Bonus Day - Nov 28

4 rounds, on the HT timer, in .30 on 1.15
KB swings @ 2 pood x15
Ring dips (x10's)
-then
4x max reps 10-8 ring push ups
same timer

9 hours - 2130/0630. 15 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 234/16.
P165g/C164/F153 : 25/24/51%, 3183 total cal, 2935 net
Thanksgiving, and I was spot on, and didn't even really want any sugar, until I decided that I wanted an annual piece of Pecan pie. One menu item changes a win day into a loss day.

531 11c Squat + Chins - Nov 27

Came into this day with a sense of resolve and a harsh look on my face.

Buy in
4x10-8 Hamstring curl @ 140
4 mins.

531 Squat
on the 2:00s
Rx: 5/3/1+ @ 200/230/255+
8x135/5x185/3x230/5x255/2x275/1x295
These were all textbook ass to the grass. 4 pretty, one ugly at 255 - not that it didn’t bottom out, but did a bit of a good morning on the way up.
13 mins.

Cash out
3 rounds, no timer 
Seated calf x12 @ 70
A-frame singles x7 +5 doubles @ 3
Hyperextensions x15 w/ 25#//45#
10 mins.

8 hours - 2230/0630. 28 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours.
P268g/C130/F96 : 44/21/35%, 2470 total cal, 2175 net

531 11b Press + Chins - Nov 26

531 Press
Rx: 3x3 @ 130/150/170
3x 135/3x 155/2x 175 - yeah, bad move going a touch heavy today, after a double session yesterday, and incline presses in the AM
6 mins.

5 rounds, on the HT in .30 on 1.14
Press @ 125 (65%) x10-6
Bar Dips x7's, mostly
13 mins. 

PM
5x max reps Chins (7-5)

9 hours - 2130/0630. 20 minutes total, PE: 6. 18 hours.
P180g/C182/F77 : 34/34/32%, 2093 total cal, 1845 net

531 Pull + Chins + CL - Nov 26

AM
Buy in
Y-pulls 3x12
3 mins.
 
531 calls for Weighted pulls, but my right brachi still isn't up for it. Used the cable pull singles as a sub. 1 min on, 1.30 off.
10@75/8@90/8-6@95////7@90
12 mins.

Incline Press
10x185/8x205/7x205
5 mins.

PM
5x max reps Chins (7-2)

CL, in crazy share-the-equipment order at downtown BX
No timer
4x10 extensions @ 195
5x10 hamstring curl @ 125
4x10 Seated calf @ 70
4x A-frame singles @ 3 x10-7
Front squat @ 145 x6/7/8/8
20 mins.
 
9 hours - 2130/0630. 41 minutes total, PE: 6. 72 hours.
P201g/C207/F149 : 27/28/45%, 3172 total cal, 2672 net - one small piece of pizza and sausage bread, two bourbons ftl. Really, the little things count, and you're either dead serious about this or you aren't. A difficulty arises when say, it's Monday night football and you're with people who are ordering and who don't know/care about anything nutrition related, and they sure don't know/care about your goals. So, in that moment, more than ever, they must be your goals. Own them. Don't have two perfect days and then fuck completely up on the third day. And don't think that slipping up has anything to do with anyone else, really. It's your life - you're never going to get where you want to go if you live like everyone else.

Lesson Learned - Nov 24

This is kinda fun, focusing on what's going into my mouth for once. A simple day with two visits to In n' Out for 3 Flying Dutchmen each trip. The big loss is 1k of calories in Templeton rye mid-day at the Thompson's ftl.

8 hours - 2330/0730.
P197g/C15/F178 : 32/2/65%, 3410 total cal

Try to do This at Disneyland - Nov 23

Just walking around all day so it's an AR day, but cognizant of the macros. Didn't eat like an idiot - egg whites, chicken, green beans AM and the double wham of Turkey leg with Pork Shank ftw at dinner was ozz.

5 hours - 0230/0730.
P272g/C14/F83 : 58/3/39%, 1947 total cal

Bonus Day - Nov 22

Backyard circuit just to fill today before driving down to the Dland. No IF through to the PM -  ate breakfast - I'll do it PM to AM today/tomorrow.

4 rounds, on the HT .30 in 1.14
KB swings @ 2 pood x12+
Ring Dip x8 
Overhead Squat @ 100# x8ish
Press @ 125# x10-5
... one more overhead and KB for good measure, broke the cheap oly bar on set 3.

8 hours - 2230/0630. 21 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 234/17.
P271g/C199/F205 : 29/21/50%, 3830 total cal 

531 11b Deadlift + Chins - Nov 21

531 Dead
Rx: 3x3 @ 230/260/295+
3x 230/3x 260/4x 295
6 mins.

BBB
... on the HT timer, in .30 on 1.14
5x12-10 Standing Calf @ 270
4x10 Dead @ 225 (215=65%)
12 mins.

5x Hamstring curl @ 140 x6-7
4x Extensions 195x12
6 mins.

PM
5x max reps Chins (7-3)

8 hours - 2230/0630. 25 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours. 235/16.
P240g/C66/F118 : 42/12/46%, 2290 total cal

AR/Off Chins - Nov 20

5x max reps Chins on the DSS bar: 7/5/4/3/4

Slept pretty crappily last night. Good day to take off, if it weren't for the upcoming weekend, where I'm going to miss a couple of days. Week B, it's okay if less is more.

7 - 1 hours - 2330/0630.
P245g/C85/F93 : 45/16/39%, 2293 total cal

531 11b Bench - Nov 19

Buy in 
4x max reps Y-pulls
45 sec RI
5 mins.

531 Bench
Rx: 3x3 @ 220/250/280
3x 225/3x 250/8x 285
6 mins.

BBB
5x10 @ 205 (65%)
5x max rep Ring Rows
...
3x7 bar dip
18 mins.

9 hours - 2130/0630. 30 minutes total, PE: 6. 24 hours. 234/16.
P178g/C208/F84 : 31/36/33%, 2262 total cal

531 11b Squat + Chins - Nov 18

Buy in
4 rounds, .30 RI
Extensions x12 @195/210///
Hamstring curl x12 @125/ x8-6 @140///
6 mins.

531 Oly Squat
Rx: 3x3 @ 190/215/240
10x135/3x190/3x225/6x245
10 mins.

BBB
65%=175
5 rounds, on the current HT timer, .30 on 1.14
Standing calf x10 @ 255
Oly Squat @175 x8/9/9/9/8
12 mins.

PM
...grease the groove 4x 5's Chins

9 hours - 2130/0630. 30 minutes total, PE: 9. 18 hours. 235/15.
P264g/C196/F156 : 33/24/43%, 3184 total cal

Bonus Day PushPull - Nov 17

...on the HT timer, in .30 on 1.14
5x max reps (10-6) Press @ 125 

5x bent over row @ same (10-8)

... one more press x8.

8 hours - 2300/0730. 13 minutes total, PE: 5. 48 hours. 
P226g/C62/F71 : 50/14/71%, 1834 total cal

Off - Nov 16

Just sat around all day and played Skyrim. Macro numbers were a pretty big win for a Saturday doing nothing - a far sight better than say, a year ago, which would have seen me with a fat beer in my hand.
Which, incidentally, makes me think that I should run IF for about 5 more weeks. Doing No sugar November through Thanksgiving (not a thing, really, just my normal lifestyle), but I'll take new measurements and download the nutritional data from Loseit at Christmas and see if IF is a magic bullet for caloric intake.

8 hours - 2300/0730. 0 minutes.
P196g/C73/F155 : 32/12/56%, 2499 total cal - reset the log at a starting weight of 235, .5 lb of weight loss per week to a "goal" of 215 - none of this matters - but the app gives me a round budget that I tweaked to 2500 cal/day.

531 11a Cleans + Front Squat + Chins - Nov 15

Buy in
4 rounds, .30 RI between rounds
Hamstring curl 125x10/140x8-6///
Extensions 195x10/210x10///
5 mins.

531 Cleans
Rx: 3x5 @ 120/135/150
5x120/5x135/6x155
Right brachioradialis was killin'.
8 mins.

Front squat @ 155 (60%=150), HT timer in .30 on 1.14
x7/8/7/8/8
7 mins.

4 rounds, 1 min RI
Seated Calf @ 70
Standing Calf @ 255
8 mins.

9 hours - 2130/0630. 30 minutes total, PE: 9. 24 hours. 233/18.
P229g/C201/F109 : 34/30/36%, 3100 total cal - 3 whiskeys: 385 cals.

Off/AR - Nov 14

Driving to the gym, thinking both that I'd do some small amount of cleans and some larger amount of front squats as well as that I should just take the day as an off day before I dig myself lower into a bigger hole of overreach. Then I pop the back hatch and see that I've neglected to re-insert my Converse into the workout apparel pile. Just the nudge I needed to pack it up and go to Carl's Jr for a pair of skinless spicy chicken breasts and do some noodling on the dream instead.

IF today, going to institute and enforce the maxi-protein off-day protocol today, as well as every 5th day for this 531 cycle.

PM
5x max reps chins (5's), greasing the groove.

9 hours - 2130/0630. 10 minutes total, PE: 5. 24 hours. 235/16.
P207g/C63/F127 : 37/11/51%, 2152 total cal - win today, shooting to just maximize protein and minimize carbs while getting close to the daily budget of 2300 cal, without going over. Really should have at least 230g protein (today and everyday - esp on work days), just didn't eat enough meat today.

531 11a Deads + Chins + 531 Bench - Nov 13

Doubling down today. I shouldn't be working this kind of volume when I'm essentially in a deficit nutritional phase, but when the opportunity presents itself on a Wednesday to drop H off at church and to work with Montre, I'll take it and rest in the grave.

AM
Buy in
4 rounds, no timer
Hamstring curl @ 125 x10-8
Extensions @ 195 x12
KB swings, single arm 2 each side x15 @ 40#
8 mins.

531 Dead
Rx: 3x5 @ 215/245/280
5x225/5x245/4x280 - overhand grip gave at 4.5 
7 mins.
1x10 dead @ 225

A-frame calf Singles+Doubles @ 3
7 mins.

PM
5x max reps chins (7/5/5/5/3) 

PM - Second Session
531 Bench
Rx: 3x5 @ 205/235/265
135#x20 incline press/5x255/7x265/6x255
8 mins.

5 rounds, offsetting Montre trying to mimic the HT timer
Assisted pulls w/45/50# x12-8
Assisted dips w/ 30/35# x12's
19 mins.

Cable singles 4x10, 2 left-2 right
Vpull @ 75
Hpull @ 65
7 mins.

8.5 hours - 2200/0630. 62 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 235/16. 
P168g/C161/F105 : 30/29/42%, 2180 total cal

Psalm 128.

A song of ascents.

¹ Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
    who walk in obedience to him.
² You will eat the fruit of your labor;
    blessings and prosperity will be yours.
³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
    around your table.
⁴ Yes, this will be the blessing
    for the man who fears the Lord.

⁵ May the Lord bless you from Zion;
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life.
⁶ May you live to see your children’s children—
    peace be on Israel.

I think of Frederic Bartholdi finishing the hair and head of the Statue of Liberty. No one of the time could have seen if he'd left the upper reaches unfinished - and if anyone would have, they would have understood, with all the financial hardships of trying to fund the completion of the work - but he had a view that she must be complete. And now that planes fly over and helicopters allow photographers to see her from above, her personality remains vibrant, and she still seems complete. Her legacy continues as symbol because her maker saw her from a viewpoint from above.

One legacy of the climb is, that once we've seen the view from on high, we cannot forget - our view from the valley is changed because we have a new perspective. How God sees us is different than how others see us - and, if we see from that perspective, our anticipation is changed. Our view of our own life's walk, our labor, our wife, our children is tinted by the viewpoint from above - we don't expect that meaninglessness a nihilistic evolutionist or atheist expects from their ground-up point of view. Is his life's work a labor in vain? Then his attitude toward it is going to really suck. Is his wife merely a means to his personal fulfillment? Then she will shrivel, rather than grow - if he doesn't discard her when she no longer meets his needs. Are his children only intelligent monkeys? Then his expectation is self-fulfilling in his nurture, or lack thereof. 

We can value our life, work, spouse, kids because we understand that God values all. Our work is fulfilling in the moment, and can be through eternity. Our wives and children are eternal souls, the pinnacle of creation, of greater value than any material thing. The legacy of God's loving view of us is refracted through our eyes to our labors and those we love in turn; in the sunlight of that top-down view, we and they can grow and flourish.

The payoff of the climb is the view. The legacy of that view, once seen, is that our eyes are forever changed.

531 11a Press + Chins - IF Start - Nov 12

Buy in
3x12+ Y-Pulls
5 mins.

531 Press
Rx: 3x5 @ 125/140/160
125x5/145x5/165x4
6 mins.

DB recline presses
5 rounds, in .30 on 1.14
max reps @ 70's (10-7's)
7 mins.

PM 
5x max reps (5-4's) Chins
No pulls today, til the PM gtg sets - already knowing this is tendonitis, but unwilling to back off all the way. 

Easy stretching pre-bedtime.

9 hours - 2130/0630. 19 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. 235/16.
P137g/C109/F59 : 36/29/35%, 1503 total cal, which sounds super low, but with the IF out, I was feeling full during the feeding hours.

Today's my first day of IF. Itermittent fast til' 10:45, where I hit a protein shake before lifting at 11. I burped it all the way through, so I grabbed some BCAAs on the way back - froot punch flavor. I better not burp that tomorrow, or I'll most likely puke. Feed for 8 hours til 7PM, then it's water, and coffee in the morning. I'll maybe take two loads of BCAAs in the AM. I'll try one 10g pre-workout tomorrow.

I'll count calories this cycle, along with the IF. 

531 11a Squat + Chins - Nov 11

531 Oly Squat
Rx: 3x5 @ 175/200/230
10xbar/5x185/5x205/7x235
11 mins.

5x5, instead of BBB today. Mixing Oly and Low-bar back squat on these.
@ 225
7 mins.

3x10 RDL @ 145
3x12 Standing Calf @ 255#
8 mins. 

PM
4x max reps chins 3-4's, and 1x pulls (still painful in the right arm)

9 hours - 2130/0630. 27 minutes total, PE: 7. 48 hours. 236/16.
P173g/C148/F149 : 26/23/51%, 2512 total cal

Srun 4x400 - Nov 9

Walk over/back to the bike path. 
Then 4x .1 out and .1 backs in 1.15-1.30 on 2.30. Trying to replicate this day.

First one felt great, didn't take long for my stride to go all to pieces though. 

Walk to Farmer's Market, just for fun and to work on the achilles in converse.

7 hours - 2300/0600. 10 minutes total, PE: 9. 18 hours.
P235g/C99/F154 : 34/15/51%, 2806 total cal

PushPull + Chins - My Give a Damn's Been Busted - Nov 8

Feeling strong today. Feeling pissed off and ready for Chest day, just like the rest of the douchey bodybuilding world. Tired of people talking about body composition, what they're gonna do, what they did in High School, what they would like to do and be. Tired of all the talk without any walk. Tired of fat people working out once and quitting for a week because they're sore.
Tired of what I've been doing, when I'm not awesome enough to silence that kind of talk with my presence alone. Time to just fucking Be. If all I've been meant to be - if only one aspect of anything I've been meant to be - is a meathead in the iron game, then I need to stop messing around with it and go after it with a renewed seriousness. I do know that this has been one constant in my life over the years. I need to give it the top-shelf placement it deserves.

Buy in
4 rounds, on the minute
Bent over row, underhand 10-8 @ 135#
Bar dips 10-8
7 mins.

Main set
5 rounds, HT timer in .30 on 1.14
Bench @ 225# 10-6
Underbar horz chins 12-8 - still lots of pain in the right elbow, this grip mitigates it.
13 mins.

Cash out
3x10 DB overhead press @ 60/55/50
4 mins.

PM
4x max reps chins, 1x kipping pulls 

Starting a count with the Loseit! app again - just to check macros, not calories, which I'll list for a month or so here.

8 hours - 2130/0630. 29 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours. P239g/C266/F211:24/27/48%, 3871 total cal - not what I anticipated on day 1 of resolve ... once again Carbs higher than Protein.

CleanSquat Couplet, Vanity of Vanities + Pulls - Nov 7

HT timer, in .30 on 1.14
Cleans x5-6 @ 135#
Oly Squat x10 @ bar/135/155///// - ass to grass, these were deep, and felt them deep t'boot.
13 mins.

3 rounds, same timer
A-frame single calf @3 x10-8
Standing calf @ 255# x10-8
9 mins.

PM
4 sets max rep commando pulls (4's), 1 overhand (3's)
7 mins.

Took measurements today. I'm going to go into a HT cycle. According to Reeves, I'm way off.
Neck: 17.75  ...Should +1
Chest: 45 ... +14
Upper Arm: 15.5 ... +3
Thigh: 25 ... +5.5
Waist: 42.25 ... -8

I'm bigger everywhere, but thigh, from 2 years ago. Waist is stupid. Self-test: Buy in with assistance work, Main set do functional work and metcons, Cash out with spot HT. Ignore the carbs, no booze. Functional testing before year's end - compare with functional testing and measurements 6 months from now and see what's what.

I'm not worried about the weight, but if I hit 8% BF I'll stop the Loseit count and stay with the macros, IF, and bring up the calories (to say, 3000/day) and start 531 3 days/metcon 1 day/off 1 day for a 4/1 schedule and see what happens.

8 - 1 hours - 2130/0630. 30 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours.

AR Chins - Nov 6

Just did the 5 sets of chins on the DSS pipe bar with the Scottie.

AM: Was busy at lunchtime, had to pick up CC. Could have used a squat day to set myself right. Instead, went on a whiskey tour and read Fearless.

8 hours - 2130/0630. 10 minutes total, PE: 5. 24 hours.

VPull Something - Nov 5

This is what you get when you walk into the gym with your dip belt, thinking you're going to do weighted pulls, and there's nowhere to pull but from the cable job.
Someday I'm going to be serious about my own rig.

Buy in
3x11 Y-pulls
4 mins.

Vpull Cable Singles
10x60/10x75/max reps x90 (8's)/////10x75
15 mins.

Incline Press
12x155#/10x175/8x195
6 mins.

8 hours - 2130/0530. 26 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours. 240/15.

Cl - Maybe a Bit Much - Nov 4

Buy in
no timer
Hamstring curl 2x10 @ 125
FtB x5/5/6 - these really hurt my guts, 3rd set wasn't nearly so bad
7 mins.

Extensions x12 @ 185/190/210//
Hyperextensions 3x10 w/ 25#
Single leg Hamstring curl 2x8 @ 65

Front squat
7x135/7x155/7x175/7x195/215x4/x3
Standing Calf 5x12
13 mins.

Squats felt good at the lower weights - 215 put me into wobble mode, form broke down.

7.5 - 2 hours - 2200/0530. 28 minutes total, PE: 8. 24 hours.  

Honey Oatmeal Brown

Steep:
.25 lbs Simpson’s Chocolate
.25 lbs Dingemans Special B
.25 lbs Dingemans Biscuit
.25 lbs Briess Special Roast
3 cups Quaker Oats

Smelled great, got really dark - at least a 35L.

6 lbs Gold malt syrup
1 oz Cluster @ 7.5%, all at beginning of boil.

1 lb nondescript Honey late addition after 60 mins
... skimmed off the impurities, then cooled.

Not much to report, except that I hope I didn't make any other mistakes than to neglect getting an OG reading when pitching the yeast (Safale dry). We were draining the Deuce Juice corney, and the combination of a CF workout and that 8.5% imperial on an empty stomach made me a bit stoopid. I used a turkey baster and pulled it the next morning: .1052.


Day 5.5: Stopped fermentation at .1022. 4% alcohol, nice and easy. In 6 weeks, we'll have a party day and drink this alongside the second 5 gals of Deuce Juice. Maybe try a 50/50 Brown and Brown mix of the two and see what happens.

Day 13: Racked, a bit roughly. Been meaning to for the last 4 days, but finally made time. FG: 1016. 

Three months: Carbonated for a day at 30#. Word has it from the taste-testers that it's good, with lots of coffee overtones. Me, I just took a swig post-carbonation and only noticed the metallic carbon bite.

Five months: Did we brew an IPA? A little more time in the tank, and this became a heavily hops-forward brown IPA. Not bad, but sharp. Any carbon bite isn't there now though.

Monte's Meatgrinder - Bonus Day - Nov 3

5 rounds, in .30 on 1.15
Overhead press @ 100 (15-9)
Overhead Squat @ same bar (10-8)
Ring rows (12's)
KB swings @ 2 pood (15-13)

Shoulders were fried after this. Seems like everything hit them - most notably, holding the bar with active shoulders on the squats.

8 hours - 2200/0600. 25 minutes total, PE: 8. 48 hours.  

CL - Definitely Dragging - Nov 1

Buy in
4 or was it 5? ... yes, yes, 5 rounds
Hamstring curl @ 125#
Extensions @ 165/180/195/210//
...loose timer, all day this day.
7 mins.

2 sets RDL
10x 135/155
4 mins

Overhead Squat
10-7's @ bar/65/85/105/85
12 mins.
... some impressive left wrist pain, and an inability to drop into the hole at 105. I'm just feeling some generalized fatigue. And, core instability.

4 rounds
Seated Calf @ 70
Standing calf @ 255
7 mins.

PM
Chins, 5 x max reps (8-3's)

8 hours - 2200/0600. 31 minutes total, PE: 7. 24 hours.