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There are only three things I need in life: food, water, and compliments.

Patsy167

Hi Everyone,

I’m a long time follower of many of the logs on here and have decided to start one to keep track of what I’m doing. I recently read the 4 Pillar Plan by Dr Rangan Chatterjee and hope to implement some of his principles outlined in his book.

The 4 areas I hope to track are:
1. Food
2. Movement
3. Sleep
4. Relaxation

Current Stats
Male
Age: 26
Weight:165lb
Height: 6 foot.

Past Training – I did Starting Strength 5x5 a few years back and really enjoyed it. Hoping to get back to where I was in terms of strength when doing that program.

Current Training – Following a fairly rough Push, Pull, Legs split. I try to set up each session to include 5 exercises (2x large compound movements and 3 exercise that are either isolation focused or less taxing.)

Limitations -I have Pectus excavatum. (Pectus excavatum is a congenital deformity of the anterior thoracic wall in which the sternum and rib cage grow abnormally. This produces a caved-in or sunken appearance of the chest.) I got it checked out a few years back. It reduces lung capacity by 10% but thankfully doesn't interfere with heart function. It mainly impacts the right side of my chest. Any exercises that involve pushing suffer as a result. No excuses though. It is what it is and I use it as a motivator rather than an inhibitor as much as possible.

Aims - Gain strength and stay injury free.

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Patsy167

Pull Day
- Trap Bar deadlift (125kg) - 5x5; 2x3
- Single leg Bulgarian squats - 25kg db's - 4x4
- Wide bar lat pulldown (120kg) - 4x5
- V-Bar pulldown (120kg) - 3x5
- Seated row (91kg) - 2x5

Very pleased with how the Trap bar deadlifts are going. May look at increasing weight in coming sessions.

Used a lower height bench on the Bulgarian split squats and they seemed a lot more stable.

Love/hate relationship with the split squats. they require a lot of attention to get them right but making progress on them feels very rewarding.

Protein Bar review
Snickers Protein Bar

50g bar - 10g protein, 10g sugar, 200 Cals

Very decent taste. Slightly drier texture but everything else is as you would expect.

Not sure why these had only 10g protein. I know there is another version with 18g. I know people say that protein bars are a tax on stupidity and these definitely feel like a bit of a scam. 10g of protein is not getting anyone anywhere and the ingredient list is more or less the same as the regular bar. Save your money and stick to the regular bar.6/10

Dtp1979

Out of curiosity, why trap bar deadlifts instead of conventional?

Patsy167

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Out of curiosity, why trap bar deadlifts instead of conventional?

A few reasons. My thinking is:
1. Less stress on lower back
2. I have stopped doing barbell squats for the moment so these are a good substitute as they are more quad dominant than conventional.
3. Personal preference - Less technical than conventional deadlifts.

From doing some reading on Trap Bar Deadlifts from Greg Knucles, Ryan Flaherty, and Eric Helms also

Patsy167

Saturday 18.08 - Push Day

1. Incline DB Bench Press (30kg) - 4x5;2x3
2. Dips (BW) - 4x5
3. Lying DB Pullover (35kg) - 3x8
4. Shoulder Press Machine (77kg) - 3x5
5. Chest Press Machine (Pin 9) - 3x5
6. Trice Pushdown (Straight bar attachment)(Pin 8) - 3x5

Grrrr, not happy with that Dumbell bench press. Dropped back down to the 30kg DB's. Tried the 32.5kg DB's but I may as well have been trying to bench press a lorry, they were going nowhere.

Pushing exercise have always been a weak point for me. No idea why I can't seem to get a good run of linear progression on push exercise. Just last week, the 32.5kg DB's moved easily.

I need to restart DB shoulder pressing in the next session. The machine is very enjoyable to use but I know it's only superficial strength and doesn't transfer over to the free weights.

Overall, quite happy with the session.I was going to take it easy after the disappointment of the opening bench press but I decided to switch focus to make it a high volume workout and it did the job.

Thought of the day.

“Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but don’t nobody wanna lift no heavy ass weight.” – Ronnie Coleman

Patsy167

Sunday 19.08 - Cooking Day

Took delivery of my new Freezer on Saturday. A 3-tier undercounter Freezer.

I have been looking up plenty recipes for Casseroles, Chillis, Curries, and soups. Can't wait to try them over the coming weeks.

For Today, I kept it simple. Mixed bean casserole, with tons of green veg and Protein Brownies.

First stop - Dealz - 4x2l food storage containers. Very happy with these. Good strong airtight seal. No clips but the lid is made of rubbery plastic and forms a strong seal.

Mixed Bean casserole
- 500g Cannelloni Beans (Soaked overnight)
- 500g Chickpeas (Soaked o/n)
- 500g Yellow split peas
- 3x tins of chopped tomatoes
- 500g frozen onions
- 500g frozen peppers
- 2 x veg stock cubes / 1 x chicken stock cube
- 1 packet of cajun wedges spice mix
- Lots of chilli powder and ginger powder.

Vegtables

1kg each of Brocolli, fine green beans, brussel sprouts, peas

Chocolate Protein Brownies
- 8 scoops of Chocolate Cookies whey protein
- 1kg oats
- 300g wheat bran
- 400g Dried Mixed fruit (Prunes, Dates, Apricots, Apple rings)
- 150g cocoa powder
- 1.5kg low fat yogurt
- Lots of cinamon, ginger, and mixed spice

Very happy with how all of the above turned out. I can see myself easily sustaining that level of effort in the long run. All ingredients were durable (either frozen or dried so easy to keep them in stock).

I have two giant 5kg pots for cooking so all I had to do was dump in the ingredients, stick on a podcast for an hour and box up everything when it was finished. I'll add in a few tins of tuna/sardines, or chicken to each of the meals when I'm re-heating them.

I'll branch out to other recipes in the coming weeks but I hope to keep the base ingredients the same. Some sort of high protein legume, Tomatoes to bind them together, and lots of green veg as the side.

The brownies came out well. A little dense and stodgy but the taste is good. I've used grated carrot in the past to loosen the mixture and it has worked well. I forgot to add baking soda and an egg which didn't help my cause. Will make sure to include these next time.3

It might seem odd but I deliberately make the brownies to be about 7/10 in terms of overall enjoyment. I know I could make them a lot nicer by adding in some more ingredients( coconut flakes, cranberries, Condensed milk, nuts, peanut butter) but I find myself scoffing the entire batch must faster.

With the above recipe, I look forward to them as a treat but not to the point that I polish off the lot.

Patsy167

Pull Day
- Trap Bar deadlift (125kg) - 5x5; 2x3
- Single leg Bulgarian squats - 25kg db's - 4x4
- Lying Hamstring curl (Single leg) (23kg) 2x5
- Seated Leg Curl (Single Leg) (45kg) - 3x5 each side
- Wide bar lat pulldown (120kg) - 4x5
- V-Bar pulldown (120kg) - 3x5
- Seated row (91kg) - 2x5

I notice that this is identical to the last Pull/Leg session in terms of sets and rep ranges.

I'll try to be more mindful in my next session and see if I can move along any of the movements. Either increasing the reps or (more likely) add an extra set.

A few other observations:

This Pull/Leg day seems to be hitting almost every muscle group which limits what I can do the following day.

I'll see what I can do to split it into a leg/Back focused day.

The main stumbling block to doing this will be where the Trap Bar Deadlifts fit. I'm a big fan of these and would like to keep them as part of the leg day. The catch is that they take a lot out of my back. I find that if the back day is within two days of doing the trap bar D/L's, my work capacity suffers.

Thought of the day

The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”
― Seneca

Patsy167

Push Day

- Incline DB Bench Press (30kg DB's) - 4x5;3x3
- Dips (BW) - 5x3
- Upright Chest Press Machine (Pin 9) - 3x5
- DB Pullovers (35kg DB's)
- Tricep Pushdown (Pin 8) 3x8

The aim for the workout was to make some sort of improvement on each of the movements.

Increased volume on the bench press, Better concentration on a lot of the other exercises too meant my technique was better.

Article read today

The effect of protein timing on muscle strength and hypertrophy: a meta-analysis

Glad to read that the "Window of Gainzzz" doesn't slam shut after 40 mins. There are often times where I won't have a meal until 2 hours after the gym due to commuting and preparing food.

https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1550-2783-10-53

Patsy167

Cardio

30 mins on the Cross Trainer.

That was some struggle. Need to work more on my cardio. More importantly I need to find a form of low impact cardio that I enjoy. That was a real grind and not something I could easily sustain in the long run.

I really enjoy walking (either outdoor or on the treadmill) but it's not great for getting the heart rate up. Same with swimming.

caviardreams

You could try a podcast or reading a kindle etc. whilst on the crosstrainer - might help the time go quicker if it is just a boredom issue

[Deleted User]

I've recently found watching netflix on it is great

Patsy167

caviardreams wrote: »

You could try a podcast or reading a kindle etc. whilst on the crosstrainer - might help the time go quicker if it is just a boredom issue

bluewolf wrote: »

I've recently found watching netflix on it is great

Thanks for the tips! I'll give both of these a shot. The cosstrainers in the gym have TV's and I love podcasts while walking. Good tips!

Patsy167

Pull/Back Day

Trap Bar Deadlifts (125kg) - 5x5;3x3
V-Bar Pulldown (120kg) - 5x5
Wide Grip Pulldown (120kg) - 4x6
Single Leg Bulgarian split Squats (25 Kg dumbbells)- 5x5

Some issues with rounding of shoulders on the Trap Bar deadlifts but I noticed much better leg drive on them this morning.

I read that using a visual que is very helpful for the Bulgarian Split squats so I placed a piece of tissue on the ground and concentrated on this during the exercise. Helped massively.

Thought of the day
We should always be asking ourselves: “Is this something that is, or is not, in my control?”

caviardreams

Patsy167 wrote: »

I read that using a visual que is very helpful for the Bulgarian Split squats so I placed a piece of tissue on the ground and concentrated on this during the exercise. Helped massively.

I actually find it really helpful to keep looking at the same spot too when doing them - helps me keep my balance.

Did have a really awkward situation a few weeks back though when a girl on the bench beside me started doing hip thrusts facing me and I was looking straight at her whilst doing BSS. I really wanted to say "honestly I am not staring at you, if I look at the ground or to the side I will probably topple over"

Dtp1979

caviardreams wrote: »

I actually find it really helpful to keep looking at the same spot too when doing them - helps me keep my balance.

Did have a really awkward situation a few weeks back though when a girl on the bench beside me started doing hip thrusts facing me and I was looking straight at her whilst doing BSS. I really wanted to say "honestly I am not staring at you, if I look at the ground or to the side I will probably topple over" :o

Just stare into her eyes, to avoid awkwardness

Patsy167

caviardreams wrote: »

I actually find it really helpful to keep looking at the same spot too when doing them - helps me keep my balance.

Did have a really awkward situation a few weeks back though when a girl on the bench beside me started doing hip thrusts facing me and I was looking straight at her whilst doing BSS. I really wanted to say "honestly I am not staring at you, if I look at the ground or to the side I will probably topple over" :o

The next part of the movement I need to nail down is the knee positioning. Some good tips here that I'll try to pay attention to next time - http://southdublinsc.ie/bulgarian-split-squat-technique/

caviardreams

Thanks for that - had not seen that video. I actually use a closer stance to the bench than that as I find it targets my quads more (I use it mainly for quads tbh as I find back squats target my glutes a lot more so use BSS to hit my quads a bit more).

Patsy167

Push Day

Dumbbell Shoulder press (22.5kg DB's) - 5x5
Russian twists (20kg plate) - 6x10
Dips (BW) - 10 x4
Upright Chest Press Machine - Pin 8 - 4x5
Single-Arm Side Raises - 8kg Dumbell - 3x4

Happy to be back working with Dumbbells for shoulder press. Moved quite smoothly too.

The side raises were humbling. Low weight. May need to drop back the weight even more to get used to these.

Interesting article read
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/24/sauna-benefits.aspx

Thought of the day

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. Colin Powell

Patsy167

Pull Day

- Trap Bar Deadlift (125kg) - 5x5;5x3
- Bulgarian Split Squats (25kg DB's) - 3x5
- V-Bar Pulldowns (129.5kg) - 3x5
- Wide Bar Pulldown (120kg) - 2x5

Quick circuit of Single Leg curls and single lying hamstring curls

Progress on the Trap Bar Deadlifts (volume increase to 40 reps) and V-Bar Pulldowns (Weight increase).

Thought of the Day
Success leaves clues

Patsy167

Push Day

- Incline BB Press (30kg DB's) - 5x5;5x3
- Shoulder Press (22.5kgs Db's) - 1x4
- Russian Twists (20kg plate) - 5x10
- Dips (BW) - 5x3

- Can't seem to combine Shoulder press and Bench on the same day.

Food

Made a batch of Chocolate Carrot Protein Brownies

Very Happy with these. Remembered to include Baking Powder. Lovely moist texture and good chocolate taste. Chopped up the to make 20 brownies. Froze in individual bags for work.

- 8 scoops of Chocolate cookies whey protein
- 1kg Carrots
- 750g Muesili
- 750g Oats
- 200g Wheat Bran
- 1.5 litre Buttermilk
- 100g Cocoa Powder

Spices - Ginger, Cinamon, Mixed Spice

Patsy167

Hello Everyone,

Just thought I would post an update on my log. Hopefully to share some tips on what has been working for me over the past while. I've not posted in months but have been following many of the logs on here

FOOD

- Buying a separate freezer has been a game changer. I prepare all food for the week in one batch at the weekend.
- A typical days food will be 1kg brocolli, 1 can of tomatoes, 5 cans of sardines, 3 bags of popcorn, 2 scoops of protein powder, 3 mini bags of haribo and a few buiscuits with yogurt and oats

GYM

Still following a Push/Pull/Legs split but I have been doing a lot more swimming lately using the centre snorkel. I cannot speak highly enough of the snorkel. It is easily the best money I have spent in the past year. It makes swimming so much more enjoyable, no more gasping for air!

Quotes

"If it is to be; it is up to me"

"The cause of all pain/suffering/unhappiness is when you believe you are not enough/need to change/ be more."

"Observe the world as it is; not as you wish it to be"

Upcoming Plans

I've signed up for the 11km Run a muck event early in 2020. I've never been a fan of running so this will be a new challenge. Looking forward to preparing for it over the winter as I will be starting from a low base

Patsy167

Going to give this log another go...

Have been working from home and I'll need to be cut out of the house if I don't start doing something more meaningful than a daily walk.

Looking back at some of the exercises, I can only dream of being able to do them now. I'll be starting from the floor on this so the only way is up.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

Work begins...tomorrow.

Dtp1979

Can’t believe your log is 2 years old.

Patsy167

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Can’t believe your log is 2 years old.

Funny you should mention that. It was the first thing I spotted when I logged in to make the above post. I was sure I started it the back-end of last year. Old age must be catching up with me already:)

Patsy167

Got the ball rolling this morning...Outdoors in the park, they have a great selection of exercise equipment dotted around the perimeter.

Turned up bright and early to catch the sunrise.

My plan is to do a full body workout every other day.

This morning:

Push-ups - 3x5 (Wide grip)

Dips on parallel dip station - 3x3 - Looking forward to working on stabilizing these. There was all sorts of swinging and bending doing these this morning. Good thing only the birds and bees were out early to spot my sloppy form!

Single leg split squats - 5 x 5 - I tried to vary the distance of my leading leg each time to get every part of the leg doing some work. Stabilisation was suspect but that is to be expected.

Very happy to have the show on the road.

Back reading quotes as well. I ordered "The daily Stoic" from Amazon recently and some of the wisdom from Marcus Aurelius stops you in your tracks. Really look forward to reading the daily lesson from it.

Here's some recent West Coat Stoicism - Not taken from the book.

"You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened.. or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the fcuk on." Tupac Shakur

Patsy167

Had planned to go for my usual walk around the park this morning but decided to jump on the outdoor crosstrainer in the park for 30 mins instead. It has zero resistance and doesn't move the needle one bit in terms of fitness but a nice change nonetheless. Listened to a few podcasts while I was on it and its nice to be in one spot to look around at the park waking up.

No ill effects from yesterdays sloppy form workout either so very pleased with that.

How did Jesus get in such good shape?

He used a Cross-Trainer!

...I'll get my coat:pac:

Quote of the day An all time favorite lesson that I regularly go back to....

"At dawn, when you have trouble getting out of bed, tell yourself: “I have to go to work — as a human being. What do I have to complain of, if I’m going to do what I was born for — the things I was brought into the world to do? Or is this what I was created for? To huddle under the blankets and stay warm?

So you were born to feel “nice”? Instead of doing things and experiencing them? Don’t you see the plants, the birds, the ants and spiders and bees going about their individual tasks, putting the world in order, as best they can? And you’re not willing to do your job as a human being? Why aren’t you running to do what your nature demands?

Patsy167

Focus for the day was "The negative is the rep"

Dips - 5,4,3,3 - Tried to use the mental queue of "a piece of string coming from the crown of my head" to maintain a tall posture on these. Definitely helped. Plenty of form points to work on, will try to focus in on one or two each session to progress.

Bulgarian Split squats - Have a massive love/hate relationship with these. When I find my groove with them, I get every muscle firing. To take the balance issue out of the equation for the moment, I tied a band around a nearby pole. Pulling on the band worked a treat. Very happy.

Green band bent over rows (Single arm) - Need to look up some band exercises that target the back. Had no access to a pull up bar so I did some rows with the green band but the range of motion I was using was tiny - about 15cm from the start position to end. maybe I was doing something wrong with the setup.

Overall I enjoyed that. Wet and windy start to the day outside, combined with some soreness from the session two days ago, I was going to skip it but decided to plough on.

Quote of the day

"You can have results or excuses, but you can't have both"

Alf Veedersane

Rows something like this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VtLxvPDGYlE

Or

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AjS7Zdj_Mr0

Or for single arm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UHOCFcbaqYE

Patsy167

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Rows something like this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VtLxvPDGYlE

Or

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AjS7Zdj_Mr0

Or for single arm

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UHOCFcbaqYE

Wow, Thank You! Appreciate you taking time to post these.

Alf Veedersane

Patsy167 wrote: »

Wow, Thank You! Appreciate you taking time to post these.

No problem. Some of the band exercises take a bit of practice.

Dominic Munnelly, in the last 2 links, has a load of videos for different exercises with bands of a kettlebell...the basic stuff that people might have at their disposal while gyms are closed.

Patsy167

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

No problem. Some of the band exercises take a bit of practice.

Dominic Munnelly, in the last 2 links, has a load of videos for different exercises with bands of a kettlebell...the basic stuff that people might have at their disposal while gyms are closed.

Cheers for the heads-up on the Dominic Munnelly videos. I like the content he puts out. Some learning needed on the bands for sure. I have to switch my mindset from thinking that they are a direct replacement for dumbells, barbells or machines. I find you have to be more switched on when using them to make sure the correct muscles are doing the work and the tension is not dropping off. No harm learning a new skill though. Useful to have in the toolbox in the long run.