Gainsdalf- Lift, Eat, Recover Part 1

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I've been gone for awhile due to life crazies, adding a new baby to the family while I was away. Wifey and I now have a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 week old, both girls. With that comes little sleep and little free time. Another thing that happened during this time is I regained most of the weight I lost last year, which I sacrificed getting stronger to do, making last year pretty much a waste of time from a fitness perspective. The silver lining is that I think I've finally gotten to a place of body acceptance where I know I'm never going to be 230 lb again and I'm ok with it, but also a place where I don't need to excuse that by saying I'm bulking and ballooning needlessly into the 270s and getting fat. The result is a new goal of staying under 264 (limit for 120kg weight class) and building strength here. First I'm going to try just recomping while I get my shit together. If I ever get to a point where I can do cutting/bulking back and forth from 250 to 260 responsibly, then I can try that, but my relationship with food isn't where it needs to be in order to handle that right now.

 

So, all that said, the goal for the year is to get to a point where I make a small PR on all 3 powerlifts, fix my relationship with food, get more athletic, and get my body feeling better as I keep getting injured. For that last one, there's two main culprits. The first is my back, I keep pulling erectors. I need to figure out how to bulletproof it so that deadlifting volume or shoveling snow doesn't make me throw it out. The other is my feet. Every time I try to run/be athletic like I want to, I get fractures. I need to very slowly ramp up the load on them to condition them for what I want. I'd love to be able to get back into an ultimate frisbee league one day.

 

Anyway, the first step is to get back into the gym, have good productive workouts, and recover properly. Once I've successfully integrated lifting back into my life in a manageable way, I can start building on the athletic stuff.

 

Lift- Muscles are made in the gym. Unfortunately I rarely go there anymore. I gotta change that. I need to get my body back used to lifting regularly again and do it slowly, so I don't get injured in the process. This is going to start as having a session for each for the 3 powerlifts once a week, going easy, and getting my body used to the movement again. Once they are, I can start instituting an actual program that works on the specific things I need to.

 

-3 sessions per week
 

Eat- Muscles are made in the kitchen. My protein intake has gone to shit since I've not been lifting. I've looked at the time off as an excuse to not worry about protein, which ended with me eating sweets more and getting fat. I'm going to track my food to see how much protein I'm getting and work toward a daily regimen that is getting me over 200g a day. I just ordered my powder, that should help.

 

-200g daily protein

 

Recover- Muscles are made it the bedroom. No, not like that. I'm talking about the sleeping part. Unfortunately an extremely gassy baby does is not conducive to a quality sleeping environment. Knowing that the baby will eventually sleep through the night, I'm going to work on the long term habit of being asleep 7 hours before I wake up and ignore the short term interruptions. Aim is to head upstairs 30 min before that.

 

-Head upstairs by 10 each night.

[brutalbears]

First. Finally, I am never first! Though I should probably be doing something more productive at work...

[Blocky]

[Br0din]

in for trolling

[AugustaAdaByron]

In because I don't think I've ever followed a Gainsdalf challenge.

[navis]

3 minutes ago, AugustaAdaByron said:

In because I don't think I've ever followed a Gainsdalf challenge.

 

Same. Also, I hear there are trolls.

[Laghail]

1 hour ago, brutalbears said:

First. Finally, I am never first! Though I should probably be doing something more productive at work...

No, you said that wrong and you should feel bad Brutal. Productivity < forum trolling. Always.

Also, following.

[wildross]

Welcome back, big guy.  And congrats on child #2

[raptron]

GAAAAAINS.

[miss_marissa]

These goals are good goals.

[Stronkey Kong]

Lift. Eat. Sleep.

 

Can't go wrong with that.

 

Smh... How do i keep fucking that up?

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

18 hours ago, brutalbears said:

First. Finally, I am never first! Though I should probably be doing something more productive at work...

16 hours ago, Laghail said:

No, you said that wrong and you should feel bad Brutal. Productivity < forum trolling. Always.

Also, following.

17 hours ago, Br0din said:

in for trolling

17 hours ago, navis said:

 

Same. Also, I hear there are trolls.

 

17 hours ago, Blocky said:

 

I can't see this at work...

 

17 hours ago, AugustaAdaByron said:

In because I don't think I've ever followed a Gainsdalf challenge.

13 hours ago, Curl Brogo said:

Lift. Eat. Sleep.

 

Can't go wrong with that.

 

Smh... How do i keep fucking that up?

 

Like Curl, it's mostly me failing at the things I say I'm going to do, then not giving enough of a crap to change it next time, so I see no self improvement, and just try to do the same crap that I'm gonna fail at again next challenge.

 

For example. I looked at the clock last night at 9:45 and said to my wife "great, I'm gonna be heading up to bed at 10 like I said I would." but then you know what happened? I fell down an elevator shaft, leaving Ellie all on her own at the top of a decrepit skyscraper with a bunch of hunters around, and felt bad going to bed before I found my way back to her (just before 11 pm) so I can keep an eye on the kid. She's got spunk, but I'm not yet confident she can handle herself all on her own. She's getting there though.

 

16 hours ago, wildross said:

Welcome back, big guy.  And congrats on child #2

15 hours ago, raptron said:

GAAAAAINS.

14 hours ago, miss_marissa said:

These goals are good goals.

 

[Jord]

babies don't care about your goals, babies are like $%)#$ your goals, feed me or fight me and let's do it at 3 am 

 

but I have a friend with twin babies and so just remind yourself it could be worse  

 

just look at this poor random couple from the interwebs: 

 

[nightlight]

i like dis.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

20 minutes ago, Taddea Zhaan said:

babies don't care about your goals, babies are like $%)#$ your goals, feed me or fight me and let's do it at 3 am 

 

but I have a friend with twin babies and so just remind yourself it could be worse  

 

just look at this poor random couple from the interwebs: 

 

 

This picture is great. Mom is loving her life, but the dad can't even bring himself to smile for a picture, and big sis is a traumatized huddled ball in the corner, staring unseeingly at her mom's shoulder just waiting for get the hell out of there. That one is never having kids.

[Stronkey Kong]

Well sometimes life just happens.

 

Tonight's another night. Leave that girl a battle axe and get to bed.

[wildross]

7 minutes ago, Gainsdalf the Whey said:

 

This picture is great. Mom is loving her life, but the dad can't even bring himself to smile for a picture, and big sis is a traumatized huddled ball in the corner, staring unseeingly at her mom's shoulder just waiting for get the hell out of there. That one is never having kids.

Big sis was the ONE....now Mommy went away for 2 days and big sis is just 1 of 6....yeah, that will take a bit to get used to.

[calanthrophy]

2 hours ago, Taddea Zhaan said:

just look at this poor random couple from the interwebs: 

 

 

I've had nightmares that look like this.

[AugustaAdaByron]

7 hours ago, Gainsdalf the Whey said:

 

 

 

This is the most accurate definition I've ever seen!

 

7 hours ago, Gainsdalf the Whey said:

Like Curl, it's mostly me failing at the things I say I'm going to do, then not giving enough of a crap to change it next time, so I see no self improvement, and just try to do the same crap that I'm gonna fail at again next challenge.

 

 

So just like my challenges too.

[Jord]

57 minutes ago, AugustaAdaByron said:

 

This is the most accurate definition I've ever seen!

 

 

 

So just like my challenges too.

 

Smarter goals you guys. The A stands for ACHIEVABLE.

 

 

 

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

22 hours ago, Taddea Zhaan said:

 

Smarter goals you guys. The A stands for ACHIEVABLE.

 

 

 

 

Sleep 7 hours, eat 200g protein, get in the gym 3 times a week are all achievable. So is taking the trash out every day or bringing my laundry down when my wife tells me to. Doesn't mean I'll actually do it.

[Br0din]

9 minutes ago, Gainsdalf the Whey said:

 

Sleep 7 hours, eat 200g protein, get in the gym 3 times a week are all achievable. So is taking the trash out every day or bringing my laundry down when my wife tells me to. Doesn't mean I'll actually do it.

 

I like to wait for my wife to tell me 4 or 5 times before I do her chores.  I want her to know that its easier for everyone if she just does it herself and I'm not her task monkey she can throw chores at.  

 

If you follow my advice, I have room in the dog house if you want to camp out with me. 

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

16 hours ago, Br0din said:

 

I like to wait for my wife to tell me 4 or 5 times before I do her chores.  I want her to know that its easier for everyone if she just does it herself and I'm not her task monkey she can throw chores at.  

 

If you follow my advice, I have room in the dog house if you want to camp out with me. 

Might live in the dog house, but you also set up the situation that when you do things the first time they ask, you get so much more appreciation for it.

 

Got to bed on time last night, sort of. I fell asleep on the couch from 7-7:30 with Tinker sitting on top of me watching Sophia. She at one point cuddled up next to me instead, lifting my arm to get under there, and I didn't stir in the slightest. Wifey felt for me, so just let me nap and moved bed time back to 7:30 for Tinker.

 

Fell asleep on the couch again at 9:45 after an episode of House of Cards and slept there until 10:30. Got into bed at 11. SO, even though I got in bed a half hour late, it was on purpose as I napped for over an hour on the couch throughout the night.

 

On the protein front, I didn't track, but did well. My whey came in yesterday, so I'll start tracking today. Breakfast is going to consist of 2 cups of whole milk and a scoop of whey each morning, which is 400 kcal , but 164 of that is from 41g of protein. Skim milk would be the same protein for 280 kcal, but that's a) not enough calories to hold me over until late morning and 2) so much less tasty/palatable that the 120 kcal isn't worth it.

 

On working out, my back has still felt groady so I haven't gone at all this week. Going to try to go and get a light one in today. I'm thinking that instead of doing individual lift days, I may just start out with Stronglifts 3x5 with light weights and aggressive increases. Even starting at 225x5x3 for squats, I'd be up to 375x5x3 in 5 weeks with 10 lb per session increases. Bench would be 185x5x3 to 255x5x3. Deadliftt I'd probably start at 315 and do 20 lb jumps up to 455x5x1. These would all be int he 90% range of maxes for those rep ranges that I've done in the past, which would put me in a good spot to test maxes before the next challenge for 1RM and to see where my body is at with handling the volume so I can decide on some proper programming.

[CourtnieMarie]

things are looking up!

 

also, hiiii!

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Got stronglifts session 1 in today, in and out of the gym in 40 minutes, mostly due to rests between deadlift sets.

 

Just now, Gainsdalf the Whey said:

After injuring myself really quick after coming back, I've decided to play it safe and start with the basics. I'm dialing weights way back and doing starting strength to work back up to handling heavy weights. I figure if I start at 225/185/315 for squat/bench/deadlift, it would take me 4 weeks to get to 335/235/415 and 6 weeks to get to 395/265/475 if I'm adding 10 lbs on squat and bench and 20 on deadlifts each time. Those last numbers are all 90-100% of 5 rep PRs (think they're like 430/265/505), so I should stall on each before hitting the end of 6 weeks.

 

Stronglifts Session 1

 

Mid Bar Squat

135x8

225x5x3

 

Funny how heavy the bar feels after so long off. My quads are already sore.

 

Overhead Press

135x5x3

 

last set belted. These will stall quick, I'm going to have to start with 2.5 lb jumps from the get go. 5 rep PR is 165, but I don't have that in me right now, or even close.

 

Deadlifts

 

225x5

315x5x3

 

Starting with 3 sets. of 5. I'll dial it back to 3x3 or 2x5 as I go most likely depending on how many back feels. Again with the heavy bar, this is 190 lbs short of my 5 rep PR and I was winded like crazy. 8s would have been a struggle, and I've done that with 4 plates.

 

If you like that, wait until I actually get back into gear in a month or two.

 

Yeah, I'm far away from what I once was. 6 weeks may not be enough to even get me close, but I'll judge when I get there. Today was a real reality check and made me realize how much I miss being pretty strong  and in average to good cardio shape. A year ago I would have done all of these sets as part of a warm up almost, and now I was winded. I'm driven to get back, feels good to have purpose in the gym.

 

It's fumy, my quads already hurt from that workout. I've noticed that even though my shirts are tighter in my gut from my weight gain, my pants are actually looser in the thighs. I am pretty sure I lost mass in my quads over the 5-6 months I took off. I've seen studies that show it should come back quickly as the lost muscle weight is mostly the fluid parts, which build up with volume demand. The parts that actually take a long time of training for your body to build, actual fiber parts and cellular mechanisms, are still there, just shriveled up and starved. If I'm consistently loading everything, by body should adapt and start loading the muscles up with glycogen again and giving all those cellular mechanisms something to feed on. It's like if you didn't water a garden the entire month of July, then started feeding it again in August. It's gonna bounce back, just gonna take awhile.