Kishi Says Balance

[Kishi]

 

Still reeling from my Feelings on this game. So, that's the theme music. Deal with it.

 

So, basically, I've been struggling with balance. Sleep and food and weights and martial arts. It's a lot of fun, but the truth is, I want to skew more toward martial arts. And, looking down the line, one other thing that I'm going to want to do is to get into flexibility training. Right now, there's no way that the current schedule is going to let that happen.

 

Also, I'm about as heavy as I was back in high school, and it's not muscle that's making the difference. I want to fix that.

 

I looked into all the various things I'm doing, and I've realized that there is a way to do it, but it's going to involve a pretty radical shift. It's going to involve stepping off of Leangains, setting my own calories and macros, adjusting 5/3/1 to 2x/week, and adjusting GB to fit that, as well as making sure that I get enough sleep.

 

Fortunately, this isn't even remotely impossible. I remember the past experiments and what they've taught me. And I think I can do it.

 

To be clear, it's gonna be tough. But I spent most of last night hyped up on the idea and brushing up on the things that I think I know. I think I can make this work. But it's going to involve a lot of discipline and some effort on the front end as I adjust the things.

 

But I genuinely think there are rewards to be gained from trying this. I think I'll be able to do Judo on Wednesdays again, and the habit of going back there will make further training possible. I also think I'll be able to avoid the wait at the... weight... racks, and just be able to focus on going out and kicking butt and taking names. And hey, who knows? I might just be able to finally find my way to the not-Kali that we offer at the dojo. And maybe even getting this writing ish figured out too.

 

So. Here are the goals. They're training goals... except they're life goals too. Hooo boy.

 

GOAL 1: HOMEBREWED INTERMITTENT FASTING

Caloric average set at 1950. Macros adjusted to suit, based on past experimentation that has shown me what my body responds to.

 

GOAL 2: PRACTICE

 

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: KB snatches/GB(SLS) and Karate

Wednesday: GB(Core) and Judo

Thursday: S&S/GB(Upper Body) and Karate

Friday: 5/3/1 BP and DL

Saturday: S&S/GB(Handstand)

Sunday: 5/3/1 Squat and OHP

 

Now, this looks like a lot. And that's because it is, in fact, a lot.

 

But it's not as much as it looks like. Most of this is actually over and done with pretty fast - anywhere from 5-20 minutes. The stuff that takes longer is slated to take place on days when the time should exist for those things to be done with their due diligence. These adjustments have been made based on my observations of the gym's peak times as well - Wednesday is a stupid-busy time to do barbell training, for instance, so compensate by doing something quick that doesn't require any equipment at all. By contrast, Friday and Sunday are relatively dead times, and I've never had trouble getting a rack on those days.

 

I also think that doing 5/3/1 twice per week feels more Soviet anyway. Wendler says that there's no need to do deloads unless "you need to" and that frees me to wave my training up or down based on the input that my body is giving me.

 

Honestly, the trickiest part about this is the nutritional aspect. I've stacked it so that I have a lot of lower calorie days, with Friday and Sunday being the days for lots of calories. It's not as crazy as it sounds, though - work loves to feed me, coworkers love to feed me, fam loves to feed me, and there is food everywhere. Honestly, it's pretty rare for me to have a week go by the way I plan it, so I've basically planned for it to go sideways. BRING IT.

 

GOAL 3: CLEANLINESS

Get the room cleaned up. Get the gi taken care of. Get the extra clothes gone. Get some frickin' sleep. (what. sleep hygiene is a thing).

 

With the sleep in particular, I want to make a point of getting down to bed before midnight on the weekends. I just don't gain anything by being up that late, but I do lose a lot of time and momentum.

 

GOAL 4: WRITE

 

So, hey guys, writing characters is actually forcing me to think and dig into my story and it's making me better. But, I'm still struggling with consistency. Like always. So, we're going to make this stupid-easy - just work on one character every day. It can be the same character if it has to be, but Always Be Character...ing? Welcome to English, where everything's made up and the grammar don't matter.

 

And with that, we enter into what might be the strangest adventure yet.

 

 

[Urgan]

Ah, that brand new challenge smell. Followin'!

[BlackTezca]

[mightstone2k]

Heh. Wendler's advice: "you don't need to unless you need to." That gives me the chuckles. Following to see if I can learn anything about balancing life. Fitness isn't something I'm too worried about finding balance in. After the PFT, it's all about hitting Simple. Adding more stuff comes later. Balance in life, however, is where I'll be most keen to watch.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Treva]

KICK IT'S BUTT KISHI KICK IT'S BUTT.

*ahem*

Following!  You got this!  Planning for things to go sideways is a brilliant idea!

[Kishi]

On 4/22/2017 at 6:50 PM, Urgan said:

Ah, that brand new challenge smell. Followin'!

 

Glad to have ya! Need to make a point of talking back to the battle loggers....

 

On 4/22/2017 at 6:59 PM, BlackTezca said:

 

 

20 hours ago, mightstone2k said:

 

Heh. Wendler's advice: "you don't need to unless you need to." That gives me the chuckles. Following to see if I can learn anything about balancing life. Fitness isn't something I'm too worried about finding balance in. After the PFT, it's all about hitting Simple. Adding more stuff comes later. Balance in life, however, is where I'll be most keen to watch.

 

 

Haha, your guess is as good as mine. I honestly don't feel like I have a clear answer beyond just getting ultra-disciplined about how I approach life, but that seems too vague, you know?

 

1 hour ago, Treva said:

KICK IT'S BUTT KISHI KICK IT'S BUTT.

*ahem*

Following!  You got this!  Planning for things to go sideways is a brilliant idea!

 

As the lady commands.

 

*

 

Welp, even though I play it like a rogue and start my challenges on Mondays, there's no time like the present to get started on the things I said I'd do.

 

And already it appears to have been a wise move. I went to train some people today, and they gave me a loaf of bread as thanks (in addition to the money). It's sourdough. My favorite, although they tend to make a pretty heavy loaf. So, I had to eat as much as I could to make sure that it doesn't go to waste. That meant a lot of lifting today.

 

Warmed Up

 

Squats: 5x66

5x83

3x100

5x125

3x141

9x158

 

OHP: 5x45

5x47

3x57

5x71

3x80

10x90

 

Zercher Squats: 3x10x45

 

Incline DB Press: 3x10x20

 

Leg Press: 3x10x135

 

Shrugs: 2x10x20

1x20x45

 

FINISH: RUN 6x.08mi x12mph

 

Notes:

• Welp! This was fun. Glad I'm only doing it a couple of times a week, though.
• Happy to have found a way to bring the Zercher squats into rotation. Finally.
• So, the reason for all the assistance work is that it's prescribed by Wendler in the original program. I'll probably cut this back in the future - it does add a lot of time on, and even if I've got it to spend on those nights, I don't know that I necessarily want to, and it's harder for me to justify too much accessory work. Particularly if I'm going to lift heavy with only a day of rest between.
• Kind of surprised at how easy the runs were today.

Not much more to report than that at this point. I've been writing for the past couple of days, but I've not been very good about keeping my sleep hygiene, though. Technically, it wasn't the time for the challenge yet... but technically, I could have used the momentum too.

 

Anyway. It's on!

 

 

[Mistr]

I like that you are taking what you have learned from the programs you have done and are tailoring it to fit your goals. How to make it fit your life, not the other way around.

[ICB]

Love the courage to change directions! Let me ask: where'd you get your kettlebells? I can't find anything heavier than 5 or 10 pounds in local exercise gear shops, and the shipping costs on a mail order kettlebell are staggering.

[joedog]

Love the challenge set up. It is a lot but you've got it scheduled to work not just throwing a lot of sh..tuff at the wall to see what sticks. If I can make it through my own challenge this month, I need to adopt that strategy!

 

Sent from my SM-G935R4 using Tapatalk

 

 

[PinkNinja]

On 4/22/2017 at 5:03 PM, Kishi said:

setting my own calories and macros,

Do you choose yours based on your experience with how your body responds or do you use a calculator or both? I'm asking mostly out of curiosity as to how you do it, but also because I'm working on mine.

[Teirin]

On 4/24/2017 at 1:46 PM, Mistr said:

I like that you are taking what you have learned from the programs you have done and are tailoring it to fit your goals. How to make it fit your life, not the other way around.

 

This.  Balance is a very apt title! 

 

Glad you're planning on more calories than your official number :-)  Fantastic first day of the challenge!

[Kishi]

On 4/24/2017 at 0:46 PM, Mistr said:

I like that you are taking what you have learned from the programs you have done and are tailoring it to fit your goals. How to make it fit your life, not the other way around.

 

Thanks! I'm actually really lucky - I've found a whole bunch of things that are all designed to fit in with other things. In theory it should all work.

 

On 4/24/2017 at 0:53 PM, ICB said:

Love the courage to change directions! Let me ask: where'd you get your kettlebells? I can't find anything heavier than 5 or 10 pounds in local exercise gear shops, and the shipping costs on a mail order kettlebell are staggering.

 

At this point, I try to get mine through Wright Equipment. It's not cheap exactly - tens of pounds of iron aren't going to be cheap any way you cut it - but they seem to price in such a way that it takes some of the sting out of the shipping costs.

 

Of course, if you don't want to ship anywhere, you could check out the Marketplace section on Facebook. Or, if you really want to take your life into your own hands, there's always Craigslist. That said, be prepared to have to jump on something - most people who get to the point where they'll have a heavy bell are the kinds of people who aren't prone to selling.

 

On 4/24/2017 at 8:23 PM, joedog said:

 

Love the challenge set up. It is a lot but you've got it scheduled to work not just throwing a lot of sh..tuff at the wall to see what sticks. If I can make it through my own challenge this month, I need to adopt that strategy!

 

 

I mean, I've thrown a lot of shtuff at the wall. Not a lot of it stuck. Clearly, I need a new wall.

 

On 4/24/2017 at 8:27 PM, PinkNinja said:

Do you choose yours based on your experience with how your body responds or do you use a calculator or both? I'm asking mostly out of curiosity as to how you do it, but also because I'm working on mine.

 

In a word? Yes! I've used a calculator ever since I figured that was a thing I could do. But I've got a good idea of what numbers elicit what response.

 

Now, granted, I've not done this exact permutation that I'm doing now before - I'm dropping low on most days of the week and supercharging high on the days when I strength train so that I can hit an average of 1950 calories in a week. So, I'm only eating 1650 on five days of the week, but then on the other two I'm eating 2700.

 

And these are all bottom range numbers. Like I said, it's way more likely that I'm going to get put in positions where I end up eating lots and lots of food. It's rare enough for my plans to go off as I plan them that it honestly kind of spooks me when it happens.

 

But yeah, like, my folks tried to feed me tonight, for instance. And I think we're going out some time this week to celebrate the office secretary. Because she deserves it. And then Friday will be lunch, but the coworkers love the salt and sugar shack Chinese restaurant, so that'll be a nice jump. I might get more than that if their talk of us getting together for dinner and such is actually legit.

 

Anyway! Hope that answers the question.

 

43 minutes ago, Teirin said:

This.  Balance is a very apt title! 

 

Sure! I got this. I got this...

 

 

*

 

GOAL 1: 2/2

 

GOAL 2: 2/2

 

GOAL 3: 1/2

 

GOAL 4: 2/2

 

Not a bad couple of days to start. It's been interesting around here - we got 8 inches of rain in the past 4 days, so there's actually been some flooding around here, which happens every now and again. But basically, as a freak coincidence, the roads to both the gym and the dojo were flooded out.

 

Which left me no choice but to train... at home.

 

 

Man, haven't done that in a while. But I stuck to my schedule. Snatches and GB legz. I played around with some footwork afterward. Not exactly a full class, but eh. I mean. It made me sweat.

 

Banged my forearms a bit w/ snatches though. Means I'm not controlling the bell proper. Might need to practice with a lighter weight next time.

 

But in the meantime, I have the rare opportunity to catch some early sleep. Don't mean to miss that. So! G'night!

 

 

[Kyellan]

I like balance. There is not enough in my life either, so I will follow you and perhaps some of your excess balance will drift off and I can catch it.   

[Teirin]

Early sleep!  Go you!  Good luck with the flooding.

[Machete]

On 4/23/2017 at 10:59 PM, Kishi said:

 

Glad to have ya! Need to make a point of talking back to the battle loggers....

 

 

 

 

Haha, your guess is as good as mine. I honestly don't feel like I have a clear answer beyond just getting ultra-disciplined about how I approach life, but that seems too vague, you know?

 

 

As the lady commands.

 

*

 

Welp, even though I play it like a rogue and start my challenges on Mondays, there's no time like the present to get started on the things I said I'd do.

 

And already it appears to have been a wise move. I went to train some people today, and they gave me a loaf of bread as thanks (in addition to the money). It's sourdough. My favorite, although they tend to make a pretty heavy loaf. So, I had to eat as much as I could to make sure that it doesn't go to waste. That meant a lot of lifting today.

 

Warmed Up

 

Squats: 5x66

5x83

3x100

5x125

3x141

9x158

 

OHP: 5x45

5x47

3x57

5x71

3x80

10x90

 

Zercher Squats: 3x10x45

 

Incline DB Press: 3x10x20

 

Leg Press: 3x10x135

 

Shrugs: 2x10x20

1x20x45

 

FINISH: RUN 6x.08mi x12mph

 

Notes:

• Welp! This was fun. Glad I'm only doing it a couple of times a week, though.
• Happy to have found a way to bring the Zercher squats into rotation. Finally.
• So, the reason for all the assistance work is that it's prescribed by Wendler in the original program. I'll probably cut this back in the future - it does add a lot of time on, and even if I've got it to spend on those nights, I don't know that I necessarily want to, and it's harder for me to justify too much accessory work. Particularly if I'm going to lift heavy with only a day of rest between.
• Kind of surprised at how easy the runs were today.

Not much more to report than that at this point. I've been writing for the past couple of days, but I've not been very good about keeping my sleep hygiene, though. Technically, it wasn't the time for the challenge yet... but technically, I could have used the momentum too.

 

Anyway. It's on!

 

Might want to readjust your maxes if you're hitting 9-10 reps on your 531 days, especially starting out. Get some more of those linear gains in. You could also try adding 2-3 sets of heavy singles on your 3x3 and 531 weeks.

 

I must admit though, the most assistance work I've used with 531 was a set of BTB of another main exercise, and that's when I was at my strongest so I was probably missing out on a lot. How's it working out for you? All I did was cycle the exercises from Press, Deadlift, Squat, and Bench to Push Press, Sumo Deadlift, Front Squat and Close Grip Bench. It might be interesting to use Zercher Squats as a main move. I believe he mentions someone programming Power Cleans as a main movement in his book.

 

For deloading I suck at listening to my body, so I just mindlessly follow the 3-on 1-deload protocol, though I have utilized the 6-on 1-deload that some people seem to like. Once you're on Foundation 2 the program automatically deloads every 4 weeks, so it would fit in particularly well.

[Kishi]

16 hours ago, Kyellan said:

I like balance. There is not enough in my life either, so I will follow you and perhaps some of your excess balance will drift off and I can catch it.   

 

That or you can watch me for tips on what not to do.

 

12 hours ago, Teirin said:

Early sleep!  Go you!  Good luck with the flooding.

 

Thanks! It appears to have gone away for the most part. At this point, all that's left is the damage to deal with.

 

8 hours ago, Machete said:

Might want to readjust your maxes if you're hitting 9-10 reps on your 531 days, especially starting out. Get some more of those linear gains in. You could also try adding 2-3 sets of heavy singles on your 3x3 and 531 weeks.

 

I guess? I dunno. Having just completed a 531, I know that I would need to adjust upward anyway. How much further up should I just, you think? For reference, my numbers were 8 on bench, 9 on squat, 10 on OHP, and 15 on deadlift. And even if I did just what Wendler prescribes (10 more lbs on lower body, 5 more on upper body), wouldn't that still qualify as linear progression?

 

8 hours ago, Machete said:

I must admit though, the most assistance work I've used with 531 was a set of BTB of another main exercise, and that's when I was at my strongest so I was probably missing out on a lot. How's it working out for you? All I did was cycle the exercises from Press, Deadlift, Squat, and Bench to Push Press, Sumo Deadlift, Front Squat and Close Grip Bench. It might be interesting to use Zercher Squats as a main move. I believe he mentions someone programming Power Cleans as a main movement in his book.

 

So, my thing with Zercher Squats is a whole kerfuffle that I got into with @Urgan over What Squat Is the Best. I basically wound up reading some stuff from SFG talking about how Zerchers are the best because they help the most with deadlift. And it was so confusing, because the article says that the Back Squat is what builds the most strength and we went back and forth because I was trying to be a good party member and she was all, "But the man says that the back squat builds the most strength!" Anyway, she won that one.

 

But ever since having done that GoRuck in Boston, I've been thinking a lot about my training and how to make myself into the kind of person who could do that better. And one thing that's really struck me is the ability to express strength whilst holding an object. It seems to me that Zerchers have a lot of potential carryover to that kind of thing.

 

And plus, I figure, there's no reason for me to not have both kinds, particularly if I can use them to help each other. I figure it makes sense to switch Zerchers over to deadlift days because of the carryover between those movements, although what I do to assist the Squats then... I dunno. I'm kind of itching to try Front Squatting as the assist there, provided I stay, just, friggin' light.

 

Otherwise, though, my assistance stuff is ultimately about patching up weaknesses and using movement to heal. I got the pectus to deal with still, and that damn golfer's elbow ain't exactly going anywhere (although scaling back feels really good lately).

 

8 hours ago, Machete said:

For deloading I suck at listening to my body, so I just mindlessly follow the 3-on 1-deload protocol, though I have utilized the 6-on 1-deload that some people seem to like. Once you're on Foundation 2 the program automatically deloads every 4 weeks, so it would fit in particularly well.

 

Well, yeah, but see, the thing is, the time just isn't there right now to do the full program in the orthodox fashion that he prescribes. The racks are always taken on the nights I need them not to be, and the only way I can figure being able to both get strong and practice fighting is to cut the strength work down to twice a week and just focus on general practice in the meantime. There's no guarantee it's going to work, of course, but you never know unless you try. And, TBH, it reminds me of the Primal Blueprint guidelines from back in the day - 1 sprint day, 2 strength days, and lots of play in the middle.

 

*

 

GOAL 1: 3/3

 

GOAL 2: 2.5/3

 

GOAL 3: 3/3

 

GOAL 4: 3/3

 

So, everything went well. Mostly.

 

I basically messed up this morning and wound up being late for work. And then to make up for that time, I had to stay late after work. And in order to make sure the work was done properly, I had to stay even later. Afterward, I proceeded to the gym and did my thing, but by then it was too late.

 

Still, it's a proof of concept. The GB stuff was quick - done in 20 minutes. And I figured out what my problem was on the Russian Twists - I was trying to do twice as many reps as they had actually prescribed. Once I cut back, it was super easy.

 

But I messed up. I deserve to have half a point taken off for that.

 

On the plus side, that early night's sleep was great. I guess there's something to that saying about every hour before midnight being worth two after. Felt like a million bucks today.

[Urgan]

2 minutes ago, Kishi said:

I guess? I dunno. Having just completed a 531, I know that I would need to adjust upward anyway. How much further up should I just, you think? For reference, my numbers were 8 on bench, 9 on squat, 10 on OHP, and 15 on deadlift. And even if I did just what Wendler prescribes (10 more lbs on lower body, 5 more on upper body), wouldn't that still qualify as linear progression?

 

That does suggest you started Low, buuuuut I don't think you need to worry about adjusting extra. The weight will catch up with you. I mean, you could if you were careful, I always tend to paint myself into a corner when I do it. * shrugs * Strictly speaking, you probably still belong on a novice style program of increasing from session to session because to my knowledge (and to @Machete's point, methinks) you haven't run out of room with linear progression. I could be wrong. 100% honesty, 0% running your show. You'll probably make gains just fine, just a bit slower than one might otherwise. You do have other things on your plate, after all, so there's that.

 

11 minutes ago, Kishi said:

So, my thing with Zercher Squats is a whole kerfuffle that I got into with @Urgan over What Squat Is the Best. I basically wound up reading some stuff from SFG talking about how Zerchers are the best because they help the most with deadlift. And it was so confusing, because the article says that the Back Squat is what builds the most strength and we went back and forth because I was trying to be a good party member and she was all, "But the man says that the back squat builds the most strength!" Anyway, she won that one.

 

Rawr. If you can only do one, I'll argue to my dying breath for Low Bar Back Squats. If you can only do one.

 

11 minutes ago, Kishi said:

But ever since having done that GoRuck in Boston, I've been thinking a lot about my training and how to make myself into the kind of person who could do that better. And one thing that's really struck me is the ability to express strength whilst holding an object. It seems to me that Zerchers have a lot of potential carryover to that kind of thing.

 

And plus, I figure, there's no reason for me to not have both kinds, particularly if I can use them to help each other. I figure it makes sense to switch Zerchers over to deadlift days because of the carryover between those movements, although what I do to assist the Squats then... I dunno. I'm kind of itching to try Front Squatting as the assist there, provided I stay, just, friggin' light.

 

Otherwise, though, my assistance stuff is ultimately about patching up weaknesses and using movement to heal. I got the pectus to deal with still, and that damn golfer's elbow ain't exactly going anywhere (although scaling back feels really good lately).

 

You could slap zercher's in with deadlift as a light squat day. Wouldn't hurt a thing. I'm in the business of hitting every lift 2x per week, but you're running a 2/week program? 

 

Back squats/Light front squats

Deadlift/light Zerchers 

 

This would work if you could fit it in, doncha think?

[RisenPhoenix]

On 4/22/2017 at 6:03 PM, Kishi said:

 

I also think that doing 5/3/1 twice per week feels more Soviet anyway. Wendler says that there's no need to do deloads unless "you need to" and that frees me to wave my training up or down based on the input that my body is giving me.

 

This calculator might help you.  When I was doing 5/3/1 twice a week it was a huge benefit: https://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator

 

Also, this is my general note that eating 1950 calories for you makes me concerned.  Mainly as a guy who has been trying to get used to the concept of eating 3000 calories for my activity level, and I know you blow past my activity level.

 

12 hours ago, Kishi said:

But ever since having done that GoRuck in Boston, I've been thinking a lot about my training and how to make myself into the kind of person who could do that better. And one thing that's really struck me is the ability to express strength whilst holding an object.

 

Awww, I almost miss Sandy.

 

Also I took a visiting Nerd around Boston last week.  And had more than a few Ruck flashbacks.  I was also incredibly glad the Bunker Hill Monument was closed, because dear lords dragging Sandy up those 300 steps would have suuuuuucked.

[Teirin]

30 minutes ago, RisenPhoenix said:

Also, this is my general note that eating 1950 calories for you makes me concerned.  Mainly as a guy who has been trying to get used to the concept of eating 3000 calories for my activity level, and I know you blow past my activity level.

 

Agreed.  I am somewhat reassured by notes of much additional food from friends and family.  For another comparison:  ~1950 is what I'm eating, and I'm 5'5" ~138 lbs and less active than either of you. 

[Machete]

14 hours ago, Kishi said:

I guess? I dunno. Having just completed a 531, I know that I would need to adjust upward anyway. How much further up should I just, you think? For reference, my numbers were 8 on bench, 9 on squat, 10 on OHP, and 15 on deadlift. And even if I did just what Wendler prescribes (10 more lbs on lower body, 5 more on upper body), wouldn't that still qualify as linear progression?

 

 

So, my thing with Zercher Squats is a whole kerfuffle that I got into with @Urgan over What Squat Is the Best. I basically wound up reading some stuff from SFG talking about how Zerchers are the best because they help the most with deadlift. And it was so confusing, because the article says that the Back Squat is what builds the most strength and we went back and forth because I was trying to be a good party member and she was all, "But the man says that the back squat builds the most strength!" Anyway, she won that one.

 

But ever since having done that GoRuck in Boston, I've been thinking a lot about my training and how to make myself into the kind of person who could do that better. And one thing that's really struck me is the ability to express strength whilst holding an object. It seems to me that Zerchers have a lot of potential carryover to that kind of thing.

 

And plus, I figure, there's no reason for me to not have both kinds, particularly if I can use them to help each other. I figure it makes sense to switch Zerchers over to deadlift days because of the carryover between those movements, although what I do to assist the Squats then... I dunno. I'm kind of itching to try Front Squatting as the assist there, provided I stay, just, friggin' light.

 

Otherwise, though, my assistance stuff is ultimately about patching up weaknesses and using movement to heal. I got the pectus to deal with still, and that damn golfer's elbow ain't exactly going anywhere (although scaling back feels really good lately).

 

 

Well, yeah, but see, the thing is, the time just isn't there right now to do the full program in the orthodox fashion that he prescribes. The racks are always taken on the nights I need them not to be, and the only way I can figure being able to both get strong and practice fighting is to cut the strength work down to twice a week and just focus on general practice in the meantime. There's no guarantee it's going to work, of course, but you never know unless you try. And, TBH, it reminds me of the Primal Blueprint guidelines from back in the day - 1 sprint day, 2 strength days, and lots of play in the middle.

 

5/3/1 is more of an intermediate program. There's a lot of stuff that goes on with true 1RM testing and determining percentages, that's why I'd recommend re-establishing your 1RM after every 1+ AMRAP set and adjusting your next cycle as necessary, at least for the first 3-6 months. A weight you can pump out for 8-15 barely has enough intensity to elicit strength adaptations, and given that you're only lifting twice a week (and hitting the exercises once) you're not getting enough frequency for it to be Easy Strength or PTTP. The program has more of a load and volume-waving scheme, as opposed to SS and SL's [linear] increase in load with every workout. More sustainable, especially once you start going real heavy.

 

I understand the commotion here. I was also very confused about the Zercher Squat until I was able to go to StrongFirst TL Reneta Music's HardStyle Body workshop. We apparently use the Zercher Squat as an assistance exercise to the Deadlift because it is performed as a hinge rather than a squat movement. Like a front-loaded Good Morning. (Weird, I know, but The Party is always right. They probably don't call it a Zercher Deadlift only because it starts from the rack. I'm not sure; I'll let you know more after I go through an SFL.) But yeah, definitely Squats (back is a default) for strength. I did Front Squats for strength but I should have probably stuck with a High Bar Squat, since I would be able to load those more and strengthen my legs just as much without being limited by my shoulders and inability to breathe. I've heard Weightlifters build strength with HB Squats and use Front Squats to practice for Cleans. 5/3/1 assistance movements are always light, as you're pumping out 10-15 reps of those and building the volume. You can do Front Squats, Overhead Squats, Lunges, KB Front Squats, or Leg Presses as an assistance exercise on Squat/Press day. Or you could just finish with Dan John's 8 double KB Front Squats + 20m Farmer's Walk for 8 sets without setting the weights down.

 

14 hours ago, Kishi said:

Still, it's a proof of concept. The GB stuff was quick - done in 20 minutes. And I figured out what my problem was on the Russian Twists - I was trying to do twice as many reps as they had actually prescribed. Once I cut back, it was super easy.

 

Did you not do the follow-along video?

[Kishi]

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 11:46 AM, RisenPhoenix said:

Also, this is my general note that eating 1950 calories for you makes me concerned.  Mainly as a guy who has been trying to get used to the concept of eating 3000 calories for my activity level, and I know you blow past my activity level.

 

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 0:19 PM, Teirin said:

 

Agreed.  I am somewhat reassured by notes of much additional food from friends and family.  For another comparison:  ~1950 is what I'm eating, and I'm 5'5" ~138 lbs and less active than either of you. 

 

Yeah... yeah... and then everyone decided to eat healthy low calorie foods that sustain you on hate. And my energy levels tanked. I got to feeling light-headed and weak.

 

So, uh. Back up. 2500 now. Math is still math, and I can make it work.

 

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 11:46 AM, RisenPhoenix said:

Awww, I almost miss Sandy.

 

You're funny.

 

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 11:46 AM, RisenPhoenix said:

Also I took a visiting Nerd around Boston last week.  And had more than a few Ruck flashbacks.  I was also incredibly glad the Bunker Hill Monument was closed, because dear lords dragging Sandy up those 300 steps would have suuuuuucked.

 

Yeah, dude, for real. Although, it's worth pointing out, given how relatively little I carried it, I think your opinion counts more.

 

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 11:23 PM, Urgan said:

That does suggest you started Low, buuuuut I don't think you need to worry about adjusting extra. The weight will catch up with you. I mean, you could if you were careful, I always tend to paint myself into a corner when I do it. * shrugs * Strictly speaking, you probably still belong on a novice style program of increasing from session to session because to my knowledge (and to @Machete's point, methinks) you haven't run out of room with linear progression. I could be wrong. 100% honesty, 0% running your show. You'll probably make gains just fine, just a bit slower than one might otherwise. You do have other things on your plate, after all, so there's that.

 

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:29 PM, Machete said:

5/3/1 is more of an intermediate program. There's a lot of stuff that goes on with true 1RM testing and determining percentages, that's why I'd recommend re-establishing your 1RM after every 1+ AMRAP set and adjusting your next cycle as necessary, at least for the first 3-6 months. A weight you can pump out for 8-15 barely has enough intensity to elicit strength adaptations, and given that you're only lifting twice a week (and hitting the exercises once) you're not getting enough frequency for it to be Easy Strength or PTTP. The program has more of a load and volume-waving scheme, as opposed to SS and SL's [linear] increase in load with every workout. More sustainable, especially once you start going real heavy.

 

I see, and I think I understand. So, like, with my deadlift, basically refigure the 1RM after that 1+, I'd have a projected 1RM of 324 lbs (this based on max tables as referenced by Alwyn Cosgrove in his NROL:SC program). Working backward from that, my training max would be 292 lbs; and figuring the math from there, my working numbers would be 5x190, 5x219, and 5+x248. Mind you, it doesn't scare me to do that, but it's a big friggin' jump after having been used to just going up by one pound every time. Do I understand rightly?

 

Also, it hadn't occurred to me that being able to lift a weight that many reps might not be a strength gain. I figured, based on what I read, that high reps could be considered a sign that you'd got stronger, but I could have totally messed that up. If I'm going to use reps to gauge whether to go linear or wave it, how many reps would be considered a good guideline? I'm kind of assuming anything above 7, since 8 seems to be the entry for assistance work.

 

On ‎4‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 11:23 PM, Urgan said:

You could slap zercher's in with deadlift as a light squat day. Wouldn't hurt a thing. I'm in the business of hitting every lift 2x per week, but you're running a 2/week program? 

 

Back squats/Light front squats

Deadlift/light Zerchers 

 

This would work if you could fit it in, doncha think?

 

Indeed... why not do both?

 

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:29 PM, Machete said:

I understand the commotion here. I was also very confused about the Zercher Squat until I was able to go to StrongFirst TL Reneta Music's HardStyle Body workshop. We apparently use the Zercher Squat as an assistance exercise to the Deadlift because it is performed as a hinge rather than a squat movement. Like a front-loaded Good Morning. (Weird, I know, but The Party is always right. They probably don't call it a Zercher Deadlift only because it starts from the rack. I'm not sure; I'll let you know more after I go through an SFL.) But yeah, definitely Squats (back is a default) for strength. I did Front Squats for strength but I should have probably stuck with a High Bar Squat, since I would be able to load those more and strengthen my legs just as much without being limited by my shoulders and inability to breathe. I've heard Weightlifters build strength with HB Squats and use Front Squats to practice for Cleans. 5/3/1 assistance movements are always light, as you're pumping out 10-15 reps of those and building the volume. You can do Front Squats, Overhead Squats, Lunges, KB Front Squats, or Leg Presses as an assistance exercise on Squat/Press day. Or you could just finish with Dan John's 8 double KB Front Squats + 20m Farmer's Walk for 8 sets without setting the weights down.

 

That does make a lot of sense. Although I seem to recall that there is actually such a thing as a Zercher deadlift which is distinct from the squat.

 

On ‎4‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 1:29 PM, Machete said:

Did you not do the follow-along video?

 

Nope! Feels too weird to follow along in the gym, and while I'd do it at home all the equipment is in the gym. So I just watch the technique videos instead. Shows me.

 

*

 

Proper update later, but basically, I re-upped on calories and have been getting a lot more sleep. A lot more being 15-30 minutes. But man, that stuff counts.

[Urgan]

4 minutes ago, Kishi said:

Also, it hadn't occurred to me that being able to lift a weight that many reps might not be a strength gain. I figured, based on what I read, that high reps could be considered a sign that you'd got stronger, but I could have totally messed that up. If I'm going to use reps to gauge whether to go linear or wave it, how many reps would be considered a good guideline? I'm kind of assuming anything above 7, since 8 seems to be the entry for assistance work

 

Being able to do high reps (defined as >5) is an expression of strength. It doesn't BUILD strength, though, in the same way that a good set of 3-5 reps do. Anything you can do for 8-10 just isn't Heavy to you. It becomes cardio, or so the joke goes. 

 

I don't do AMRAP, in full disclosure. If I can do 8 reps, I know I own that weight, if that helps. It's sort of up to you if you want to cap it beween 6 and 8. 

[PinkNinja]

On 4/26/2017 at 10:06 PM, Kishi said:

I guess there's something to that saying about every hour before midnight being worth two after. Felt like a million bucks today.

 

I've never heard this.

 

2 hours ago, Kishi said:

Proper update later, but basically, I re-upped on calories and have been getting a lot more sleep. A lot more being 15-30 minutes. But man, that stuff counts.

 

Boy, doesn't it?

 

On 4/25/2017 at 9:58 PM, Kishi said:

In a word? Yes! I've used a calculator ever since I figured that was a thing I could do. But I've got a good idea of what numbers elicit what response.

Now, granted, I've not done this exact permutation that I'm doing now before - I'm dropping low on most days of the week and supercharging high on the days when I strength train so that I can hit an average of 1950 calories in a week. So, I'm only eating 1650 on five days of the week, but then on the other two I'm eating 2700.

And these are all bottom range numbers. Like I said, it's way more likely that I'm going to get put in positions where I end up eating lots and lots of food. It's rare enough for my plans to go off as I plan them that it honestly kind of spooks me when it happens.

But yeah, like, my folks tried to feed me tonight, for instance. And I think we're going out some time this week to celebrate the office secretary. Because she deserves it. And then Friday will be lunch, but the coworkers love the salt and sugar shack Chinese restaurant, so that'll be a nice jump. I might get more than that if their talk of us getting together for dinner and such is actually legit.

Anyway! Hope that answers the question.

2

Thanks!

I had decided to use a calculator. I tried several I found online and kind of took the average. Then adjusted my carbs lower and upped fat and protein. (Wow. The protein .)
I've always just used MyfitnessPal's calculator and then aimed to get as few calories as possible. I'm going to actually use the macros this time, aim for the right calories, and see how it goes.

So it sounds like you're saying you intentionally aim low because you know you're going to off or do you mean you use the average to balance back out for the week?

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

I'm going to sneak in from time to time.

 

On 24.4.2017 at 4:59 AM, Kishi said:

Not much more to report than that at this point. I've been writing for the past couple of days, but I've not been very good about keeping my sleep hygiene, though. Technically, it wasn't the time for the challenge yet... but technically, I could have used the momentum too.

 

Mhh adjusting your schedule and making sleep patterns work is really hard. For me it also has a lot to do with getting things done during the day. Also other household members are playing a role. Did you move together with your brother, like you planed to do? I'm not really up to date.

[Kishi]

On 4/28/2017 at 2:51 PM, Urgan said:

Being able to do high reps (defined as >5) is an expression of strength. It doesn't BUILD strength, though, in the same way that a good set of 3-5 reps do. Anything you can do for 8-10 just isn't Heavy to you. It becomes cardio, or so the joke goes.

 

Nah, I guess that's true. It's just that I'd interpreted some of Wendler's statements in that way. He talks about drawing a distinction between going heavy all the time and taking a weight that was formerly heavy and being able to rep out with it. Like, if 190 was all you could for 5 reps, but then you went heavier  for a while and then came back and did it for more reps, you'd definitely be stronger. And also, you know, being stuck in calisthenics for so long where you kind of have to go high rep.

 

But that's not a contradiction of what you say. It's the distinction between building and expressing, and I guess I've been so steeped in the 'strength as practice' mindset for so long that I didn't catch it. I think I see it now, though.

 

On 4/28/2017 at 2:51 PM, Urgan said:

I don't do AMRAP, in full disclosure. If I can do 8 reps, I know I own that weight, if that helps. It's sort of up to you if you want to cap it beween 6 and 8. 

 

I guess? I mean, in our discussions, it seems like 8 is kind of where the lift becomes accessory - where you go from myofibrillar hypertrophy to sarcoplasmic. And if the goal is to just get heckin' strong, well, then I need to train with that distinction in mind.

 

21 hours ago, PinkNinja said:

I've never heard this.

 

Well, it's not one of those 'wisdom sayings,' but it's an idea I've heard a couple of times before, most recently by folks over at Precision Nutrition. And on the face of it, it kind of seems like nonsense - it's not as if your body realizes it's midnight and then says, welp, I'mma penalize you for lack of sleep. But I've definitely noticed a difference in the quality of sleep when I get to bed before midnight versus after. 7.5 hours of sleep just feels different depending on how much of it happens before that halfway point.

 

I suspect it's got something to do with all the other signals your body gets in sleep - darkness and coolness and the duration of exposure, versus sleeping into the late morning when you're likely to be exposed to heat and light and other sensory inputs. Probably you get more exposure to the good stuff of sleep the less your body has to deal with cortisol and the other hormones of wakefulness.

 

21 hours ago, PinkNinja said:

So it sounds like you're saying you intentionally aim low because you know you're going to off or do you mean you use the average to balance back out for the week?

 

Um, initially, that was the idea. The goal was to have 1950 as an average that I would hit if everything went according to plan. But even if it didn't, that would still be okay, because 1950's a pretty low intake of energy, and the occasional spike in energy from indulging with other people would offset any negative effects without being detrimental.

 

Unfortunately, I forgot to account for how different my activity level is now compared to how it was the last time I was that low. Back then, it was lots of calisthenics and kettlebell work, and really not so much martial arts and running and barbell. Now that those things are a part of my life in addition to kettlebells and calisthenics gymnastics training, the amount of energy I'm taking in has to account for that.

 

So now, the name of the game is to have a total and to average it out at the end of a given week's worth of activity. If I end up going over because other people barge into my life, with their lack of discipline and dietary self control? Meh. One good thing about experimenting with maintenance-level energy intake is figuring out that life goes on when you don't have a sixpack and feel great all the time.

 

12 hours ago, Luciana Valerosa Culming said:

I'm going to sneak in from time to time.

 

I know you're busy and I'm always glad when you do.

 

12 hours ago, Luciana Valerosa Culming said:

Mhh adjusting your schedule and making sleep patterns work is really hard. For me it also has a lot to do with getting things done during the day. Also other household members are playing a role. Did you move together with your brother, like you planed to do? I'm not really up to date.

 

QFT. Not just getting things done but also eating. I tend to backload a lot of my calories because it helps me sleep, but the catch to it is you have to actually eat those calories. It can take a while if you don't get it right.

 

Brother and I haven't moved yet because we haven't really taken the first step of looking for other places. I just gave him a list of places that look interesting to me; I think what's going to happen is that this list will ultimately be what drives our decisions. I'm okay with this.

 

*

 

Pheeeeew. Okay. Let's see how it's gone so far...

 

GOAL 1: 5/5

 

GOAL 2: 4.5/5

 

GOAL 3: 5/5

 

GOAL 4: 4/5

 

So, yeah, things changed. I kept to my calories like I said for the first three days, and felt like dying. It was bad. The cap to it, though, was when I got to Thursday and did both S&S and karate. Man, that was terrible. And I mean it's not like karate's all that strenuous right now. Most of my time is spent holding pads for other people now as opposed to actually working, because Sensei's wife isn't really good at this yet. But I felt terrible the entire time. And I felt like I was dragging during sparring too, and that's not a good feeling at all.

 

I mean, I get it. I'm slow and not light on my feet, but I've been feeling lighter the more I practice being light, and that really hasn't correlated too closely with how much I'm eating. Not to mention that my measurements stayed static too, which was kind of the last straw as far as trying to go super low on calories is concerned.

 

I've further realized that I'm actually being dishonest myself and that I haven't actually tried maintenance-level calories while at this level of activity and that I need to remain honest with myself and figure out how this degree of activity matches with this degree of energy intake. So, I've re-upped to about 2850 calories, with the adjustments to the math as needed. 2500 or so on off days... and a whopping 3700 on strength days.

 

I just tried this out for the first time last night following the strength training, and woke up hungry the next morning. This is probably just my body evening out after the first few days, so we'll see how it progresses, but still. It's probably worth it.

 

Speaking of, hey, got my training on last night. Did math to my maxes after this last cycle and... well, it came out heavy.

 

 

Warmed Up

 

Deadlifts: 5x116

5x146

3x175

5x190

5x219

6x248

 

OHP: 5x51

5x64

3x77

5x83

5x96

5x109

 

Zercher Squats: 3x15x45

 

Incline DB BP: 3x15x15

 

RUN: 5x0.10mi x12mph

 

Notes:

• Not sure if I applied linear progression properly here. I think I might have accidentally mathed my way right up about to what my actual limits are. Maybe that's not such a bad thing, though.
• ZERCHER SQUATS FOR REPS
• Also, I'm glad that I only do this a couple of times and during periods where I have the time to spend. This is a lengthy time investment, here. As long as I can recover, should be fine, but even so.

I've been getting to bed on time, but I've been getting to work late as my alarm is set later. Need to fix that again. Which means getting to bed even earlier. Okay. Need to give up that attachment to downtime somehow.

 

I finished writing up characters, which is why I missed a day's writing, but I've shifted over to developing scenes now, so we're right back on track.

 

Aaaaand, that's where it is right now. I'm due to flip the crazy switch today, but my lower back is giving off some weird signals. I think I'll see how it feels after warming up.