very basic program right now. You can see it in my Log. I'm comfortable with starting it at low weight and high reps and then gradient towards low reps high weight as my body gets used to it over the next 16 weeks.

 

The comment was in response to your suggestion that you copy ArkSki's programme, which wouldn't be appropriate. The programme you're currently doing doesn't look concerning.

[Moira]

4 minutes ago, SpecialSundae said:

 

The comment was in response to your suggestion that you copy ArkSki's programme, which wouldn't be appropriate. The programme you're currently doing doesn't look concerning.

 

I apologize for misunderstanding. I wasn't planning on copying his but I understand why you may have thought it that way.

[ArgSki77]

28 minutes ago, SpecialSundae said:

AMRAPs and daily maxes aren't really ideal for a new lifter

Those sets were pretty brutal even as an intermediate lifter. Moving from 5/3/1 to this new routine was a bit of a shock. First day of the program was squats and the volume caught me off guard. I may or may not have laid on the floor of my gym for like 30 minutes when I was doing mobility after that first day because I knew there was multiple flights of stairs between the gym and my apartment. 

 

Took me a few weeks to properly adjust working weights to appropriate values and get adjusted to the program. Now that I adjusted to the changes, the results are flowing in almost weekly. Mobility training also helping this greatly.

[SpecialSundae]

4 minutes ago, ArgSki77 said:

Those sets were pretty brutal even as an intermediate lifter. Moving from 5/3/1 to this new routine was a bit of a shock. First day of the program was squats and the volume caught me off guard. I may or may not have laid on the floor of my gym for like 30 minutes when I was doing mobility after that first day because I knew there was multiple flights of stairs between the gym and my apartment. 

 

Took me a few weeks to properly adjust working weights to appropriate values and get adjusted to the program. Now that I adjusted to the changes, the results are flowing in almost weekly. Mobility training also helping this greatly.

 

Jaymul did a programme with AMRAPs last year and wound up horrifically burnt out after a while. I told my coach where to shove it when he mentioned me trying the same (before Jaymul's burnout). We're both intermediate lifters (in that we're past novice stage but still making reasonable gains).

 

(Edited to add, he was on a stupid cut too... that wasn't the best.)

[ArgSki77]

4 minutes ago, SpecialSundae said:

(Edited to add, he was on a stupid cut too... that wasn't the best.)

There is no way that I would be able to keep up much progress on this if I had not upped my calorie intake. When I started I was still sitting at 1800 cal/day which I now realize is super low for someone my size and lifting 4 days a week. I decided to stop worrying about my weight during this phase(but I still track it just for reference) and decided to raise my calories up to 2500 which is still low but letting my body adjust to the changes. Turns out I am actually cutting more weight now at 2500 than I was at 1800 and my lifts are going up.

[ArgSki77]

Weekend Update - Ive been running around with friends and family all weekend which is always relaxing and hectic all at the same time. Never got a chance to post anything though so here is the update since Friday.

 

W1D5 - Friday 5/13

Quest 1: Overhead Press lift went well. Has same weight as last week at 155lb max but increased AMAP reps from 11 to 13 at 110lbs. Skipped out on the dips and lateral raises accessory because my shoulder was feeling strange. I didn't feel anything wrong during OHP but it felt overly sore and tired soon after. Went home and iced and rested it all weekend. Feeling better as I write this but going to have to watch how it feels this week. Going to deload on the upper body quite a bit and make sure everything feels right.

 

Quest 2: Gym was packed when I got there so did ROMWOD as a warm up before lifting in one of the studios.

 

Quest 3: Pretty decent food day. Lunch out again and lots of fatty foods. Customers are gone for now so back to meal prepping work food this week. Cal: 2335 (135/127/162 C/F/P) 

 

W1D6 - Saturday 5/14

Quest 1: No lifting. Did get outside and down to the beach for a walk since the weather seems to finally be cooperating a bit.

 

Quest 2: Lost track of time before meeting friends Saturday night and didnt get a chance to do mobility.

 

Quest 3: Weekends are always a downfall. Always seem to eat decent meals but snacking in between and late nights out tend to cause some big issues. Protein far to low and carbs far too high on a rest day. Cal: 3312 (340/143/110 C/F/P)

 

W1D7 - Sunday 5/15

Quest 1: Rest day round 2. Super lazy day. Slept in and then spent all day at a family party. No real exercise to speak of.

 

Quest 2: Was going to do both weekend WODs this morning but I overslept by 3 hours. I'm going with the sleep being part of my lifting recovery.

 

Quest 3: I already mentioned party so you can probably guess what that does to a calorie count. At least it was a bit more in the macro percentages than yesterday. Cal: 3185 (370/110/182 C/F/P)

 

Side Note: Not part of this challenge but something I strive to get done most weeks. Got back to meal prepping tonight while I was watching Game of Thrones. 3lbs of Chicken and 2lbs of breakfast sausage made with lean ground turkey, egg whites, mushroom, and spinach. Roasted broccoli and frozen mixed veggies added in to round out the lunches. Below is a picture of it all divided up into the three breakfasts and 4 lunches I need this week. Plus got a new box of Quest Bars so throw those back into the mix as my pre-workout snack. Love having all my macros set for work time before the week even starts!

 

[ArgSki77]

Also forgot to mark down my lifting increases since I started my new program. Its been 8 weeks now and really the first time I have completely followed a structured program with the intent on getting stronger. Like I said, I did stronglifts and 5/3/1 but my goals on those were to drop weight and I did not really care about performance. With the new program and a meet looming I have been working hard to focus on improving lifts rather than directly drop weight. One thing to note was that starting weights were cautious estimates of 1RMs so that I could get used to the increased volume and structure of the program so the increases seem a bit drastic for 8 weeks.

 

Metric	Beginning	Current(8 Weeks)
Bodyweight	318.2lbs	310lbs
Squat	265lbs	305lbs
Bench	230lbs	255lbs
Deadlift	350lbs	375lbs
OHP	125lbs	155lbs

 

[ArgSki77]

W2D1 - Monday 5/16

Quest 1: Last week everything felt solid so I bumped everything up for squat day today. It was also the first time with knee sleeves which at least for now made my knees feel better after the workout. Less stiffness than previous sessions. We will see how they feel after I wake up in the morning. Also I got a video of my 90% 1RM single at 285lbs. Gonna post it on form check just to make sure I am not missing anything. Feel that on some heavy squats I tend to bring the bar too far on a forward path.

• Squat Est 1RM was 315lbs and hit 12 reps on the AMAP set at 225lbs.
• 43 reps on the RDL at 160lb.
• 15lb walking lunge 
• Skipped out on the farmer carry to keep shoulder resting a bit longer. Don't want to aggravate that again.

Quest 2: Trying to do my ROMWOD as a warmup before lifting. It adds some more time at the gym but it made squats feel much more loose today so going to see how it affects other lifts.

 

Quest 3: That meal prep always comes through when I need to get calories back in check. Calories within 50 of daily goal and macro percents were just about spot on. Cal: 2234 (175/70/236 C/F/P) 

[ArgSki77]

W2D2 - Tuesday 5/17

Quest 1: Shoulder felt really solid so I went with the bench workout as designed. Didnt increase my weights though to play it safe. Also, deloaded/skipped some accessory work for a bit extra rest since its been 8 weeks heavy with that. Did almost 30 min of upper body focused warm up before as well.

• Bench Est 1RM was 250 and hit 15 reps on the AMAP set. Actually felt better than last week
• Lowered incline a bit to 115 and just did 3 sets of 10 to give shoulder some rest.
• 50 reps on barbell curl at 55lb
• 4x10 at 25 lb Plate Raise

Quest 2: Just finished. 7 minutes in Saddle legs was rough but actually helped with the squat DOMS from yesterday so that was a benefit to that.

 

Quest 3: Seems to happen too frequently: meal prep on Sunday, rush out of house for work in the morning and only grab a breakfast container, no lunch. Joined coworkers at Chipotle. Managed to choose wisely and keep the meal to similar macros to what I would have brought(YUMMM double steak salad ).  Cal: 2389 (177/83/236 C/F/P) 

[ArgSki77]

W2D3 - Wednesday 5/18

Quest 1: Rest day but very little rest. 12ish hour work day. Basically came home, did mobility and now in bed.

Quest 2: Just finished. Lots of hip work and end with static sumo squat which was really tough.

Quest 3: Pretty average food day, not quite in line with rest day goals. Stuck in the lab all day at work so food intake was sporadic and that made me really hungry at dinner(if you can call 9:30pm dinner) which is unusual when I dont go to the gym. Cal: 2407 (164/100/217 C/F/P) 

 

Back at it with deadlifts tomorrow at the gym if work doesn't kill me first.

[ArgSki77]

Work was crazy at the end of the week and weekends just seem to never get less busy. Anyways here is an update since Thursday.

 

W2D4 - Thursday 5/19

Quest 1: Work was long and stressful, but that made deadlift day the perfect relief. I powered through the main lift progression with my 1RM at 385lbs. But the workout felt light and I was curious if the estimated 1max was actually right. I had not done a max in a while and I decided I would see if 385 was possible so I had an idea of where I stood in comparison to meet goals. 385 went up super easy even after the daily working lifts! Feeling awesome about being able to hit competition values by August.

 

Quest 2: Had to drive home to parents house right after the gym so I didnt get a chance to do the warrior routine that night

 

Quest 3: Need to try and keep protein a bit higher on Thursdays. The meal prep helped but not eating much protein at breakfast makes it pretty hard to hit the macro goals. Cal: 2355 (204/80/208 C/F/P)

 

 

W2D5 - Friday 5/20

Quest 1: Typical overhead press day. Still skipping out on the dips accessory work. That seems to be the exercise that really bugs my shoulder. Been doing some skullcrushers instead to try and hit the triceps and shoulder stability.

 

Quest 2: Made up the warrior routine in the morning and did the daily in the afternoon. Double mobility day!

 

Quest 3: Food was great all day until the night. Friends were all graduating college so it was a weekend of grad parties. We went out for dinner and drinks were had so that helped throw the nutrition goals out the window. Cal: 3148 (326/91/135 C/F/P) 

 

W2D6/7 - Weekend 5/21 & 5/22

Quest 1: Weekends are usually rest days. Went golfing on Saturday morning and walked instead of taking a cart and then went for a 30min walk this afternoon.

 

Quest 2: Got mobility done both days. Made sure to fit it in since I was bad and missed them both last weekend.

 

Quest 3: Food was second to the events going on. Grad parties were my way to unwind after the stressful week at work. Plus my friend graduated from culinary school and the food at his party was awesome. I didn't even bother to track as I knew it would be poor results and just add some more stress to what was supposed to be a fun, stress free weekend.

 

Going to focus and regroup tomorrow so that I get my nutrition back on track through the upcoming week.

[SpecialSundae]

You work at Chipotle? I still didn't get to try it when I was in the States. 

[ArgSki77]

7 hours ago, SpecialSundae said:

You work at Chipotle? I still didn't get to try it when I was in the States. 

 

No, actually I am a software engineer. In that post I meant that I went with coworkers to get lunch out of the office. I have been trying to cut back on that as they go out pretty much every day and their choices in restaurants usually make it impossible to eat even remotely healthy.

 

If I worked at Chipotle, it would be bad news for my nutrition goals. I used to eat there a few times a week but now I opt to make my own burrito bowls and save the money and calories! But if I am lazy after the gym dont want to cook dinner, I know my exact order will hit my macros pretty spot on.

[ArgSki77]

W3D1 - Monday 5/23

Quest 1: This week is going to be interesting with my work schedule. Working a bunch of overtime to meet our deadline and not getting to the gym until around 8ish and I cut it close with gym starting to close around 9:15. I modified the accessory a bit to account for less time. basically doing 2x10 of all the same stuff instead of the 4x or 350 methods.

• Squat Est 1RM was 315lbs and hit 14 reps on the AMAP set at 225lbs. Also added in a higher single as I had done this recently with all the other lifts so why not squats. Successful 305lb single!!! First time I have been up over 300 before and one step closer to my 3plate goal. Feel confident that I will be able to hit the 315 to complete this challenge and still have some time to go.
• RDL at 185lb.
• 15lb walking lunge 
• Still holding off on the farmer carry as that is secondary irritator to dips with the shoulder. Working with coach to replace those two exercises to reduce shoulder stress.

Quest 2: Did romwod practically asleep before bed. Actually fell asleep in the rebound effect phase at the end on my living room floor. 

 

Quest 3: Nutrition is going to be hard this week as I am buying every meal but dinner since there is no time to cook. Drinking protein smoothies and eating a sausage and egg burrito for breakfast from the place near work which is not awful. Lunch I had one left over chicken and veggie meal in the freezer so lucked out yesterday. Cal: 2238 (207/63/223 C/F/P)

[ArgSki77]

This week is already taking its toll on my. 12hour work days followed by the gym is really wiping me out. Workouts are suffering a bit. Accessories are feeling really weak. Not used to starting my workout at 8pm either and the gym is crowded at that time. Had to wait almost 20min for a bench. Thankfully I am on vacation next week so that will be a needed rest.

 

W3D2 - Tuesday 5/24

Quest 1: Shoulder is doing good. Really focusing on keeping shoulders back and pressed into the bench and driving through the legs. I notice that when I don't focus on my form, I tend to get unstable and shoulders end up off the side of the bench which at heavy weight I think could contributing to the shoulder issues.

• Bench Est 1RM was 250 and hit 15 reps on the AMAP set.
• Reset of incline press weight back to 105. 45 total on 350 method.
• 2x10 barbell row 115lbs
• 2x10 at 35 lb Plate Raise

Quest 2: Lizard pose for dayssss. Always tough but hips feeling really good after. Slept like a baby, that was either the ROMWOD or overloaded schedule but either way it was nice.

 

Quest 3: Like I predicted nutrition was going to be tough this week. Its turning out to be a lot of rushed meals where I end up grabbing a sandwich or wrap and eating it on the way to the lab. Dinners haven't been until after the gym at 9:30pm so those have been rushed too. Basically just a bowl of pasta and a protein shake. Cal: 2533 (306/81/171 C/F/P)