JMike progress pics and thoughts

[jmike]

Originally Posted by Seltzer

And some things are more fun to "train" for than others.

[Buttersweet]

Originally Posted by jmike

lol -- i thought the same thing when i went home for vacation

i had a giant honey-do list

i'm sure you had no reason to complain

Originally Posted by Seltzer

And some things are more fun to "train" for than others.

i really need to get better by Friday, i can't wait to start training again.

seriously though, i'm going nuts here, almost 10 days now without weights. and then ten more until my next appointment at the doctor's. the idea i overtrained as someone (Mum) suggested today is ridiculous.

[jmike]

just because you can't lift, doesn't mean you can't stretch

it will help you maintain flexibility and strength while you recover

[Buttersweet]

Originally Posted by jmike

just because you can't lift, doesn't mean you can't stretch

it will help you maintain flexibility and strength while you recover

that's a great idea, thanks!
i'll do some yoga, nothing too demanding.

[jmike]

weight 215

i have officially decided to switch crossfit fun day with legs and shoulders day

i was too pooped to do what i had planned today, moving crossfit fun day to friday and legs and shoulders to thursday -- that and my platform muscles (traps) were sore as hell and made a poor platform


back squats
5x95
5x135
10x185
1x185 (hands were sweaty and slippery)
3x185
7x135

push press
5x135
3x135
1x135

SLDL
5x135

deadlift
5x135

technique practice, getting under the bar with the snatch and the clean -- i think i made progress -- starting to feel more natural for me

[jmike]

ok

i think i have finally figured out the 3-week cycles i want to go through

should help me with hypertrophy and strength

i am pretty much doing the same exercises on a 3-day split -- but i am going to cycle through different percentages of 1RM and therefore a different amount of reps to failure for each and every exercise.

Monday - Chest and Triceps
Flat Bench
Flat DB Fly's
Dips (weighted on heavy days - BW for light days)
Tricep extensions or skull crushers

Wednesday - Back and Biceps
Pullups (Lat Pulldowns for light days)
Seated Cable Rows
Standing BB Curls
DB curls

Thursday - Legs and Shoulders
Back Squat
Standing Push Press
Deadlift (either standard or SLDL)
DB Later Raise
Bent over DB Later Raise

-------
ok - those are most of the exercises and variations

Here is the 3 week schedule -- i just finished week 1
------

Week 1
Warmup - 10x55% 1RM
4 sets to complete failure at 75% 1RM

Week 2
Warm up - 5x55% 1RM
find 1RM
1 set to complete failure at 90% 1RM
1 set to complete failure at 80% 1RM

Week 3
Warm up - 10x55% 1RM
3x5 at 80% of 1RM

thoughts or opinions are appreciated

[jmike]

monthly update photos

yeah -- i know i am looking pretty rough, haven't slept well this whole week and this is at the end of a 12 hour shift and after legs gave me the wtf and kicked the holy hell out of me

[cookeecrumbs]

Originally Posted by jmike

i think they will be super excited to pick the bar up over their heads and just drop it -- they are easily amused by things like that

Well, yeah... who isn't?

Originally Posted by Buttersweet

poor guy, he thinks he's coming home to have a well deserved vacation.

Originally Posted by jmike

lol -- i thought the same thing when i went home for vacation

i had a giant honey-do list

I think Buttersweet's boyfriend's honey-do list is going to much more fun than yours, jmike

Originally Posted by jmike

Here are the pics of where i am now

i still have a ton of fat to get rid of

i apologize for the pictures - there aren't very many mirrors in bagram

Originally Posted by jmike

monthly update photos

yeah -- i know i am looking pretty rough, haven't slept well this whole week and this is at the end of a 12 hour shift and after legs gave me the wtf and kicked the holy hell out of me

Yes, you do look rough... but much less fluffy Particularly the muffin top area.

[jmike]

everyone loves muffin tops

[jmike]

did a lot of snatches and clean and jerks for practice

didn't bother weighing in

[cookeecrumbs]

Originally Posted by jmike

everyone loves muffin tops

Well, if you want to keep it, I hear they're easy to grow... I'm sure you could get it back to its former size with a little effort

[jmike]

Originally Posted by cookeecrumbs

Well, if you want to keep it, I hear they're easy to grow... I'm sure you could get it back to its former size with a little effort

probably less effort than i am putting forth now

make jokes all you want -- but that is my logpak -- i can survive for hours in the wilderness on that alone

[Seltzer]

Definitely looking leaner.

[cookeecrumbs]

Originally Posted by jmike

make jokes all you want -- but that is my logpak -- i can survive for hours in the wilderness on that alone

Thank goodness for your logpak... you'd wilt right away otherwise

[Buttersweet]

I agree with Seltzer.

[jmike]

thanks guys

i appreciate the encouragement

[jmike]

Weight 215

this is max week -- i was going to go max on everything including the secondary lifts -- ended up just spending an entire hour on the bench press


5x95
5x135
2x185
1x225
1x245
1x255 (tied PR from back in December)
Fx260
Fx260 (just because i am stubborn as hell)

unracked and held 300 pounds for about 10 seconds -- i think i lost a part of my soul on that one

1x230
1x205


i am done, spent, tired, shoulders are speaking to me -- but i was pretty thrilled to hit my PR again -- it has eluded me the past 5 months. I think the more I hit that weight, the more likely I will be able to hit it again in the future. I am even under the impression that just because I hit it tonight, i will be able to hit it again. It kind of proves that the last time was not a fluke.

I want to be fluke free

tomorrow I am replacing my hour long cardio session with front squats. i want to have fun with the olympic lifts, and i think that 185 pounds cleans are not enough weight to have real fun with

[jmike]

weight 213 (doesn't seem to matter if i bulk or cut - i am stuck around the same weight)


ditched the cardio in favor of learning a new exercise -- front squats


warmup - 10 minutes in my room trying to figure out correct/comfortable foot placement and posture

6x60 pounds
6x70 pounds

6x6x90 pounds

seems to be a very oxygen intensive exercise - i think they were mechanically sound, keeping the bar more or less inline with my heels, elbows up, and an upright back position.

[jmike]

thanks to cookee, seltzer and buttersweet -- if guys would not have noticed me looking leaner and "less fluffy" i would have never re-measured my bodyfat

it is dropping pretty fast .. last reading says 15.5%

[jmike]