Metabolic Triad Training, 2021: Cycle IV

Bare Lee

Barefooters
Jul 25, 2011
6,103
6,617
113
Saint Paul
It was good to have Abide back in the fold. Everyone else is welcome to contribute as well, either with a log, or in comments, if they are doing some combination of strength training and running and/or other types of aerobic/conditioning work, whether barefoot or with footwear (preferably minimalist).

Assessment of last cycle. The ramping protocol was a success. The extended warmup/work sets especially helped my shoulders; I was able to do the Push-Pull split consecutive days without my shoulders getting cranky, as had happened in previous attempts at the split. However, mentally, the Push-Pull split did get a bit tiring. It’s just hard to motivate to lift everyday. Plus having to schedule six workouts a week opens up more chances to get interrupted.

Ramping also helped get back into the swing of things gradually, both mentally and physically, when I had to take off more than a day or two.

I didn’t make much progress on the Overhead Press. I don’t know why it’s become such a stubborn lift. I’m almost tempted to let the other lifts move ahead until they stall out, and then focus on bringing up the Overhead Press at that time. Or tweak the Iron Ratio so that the Overhead Press is 45% of the Squat, rather than 50%, or 60% of the Bench Press, rather than 66.7% (both are within the range of standard ratios given on the interweb ST sites). But for the time being, I’m going to stay pat with a strict Iron Ratio and keep trying to bring the Overhead Press up. Perhaps doing all six lifts at a time would help boost the lift more synergistically with the others.

The attempt at morning lifting was sporadic at best, and I didn’t give myself a chance to adapt, but the few times I did try it, I managed OK, but got incredibly drowsy after lunch. Morning walks by themselves don’t seem to have the same effect. Lifting right before dinner still feels best, and sets me up well for falling asleep later, but it’s also a time slot prone to interruptions. Different metabolic systems seem to favor exercising them at different times of the day.

The conditioning component was a no-show again, but the daily walks were fairly consistent most weeks. It also seems like a morning walk sets up or primes my body better for afternoon lifting than no morning walk. Metabolically speaking, it’s like a mild boost makes it easier for a bigger boost later on. But it’s hard to say for sure if the sequence of different metabolic exertions is really significant without more time at it.

Goals for this cycle. The goals are essentially the same as in the last cycle, but I'm going to make three changes to last cycle's programming in order to train all three metabolic systems better (phosphagen = strength training [Resistance]; glycolytic = conditioning/HIIT [Intermittence]; oxidative = aerobic [Persistence]), and provide a little greater flexibility:

1. Go from an Every-Day (ED) Push-Pull split to an Every-Other-Day (EOD) Full-body workout.
2. Get rid of the Max 1+ set and simplify the ramping system.
3. Try to get in a separate conditioning session, alternating it with either the morning walks or afternoon lifting.
(4. Give up on morning lifting, which isn't really a change because I never really got it going in the first place.)

Last cycle my lifting was almost consistent enough to prove to myself that the ED Push-Pull split can work for me physically, but I think I will nonetheless try going back to an EOD whole body protocol for this cycle. That’s what has always worked for me in the past. It’s just that it has become harder to motivate for six lifts at a time, but I think that is still easier than motivating to do three lifts every day, six days a week, and it’s much easier to schedule three rather than six sessions around interruptions. And if one day I only have time for three lifts, I can do a split and do the other three the next day, skip a day, and do a full six-lift session after that, still getting in three sessions for each lift during the week. With the EOD schedule I have 2-3 days' buffer built in. Some examples:

EOD Flexible Schedule.jpg
This is in keeping with last cycle's tenet that progress follows consistency, which in turn follows flexibility (flexibility > consistency > progress). So having a coherent yet flexibility program is key, and EOD is more flexible than ED.

The greater hormonal boost of doing six lifts in one session may also be more beneficial than spreading it out over two sessions, hard to say.

I will continue with the first training block loads of last cycle and try to reduce the time in between sets. If need be, I may deload again just to establish the longer workouts and decrease their total time. It would be nice to do all six lifts in under an hour. Also, EOD lifting gives me more options for getting in a conditioning component on alternate days. Finally, it may be better to give the muscles, tendons, and ligaments 47 hours to recover rather than 23, although I didn’t feel like I was accumulating fatigue during the few weeks in which I got in most of the sessions.

So the Push-Pull split is out for the time being, that's the first change. The second change is getting rid of the Max 1+ set, and tweak the rest of the ramping program accordingly. This is because in practice I found the Max 1+ workset to be unnecessary. Once the Target workset becomes comfortable, I can just move on to the next training block by adding 2.5 pounds to the new Overhead Press Target workset, and work on getting up to three comfortable reps there, which is the same as beginning to work on reps in the old training block's Max 1+ workset. So I save a step. And I also found that when I could do three reps comfortably in the Target set, I could already get in at least two reps in the Max 1+ set. So the trigger for moving on is decided more by effort level than number of reps. Alternatively, I could try to get the Target set up to five reps before moving on, but I like keeping everything three reps, for simplicity. The main thing is to keep the guiding principle of getting up to a given number of comfortable reps in a training block's last workset before moving on to the next training block, whether it's called the Max 1+ or Target workset. I think this is true for any 'for reps' protocol, and Abide's discussion of trying a 'for reps' variation of the 5x5 program helped me realize this.

This change has the added benefit of eliminating one workset, from five to four. I found that changing small plates for five worksets (3 Ramps, Target and Max 1+) after my big-plate warmups got a little tedious, and I would often cut out one of the ramp sets, especially on the bigger lifts, where I would often go up in 10-pound increments, for simplicity's sake. I also found the difference between the last Ramp set and the Target set to feel a bit trivial at times. With these two factors in mind, I'm going to make the increments in between Target and Ramp worksets slightly larger, but also more regular. To do this, I'll simply go up in five-pound increments for the Overhead Press ramps, ten-pound increments for the other upper-body lifts and the Squat, and fifteen-pound increments for the Deadlift ramps, rather than using percentages to calculate their loads. Finally, I've added back in the projected 1RM for each lift in the chart. I kind of like knowing what the 1RM would be if I were to actually attempt one, although I still have no intention of doing so.

Ramp to Target.3 Ramps.1RM.OP in 2.5lb increments.21.06.jpg

I’m still not completely sold on Wendler’s 5/3/1 suggestion that only one heavy workset is enough for progress, but my last Ramp workset and the Target workset are still pretty close. If I feel I need another quality set, I'll just repeat the Target workset, or make the Target workset a Max 3+ set. In this way, I would essentially be doing a version of the “Hard Triples” 3x3 program. On low-energy days, I will continue to just make the third ramp set my last set and tell myself that I got in a lite 3x3 workout.

So the overall plan is to continue with the morning dog walks, and alternate between lifting and some kind of conditioning and/or further aerobic exercise, like a bike ride, in the afternoon, or just rest. I think it may work better to give each Metabolic component its own session, for scheduling but also for motivating to focus on just one thing. Last cycle I was always too lazy to do the conditioning right after the morning walk or the afternoon lifting.

So a dedicated conditioning session 1-3 times a week will be the third change for this cycle. This may also make it easier to motivate to go out and get the sled out of the shed. I think conditioning may be the most effective metabolic modality for promoting weight loss, so I really need to try harder to work it in. I could also try harder to work in the mobility component, either as a separate session, or as part of the conditioning session, especially if I adopted a more ‘active stretching’ approach.

On the other hand, I would say a minimal concurrent program for me would be EOD lifting and walking, which is probably enough to maintain basic fitness, but not enough time or variety for complete fitness, or substantial weight loss. So I’ll try to be fairly strict about maintaining a basic/minimal fitness regime, but try to elevate to a more complete/maximal one—daily morning walks and EOD lifting and conditioning and mobility in the afternoon--if possible:

Minimal to Maximal Weekly Routine.jpg
Let the next experiment begin! It does seem like I'm getting closer to something that will work long-term. We'll see . . .

---------------Week 1: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.06.20
MORNING
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog.

Felt nicely sore after Saturday's full-body workout, the walk helped work it out.

Note: after Saturday's workout and my exchange with Abide on Friday, I've made several changes to the program for this cycle (v. supra).

Monday, 21.06.21
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.5 mile walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis. Went through the fields but didn't have time for the woods.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
BP: 3 @ 135/145/155/165
OP: 3 @ 95/100/105/110
SQ: 3 @ 195/205/215/225
PD: 3 @ 135/145/155/165
DL: 3 @ 225/245/265/275
RW: 3 @ 135/145/155/165

Tuesday, 21.06.22
AFTERNOON
-Intermittence-
20 minutes:
4 x [4 mins Rowing, L-Int / 1 min Airdyne, M-Int]

Wednesday, 21.06.23
EARLY AFTERNOON
-Persistence-
2.5 mi walk around Lake Nokomis with dog.

My daughter was invited to paddleboard with friends, so I ran a few errands and then walked around the lake. Mild chipseal got a little hot at times, but otherwise was a good sole massage.

Thursday, 21.06.24
MORNING
-Persistence-
3 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis. Went through fields and woods. I should call this walk the "Surfaces" walk, because it covers just about every imaginable surface--concrete sidewalks, gravel, grass, chipseal, compacted trail, asphalt.

Friday, 21.06.25
EARLY AFTERNOON
-Persistence-
About 2 mi walk in most of the woods, and then sidewalk back with dog. Walked over lots of twigs and natural debris. Almost felt like a real hike.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 95/100/105/110/110

Hmmn, with the two-a-day routine, I sometimes find myself primed after a morning walk, but other times a bit tight. Maybe when I walk first thing in the morning, I should do a little stretching around lunchtime, or perhaps even do some empty bar Press and Squats if possible, to loosen things up. Also, doing two Target worksets felt good, will have to experiment with that some more, at least for my weaker lifts, maybe just the Press, Squat, and Pulldowns.

Saturday, 21.06.26
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 95/100/105/110
BP: 3 @ 135/145/155/165
SQ: 3 @ 185


---------------Week 2: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.06.27
MORNING
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog.

Knees started to feel sore on top of the first hill. I thought about heading back home, but I did a squat and held the position for a few seconds and that seemed to work it out. After several hundred feet, the knees were good to go. I'm still laughing at the two orthos who told me that, with my knees, I would have to give up squats and deadlifts, in addition to running. Luckily, the third ortho told me otherwise, that squats had kept my knees otherwise strong and healthy and possibly gave me a few extra years of running until the degenerative meniscus issue caught up to me.

AFTERNOON
-Intermittence-
Rowing: 5 x [1 min L-Int / 1 min M-Int] = 10 minutes

Finally got back on a machine. Wasn't too bad. I liked the one minute Low, one minute Medium Intensity alteration. Could be the way to go. Next time I'll try to try it on the Airdyne, or a combination of Rower and Airdyne.

Monday, 21.06.28
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.1 mile abbreviated "Woods, Fields, and Campus" walk with dog after dropping son off late at tennis. Hmnn, feels like my pace was a bit up. I should look for my old Garmin wristband.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 95/100/105/110/110
SQ: 3 @ 185/205/215/225
BP: 3 @ 135/145/155/165

-Intermittence-

Airdyne: 2 x [1 min L-Int / 1 min M-Int] = 4 minutes

Well, well, I seem to be finding myself doing a push-pull split as much as a full body. Doesn't really matter. I guess I have several options on any given day, and if that helps me be more flexible > consistent, so be it.

I am experimenting a bit with dropping a ramp and adding a target set. Could be the way to go. Would've tried another target set on the squat, but back felt a little tight on the last set. Really have to get after mobility a bit more.

Also, it didn't suck to do some conditioning after the lifting, so when I do a push-pull split, whether out of necessity or choice, I can place the conditioning in any of the three time slots I can work in a workout, even if briefly: morning, after my walk. Midday, before lunch; and after lifting in the afternoon, before dinner.

Otherwise, on the days I do a full body lifting session, I can just do the conditioning on the alternate day, as planned.

Also, finally, read some articles about NMP--'neural morning priming': https://wrightfithealth.blogspot.com/2016/04/neural-morning-primer.html

I guess early morning conditioning after a walk, and then some mobility, might work as my version of NMP. We'll see . . .

I definitely feel like I'm gaining a little momentum again. Hope it lasts . . . .

Tuesday, 21.06.29
MORNING
-Persistence-
1.8 mile walk with dog and daughter after dropping son off at tennis. My daughter critiqued every house we walked by. Charming. All that SIMS work is paying off. 121 ft total gain.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/145/155/165/165
DL: 3 @ 225/245/265/275
RW: 3 @ 135/145/155/165

-Intermittence-

Rowing: 1 x [1 min L-Int / 1 min M-Int]; 1 x [1 min L-Int / 1 min H-Int] = 4 minutes

Wednesday, 21.06.30
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.9 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis. Walked through the big open grass field in front of the campus while the unleashed dog ran circles around me. Then through the woods, then through the neighborhood hitting some of the bigger hills before returning to pick up my son. 207ft total gain.

Thursday, 21.07.01
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.2 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis, up and down mostly gentle grades. 157ft.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 75/95/100/105/110/110
SQ: 3 @ 175/195/205/215/225
BP: 3 @ 115/135/145/155/165

I tried adding another ramp set 20 pounds below the first one. Trying to make the jump between warmup sets and worksets a little more regular. The other three ramp sets still go up in five-pound increments for the Press, ten-pound increments for the other upper body lifts and the Squat, and fifteen pound increments for the Deadlift. Might tweak it a bit more, but I re-read some Thibaudeau on ramping and was reminded that if the jump between sets is too great, it can have an inhibitory effect rather than a potentiating one. The whole thing would look like this:

Ramp to Target.4 Ramps.No 1RM.OP in 2.5lb increments.21.07.jpg

Friday, 21.07.02

MORNING
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 161ft

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 125/145/155/165/175
DL: 3 @ 225/245/265/275/285

Getting a little impatient with the lack of progress now that I'm somewhat consistent. So I tried adding 10 pounds to my first two pulls (before time ran out). The greater resistance felt better. So now I'm thinking of lowering the ratio of the Overhead Press below 2 units, so that it's more like 60% of the bench instead of 66% (2:3). Trying to bring up the Overhead Press while stalling the other lifts doesn't seem to be working that well. Maybe I should just accept a lower ratio, one that is still within the consensus range of internet fitness trainers/bloggers (55-70% of BP), and bring up the other lifts. Perhaps getting stronger on the other lifts will provide a better platform for bringing up the OP, which, after all, besides being my weakest lift, is actually also the lightest lift, so it's probably not doing much to bring up the others. I'm missing in particular my previous focus on the Squat. That always just feels like the centerpiece.

Saturday, 21.07.03
Well, after lifting the pulls just a little heavier yesterday, I seemed to have slept better. The more I think about it, the less it makes sense to base progress on the Overhead Press, since its progress doesn't carry over that much to the other lifts. In contrast, I've always found that a strong squat seems to fortify the other lifts. So just two weeks into this cycle, I'm already thinking of altering my approach.

First, I'm going to try tweaking the Iron Ratio, in order to (1) deload the Overhead Press a bit in relation to the other lifts, and then (2) bring up the Squat a bit in relation to the remaining lifts. It'll now be closer to Thibaudeau's ratios:

"Reference Lift: Back Squat
Bench Press: 75% of back squat
Powerlifting Deadlift: 120% of back squat
Military Press (strict): 45% of back squat"

From: https://www.t-nation.com/training/know-your-ratios-destroy-weaknesses

This contrasts to my more exacting Iron Ratio of 2:3:4:5, which renders 125% of Back Squat for the Deadlift, and 50% of Back Squat for the Overhead Press.

However, in order to reach eventual 3RM plate goals of

135 Overhead Press
225 Bench Press, Row, Pulldown
315 Squat
365 Deadlift

I'll tweak Thibaudeau's ratios further, rendering:

Reference Lift: Back Squat
Bench Press: 71% of back squat
Powerlifting Deadlift: 115% of back squat
Military Press (strict): 43% of back squat

Which means I have some work to do on the Squat, but I think it will be fairly easy to bring the other lifts up. Training blocks will still be based on 2.5-pound increments for the Overhead Press, but the expectation is that a heavier Squat will be the limiting factor, instead of the OP.

Ramp to Target.5 Ramps.New Ratios.21.07.jpg

Second, I don't think I'll make full-body workouts the base any longer. Rather, I'll just fluctuate between the Push-Pull split and the Full-body, depending on time, mood, recovery, etc. On days in which I follow a Push-Pull split, I'll try to do some HIIT on the Airdyne for Push days, and HIIT on the rower for Pull days. If I do a Full-body workout, I'll try to do sled or machine work on the off day.

NOON
-Persistence-
1 mi walk with kids and dog, going over 4th of July race route. My son's going to run the two-mile option.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
SQ: 2 @ 185/205/215/225/235/245
OP: 3 @ 65/85/95/100/105/105

I started just trying to see about where my true squat 3RM load was, but only did two-rep sets to stay on the safe side. I found 235 to be surprisingly solid so I added on another ten pounds. That too felt pretty solid but a little challenging so I stopped the exploratory session there. According to my new ratios, a 245-lb Squat renders a 105-lb Overhead Press, so that's what I did. It felt much better than the 110 loads I had been doing, so perhaps there's something to my new ratios besides the fact that they will eventually lead to neat plate goals. I didn't do the Bench Press as I want to recover well from these two days of increasing loads, but it should fall into place soon, and it seems like I should be able to get up to a 255-lb 3RM Squat by the end of this cycle, if not sooner.

A heavier squat also seems to enforce better technique, and the increase in required concentration helps with overall motivation. I guess when only one lift is really a challenge, it takes some of the fun and motivation away. So the Press-centric approach has probably ended. I should've probably given up on it sooner, but until I began to lift more consistently, it was hard to tell if it was really working or not.

Next time I will probably try for the 107.5-lb OP and 250-lb Squat in the first training block of the new chart.

---------------Week 3: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.07.04
LATE MORNING
-Persistence-
1.5 mi to my neighborhood's Fourth of July parade head, then down its main street with my son on his patriotic moped, then back home from parade terminus at park after hanging out a bit with other parents. Got some barefoot comments during the parade. 59ft

Monday, 21.07.05
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.3 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis, up and down mostly gentle grades. 164ft.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 130/150/160/170/180
DL: 2 @ 225/245/260/275/290
RW: 3 @ 130/150/160/170/180

Everything felt pretty good.

Tuesday, 21.07.06
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 65/85/95/100/110/110
SQ: 2 @ 205/225/235/245/255

Cool. Got the OP back to where it should be, and the Squat up to its new corresponding load. Now I have to get the DL and Squat up to three comfortable reps, and work the Bench back in. Then I'll have already completed the second training block of the new configuration.

I was sore from Monday's Pull workout (it made me sleep really well), but I'm learning to work through the soreness again. I think for a while, perhaps, I might have become overly cautious, or too concerned about being an "older lifter." The ramping seems to be taking care of the doubts and concerns, along with greater consistency, which gives me a better idea of exactly what is going on. It still might be best to schedule a conditioning day in between each Push-Pull split, but I'm going to ride the new wave of motivation and try to lift as often as I can while it lasts.

Missed the morning walk due to rain. It's not so much the rain I mind, but dealing with a wet dog afterwards. But my soles also needed a day off after several days of walking and standing on hot surfaces.

Wednesday, 21.07.07
EARLY AFTERNOON
-Persistence-
1 mi walk with kids and dog to store and back.

EARLY EVENING
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
DL: 2 @ 225/245/265/275/285/295

Kind of an off day. Still, the lifting was OK.

Thursday, 21.07.08
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.2 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis, up and down mostly gentle grades. 157ft.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 75/95/100/105/110/110
SQ: 2 @ 205/225/235/245/255
BP: 3 @ 135/155/165

Didn't have time to do the last two worksets of the BP, but it was good to practice the movement. I find with the heavier squat, I'm going deeper, so that's good.

Friday, 21.07.09

Saturday, 21.07.10
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
DL: 2 @ 230/250/265/280/295
RW: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185

-Intermittence-
Rowing: 5 x [1 min L-Int / 1 min M-Int] = 10 minutes

---------------Week 4: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.07.11
MORNING
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 161ft

Monday, 21.07.12
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.3 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis, up and down mostly gentle grades. 161ft.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
BP: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
OP: 3 @ 75/95/100/105/110
SQ: 2 @ 205/225/235/245/255

Tuesday, 21.07.13

MORNING
-Persistence-
2.5 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis, this time more of a loop hitting three of the neighborhood's bigger hills and few more gradual ones. 197ft.

A family friend brought food over, we got to talking, and I didn't work out.

Wednesday, 21.07.14
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.5 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis, Once again I did the loop hitting three of the neighborhood's bigger hills and few more gradual ones. 197ft.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
DL: 2 @ 230/250/265; 3 @ 280/295

Decided to stop babying myself and did three full reps on the last two sets of the Deadlift. I'll try to do the same for the Squat next workout. Then start to try harder to get 10 minutes of HIIT in more consistently for the second half of this cycle, and maybe add one more target set for each lift. Hopefully, by the next cycle, I'll be ready for the next training block.

So far, I'm averaging about six days per week walking, four lifting, and just a day and a half conditioning. Would like to get the lifting average closer to five days per week, and the condition to at least three or four.

Thursday, 21.07.15
MORNING
-Persistence-
1.7 mi walk with dog around Como Lake. Guy asked if it hurt my feet. I said no, he said they must be tough. I told him the human body is very adaptable.

AFTERNOON
Ran out of time for lifting before son's last baseball game of the season, way over on the other side of town.

Friday, 21.07.16
MORNING
-Persistence-
3 mi walk with dog around Lake Phalen after I dropped of family member at a medical appointment nearby. A couple walked barefoot ahead of me about half the way, before putting their footwear back on. And the dog's retractable leash broke halfway through the walk. In the parking lot, the man remarked on how well-trained my dog must be to have kept by my side even without the leash. I think she was just hot and tired, but yah, I was also surprised. We got lucky with that dog. Funny the man never mentioned the whole barefoot thing.

Finally got around to downloading a free tracking app for my phone: Gaia GPS. It did a good job once I realized I had to turn off my phone's auto-lock.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 65/85/95/100/110/110
SQ: 3 @ 205/225/235/245/255; 2@255

OK, got the new Squat load up to three reps, and almost completed two target sets. Felt a little something in my back though, on the second rep of the second set, so shut it down.

Saturday, 21.07.17
NOON
-Persistence-
2.4 mi walk with dog, new route hitting the neighborhood's four biggest hills. 233ft.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185; 2 @ 185
SLDL: 3 @ 185

Didn't quite make the second set of three reps for the Pulldown, then on my second warmup Stiff-legged Deadlift set @ 185, I felt a little something in my mid back, so I shut it down. I think it just needed to stretch and warmup a bit more, but why take risks?

If I mark each kind of Metabolic workout as '1' for each day done, and then divide the total by either six days or seven days, then I get the following percentages and number of days for the first half of this cycle.

Percentage of 6 days
Walk ST HIIT
96% 71% 21%

Percentage of 7 days
Walk ST HIIT
82% 61% 18%

Days per week
Walk ST HIIT
5.75 4.25 1.25

So I'm averaging about six days a week for walking, four days a week for lifting, but only a little more than a day per week of conditioning. I'll try to improve a bit for the second half of the cycle.

---------------Week 5: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.07.18
EVENING
-Persistence-
1 mi walk with dog, wife, and son. The dog pulled our son a good deal of the way on his skateboard.

Monday, 21.07.19
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.7 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis. Basically the same route as last Wednesday but with a little extra decline/incline.

I used my phone's Gaia GPS app again. It says I went 0.1 mile further than Google Maps does. But it failed to track cumulative elevation gain. Instead, it just gave the differential of 69ft., which should be zero since I stopped at the same place I started. Google, on the other hand, credited me with 240ft cumulative gain.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 75/95/100/105/110; 5@105/100
SQ: 3 @ 205/225/235/245/255
BP: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185

Tried a few "back-off" sets for the Overhead Press. Might be something to consider:
https://www.elitefts.com/education/training/max-out-back-off-a-simple-protocol-for-size-and-strength
The last two Ramp sets for all lifts are close to 85% and 80% of their 1RM, so ideally, as back-off sets, I'd do five and seven reps, respectively. But I could just keep everything three reps, lower the intensity a bit and just get in a little more volume. Just repeating the last Ramp set as a single back-off set brings the total volume (four ramp sets + target set + back-off set) up to about the equivalent of doing the Target set 5x3 straight sets across (including last warmup set). Alternatively, if I repeat all the ramp sets as back off sets, then the total volume is roughly equivalent to doing the Target set 5x5 straight sets across (including last warmup set).

I'm pretty happy with the overall intensity of the workouts, so perhaps to progress faster I should add in a bit more volume with one or two back-off sets at 3 to 5 reps. I don't want to so much that it interferes with my ability to recover, which in turn would reduce frequency. I'm still going with the prescription for older lifters to focus more on frequency than intensity, with volume somewhere in the balance.

Back felt fine on the Squats. Began wondering what an Upper/Lower Split would be like. Maybe next cycle . . . .

-Intermittence-
Rowing: 5 x [30 sec L-Int / 30 sec M-Int] = 5 minutes

Tuesday, 21.07.20
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/145/155/165/175/185/175/165
SLDL: 3 @ 135
RW: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
SLDL: 3 @ 185
DL: 2 @ 225/235/245

I tried back-off sets for the Pulldowns, and they felt pretty good, almost got a 'pump.' Then, in light of Saturday's slight twinge while warming up for the Deadlifts, I put the Rows in the middle of the lift sequence instead of at the end, where they usually are, in order to get my back good and warmed up before the Deads. Back felt fine ramping up the DL, but I capped it at 245 just to be safe. Putting the Rows in the middle is also convenient because its ramp and target sets fit in between and include the Stiff-legged Deadlift warm-up sets, so no need to change plates. It also kinda makes sense to go from lightest to heaviest lift, for the Push split too, in order to gradually activate the body. On the other hand, and as I used to do, going from heaviest to lightest makes use of the greater energy stores at the outset of the workout.

If I get to doing a few back-off sets for all lifts, then each split may start to feel like a pretty full workout in and of itself. Maybe that's what I've been missing.

Wednesday, 21.07.21
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.7 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis. The same route as Monday. 240ft.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 75/95/100/105/110/105/100

Son's dental appointment lasted much longer than expected. So just did the Overhead Press. The back-off sets felt good, maybe I should do the last one for reps.

Probably won't lift tomorrow, as I have to fast for my colonoscopy Friday morning.

Thursday, 21.07.22
MORNING
-Persistence-
2.7 mi walk with dog after dropping son off at tennis. The same route as Monday & Tuesday. 240ft.

Friday, 21.07.23

Saturday, 21.07.24
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/145/155/165/175/185/175/165

Still feeling a little dehydrated after Friday and watching my son's tennis tournament today. So just did the Pulldowns.


---------------Week 6: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.07.25
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
DL: 2 @ 235/255/270; 1 @ 285/300

Decided to tweak my chart a bit so that Squat increases are always five pounds per training block, then decided to see what the Deadlift Target set load in the next block feels like, at 300lbs. I'm still a little bit off from Friday, and I forgot to take my blood pressure meds until mid-day, so just did a single rep for the last ramp and target sets. Still, felt OK. So I guess I'll move to the new training block across all lifts, and try to get comfortable with it for the rest of the cycle.

Ramp to Target.5 Ramps.New Ratios.5-lb Squat.21.07.25.jpg

Monday, 21.07.26
MORNING
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 161 ft.

Ran errands all afternoon, had to make dinner as soon as I got home. And I was really psyched to lift. Oh well.

Cool to see Abide will be lifting with his 12-year-old. And glad to hear the back issue is clearing up.

Tuesday, 21.07.27

Wednesday, 21.07.28
EARLY EVENING
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
RW: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
DL: 3 @ 235/255/275

Hmmn, lifting on an empty stomach in the evening wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And I was able to reduce the time in between sets, so that's good. Still, didn't do a full load on the Deadlift, just to be safe.

Thursday, 21.07.29
LATE MORNING
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 177 ft. I took an alley that added 16 feet of elevation.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 75/95/100/105/110/112.5/105

I developed a strange pain in my mid back during the afternoon. I really should've stretched after my walk earlier. Got to make that automatic, right after everything is warmed up, but tight from the limited range of motion. So I just did the Overhead Press. Put it up another two and a half pounds. The new standard. Our air quality is supposed to be bad tomorrow, so I might skip the walk and just lift and do machines.

Friday, 21.07.30
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
SQ: 2 @ 210/230/240/250/260
BP: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185

Saturday, 21.07.31
Dammit, now they are saying the air quality will be poor until Tuesday, and people with cardiovascular conditions like high blood pressure should avoid exerting themselves outside. Oh well, I guess I'll try to just focus on lifting and machines till then, and hope our AC is doing an adequate job filtering.

AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
DL: 2 @ 235/255/270/285/300
RW: 3 @ 185

Skipped the Row's ramp sets as time ran out.

---------------Week 7: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.08.01
AFTERNOON
Resistance
OP: 3 @ 75/97.5/102.5

Felt a straining in my left shoulder, so shut it down.

EVENING
Persistence
1.2 walk with dog and daughter. Air quality was pretty good.

Monday, 21.08.02
LATE MORNING
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 177 ft

LATE AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 75/97.5/102.5/107.5/112.5/107.5/102.5
SQ: 2 @ 210/230/240/250/260

Tuesday, 21.08.03
LATE AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
BP: 3 @ 135/155

Friend brought over some food, we got to talking, workout canceled.

Wednesday, 21.08.04
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
RW: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
DL: 2 @ 235/255/275/285/300

Just about ready for three reps on the DL. Was primed for conditioning, but have to run across town at the last minute. Man, I'm really getting behind on my walks.

Thursday, 21.08.05
NOON
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 177 ft

Man, acorns are falling early.

Family stuff came up for the afternoon lifting.

Friday, 21.08.06
NOON
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 177 ft

Took family member to the hospital in the PM

Saturday, 21.08.07



---------------Week 8: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.08.08

Monday, 21.08.09
MORNING
-Persistence-
1 mi "Two Hills" walk with dog. 36ft

Tuesday, 21.08.10
AFTERNOON
Resistance
BP: 8-10 @ empty bar

My right shoulder felt out of whack, and it was getting late anyway . . .

EVENING
Persistence
1.6 walk with dog and daughter.

Wednesday, 21.08.11
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
BP: 3 @ 135/145/155/165/175; 2 @185/190

Thursday, 21.08.12
MORNING
-Persistence-
2 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 177 ft

EARLY EVENING
-Resistance-
OP: 3 @ 75/95/105/110/115/110/105

Friday, 21.08.13

Saturday, 21.08.14
AFTERNOON
-Resistance-
PD: 3 @ 140/150/160/170/180
RW: 3 @ 135/155/165/175/185
DL: 2 @ 235/255/275/285/300

-Intermittence-
Rowing: 2 x [30 sec L-Int / 30 sec M-Int] = 2 minutes

And that's a wrap.
 
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Goals for this cycle: 50k in September so the primary goal will be to get the endurance built up. I am going to reduce running to 2-3 times a week and primarily make them longer trail runs or hikes at elevation. I would like to get up to a 4 hour run/hike by the end of the 8 weeks.

I am also agreeing with Bare Lee about fat loss, I am going to ramp up the conditioning work this cycle as well. After reading Dan John's book never let go, I think I am going to add one of the following conditioning sets to each day, sled pushes, tabata KB squats, Weighted stair climbs.

As for lifting, I might take a cycle with no deadlifts. I had issues the other day again with deadlifts at 225 and I backed off immediately. Instead I will likely add in front squats. I am also going to follow the straight weight 5x5 with microloading, once I hit all 5 sets for 5 reps the next workout will increase by either 2.5 or 5 depending on the lift.

Starting weights are:
Squats - 155
Front Squats - 115
Bench - 185
Press - 115
Pull ups - 5x5
Clean and Press - 3x5@135

Each of these I will add either 5-10 pounds if I hit all 5 and cleanly the week before.

General schedule will be
Squats-Press-Pull ups
Bench-Power Clean-Low Pulls
Front Squat-Light DL-Pull ups

Then ab work and conditioning if it isn't done during the warmup.

---------------Week 1: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.06.20
Trail run - 2 hours

Monday, 21.06.21

Tuesday, 21.06.22
Sled pushes - 4x60m@270/1
KB Swings - 3x10@50
Front squats - 5x5@115
Farmers - 1x60m@135, 2x60m@225

Swim - 20 minutes

Trail run - 2 hours

Wednesday, 21.06.23

Thursday, 21.06.24
Warmup - stair stepper 5 min
Squats - 5x5@155
Press - 5,5,4,4,4@115
Low pulls - 5x5@175
Sleds - 3x60m@270/1

Swim - 20 min

Friday, 21.06.25

Saturday, 21.06.26
2 mile run/walk

Bench - 5,5,5,5,4@185
Clean and press - 5x3@135
Pull ups - 3x5

Gave blood earlier in the week and have lost all the energy to run. Lifting is very tough too, as I am sucking air and lightheaded after every set.

---------------Week 2: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.06.27

Monday, 21.06.28
Warm up
Stair stepper - 5min
Sled - 4x60m@270/1

Squat - 5x5@165
Press - 5,5,5,5,3@115
Pull ups - 5x5
GHD SU - 3x10

Hike - 5k

Still having energy and breathing issues. I gave double pints so this shouldn't be surprising, but its hard to walk up a hill.

Tuesday, 21.06.29
Trail run - 60 minutes

Wednesday, 21.06.30
Warmup - Stair stepper 5 min
Sled - 4x60m@270/1

Front squats - 5x5@115
Bench - 5,5,5,4,3@185
Farmers - 1x120m@140, 2x60m@140

Thursday, 21.07.01

Friday, 21.07.02
Warmup - Stair stepper 5 min
3x 10 squats, 15 pushups, 10 50lb KB swings

MSDL - 5x5@225
Power Clean and Push press - 5x3@145
Low pulls - 5x5@190

For as little work as this was I am pretty sore now.

Saturday, 21.07.03
Trail run - 2 hours


---------------Week 3: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.07.04
Trail run - 70 min

Monday, 21.07.05
Warmup
Stair stepper - 5 min
Sled pushes - 4x60m@270/1

Main lifts
Squats - 5x5@185
Press - 5x5@115
Pull ups - 6,6,5,5,5
GDH SU - 5x5

Finally was able to get the full 25 on the presses. And funny enough the more squats I do the better I am getting at them... who would have thought.

Mountain biking - 1 hour

Tuesday, 21.07.06
Rest day

Wednesday, 21.07.07
Warmup
Stair stepper - 5 min
3x
10 Goblet squats @ 35
10 Swings @ 35
10 pushups

Main lifts
Front squat - 5x5@135
Bench - 5x5@185
Low pulls - 5x5@190

Screwed up the lifts, I should have done farmers in place of low pulls. Today was also a good day hit all 25 in the two lifts. Time to make some increases for next week.

Thursday, 21.07.08

Friday, 21.07.09
Warm up
Stair Stepper 5 min
Sled - 4x60m@360/1

Swim - 30 min

I started a warmup set on the DL and felt a pull in my back. Backed off and went swimming instead.

Saturday, 21.07.10
Back pain nothing

---------------Week 4: Cycle IV---------------
Sunday, 21.07.11

Severe back pain immobile all day

Monday, 21.07.12
Same as Sunday, its getting a bit better but am still basically immobile and in constant pain. Time to start back at square one. Once I get some mobility back I will focus on mostly body weight lifts for a while. I am going to give up at least deadlifts and maybe low pulls. I am still considering what to do with squats.

I may become a upper lifter with some lower conditioning only lifter from now on.

Tuesday, 21.07.13

Wednesday, 21.07.14

Thursday, 21.07.15
Finally can move around regularly first day without pain all day.

Friday, 21.07.16
Trail run - 70 min

Saturday, 21.07.17
Trail run - 100 min


---------------Week 5: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.07.18
Trail run - 50 min

Man that whipped me, I am pretty sure I have some type of illness going on, covid maybe? Although I have been vaxxed. Generally feeling off with aches all over, headaches, a fever and severe tiredness.

Fever seemed to have broken in the afternoon? Back is much better.

Monday, 21.07.19

Tuesday, 21.07.20
Warmup
Stair stepper - 5 min
Sled - 4x60@270/1
Squats - 3x5@135
Pull ups - 5x5

Wednesday, 21.07.21

Thursday, 21.07.22
Ouch my hamstring is hurting! Think I pulled it in my warm up squats.
Left the gym right after.

Friday, 21.07.23

Saturday, 21.07.24
Trail run - 1:53

Press - 5x5@115
Bench - 5x5@185
Back work on machines 3x10 low and high pull

---------------Week 6: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.07.25
Trail Run - 2:29

Squats - 5x5@175
Pendlay rows - 3x10@95
CGBP - 8,7,6,5,5 @ 155


Monday, 21.07.26
Swim - 25 min

Had a couple good runs and lifting sessions. My back is feeling much better especially the more and longer I run. Funny how that works? I also cut the beer out late last week and I am wondering if that is helping with the inflammation? I am really going to focus on running and also dropping some weight before the race it's ~7 weeks out from race day. I would be ecstatic with 5 pounds in that time. The plan will be to just focus on only intact whole foods and to stop eating at 6pm each night. I will let the rest figure itself out.

My 12 year old has been asking me to lift with him so I recruited him to the plan. We are going to try out with a 2 day per week schedule and do the following.

Day 1
Squat - 5x5
Bench - 5x5
Pendlay Rows - 5x5
Conditioning if time
4x with one minute rest between
10-20 Goblet squats
Sled push 60m

Day 2
Deadlift - 5x5 (I will do front squats)
Press - 5x5
Pull ups - 5x5+
Conditioning if time
4x
10 Box Jumps
Heavy farmer carries 60m-120m

Tuesday, 21.07.27
Trail run - 1:20

Night lift
Front squats - 5x5@135
Press - 5,5,5,3,4@120
Pull ups - 7,5,5,4,4

Conditioning
4x with one minute rest between
15 Goblet squats @ 40
Sled push 60m @ 270/1

That was a surprisingly tough workout. The gym was packed, missing the morning lifting but its more fun to lift with my son.

Wednesday, 21.07.28

Thursday, 21.07.29
Back squats - 5x5@185
Bench - 5,5,5,4,4@190
Pendlay Rows - 5x5@115

Sleds

Friday, 21.07.30
Trail run - 3 hours

Saturday, 21.07.31



---------------Week 7: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.08.01
Trail run - 2:30

Monday, 21.08.02
Night lift
Front squats - 5x5@145
Press - 5x5@120
Pull ups - 5x5

Sleds - 4x60m@270/1

Tuesday, 21.08.03

Wednesday, 21.08.04
Trail run - 90 min

Thursday, 21.08.05
Back squats - 5,3,3,3,3@195
Pendlay Rows - 5x5@125
Bench - 10@135, 8@185, 4@195

Ran out of time so cut the bench short.

Friday, 21.08.06
Trail run - 1:50

Saturday, 21.08.07
Run - 5k


---------------Week 8: Cycle IV---------------

Sunday, 21.08.08
Trail run - 3 hours

I think I am all caught up now, both lifting and running are going well. I had a tweak in the back the other night but I have been taking 500mg of curcuminoids and a couple ibuprofen at night before bed and it seems to help. Also adding in some beer seems to help me get better sleep at night. I have been averaging 7 hours vs. 6 before.

Monday, 21.08.09
Rest day

Tuesday, 21.08.10
Rest day

Wednesday, 21.08.11
Forgot my shoes and missed my mountain run...

Thursday, 21.08.12
No warm up
Squats - 20,15,12@135
Press - 5x5@115
Pull ups - 5x5
Sleds - 5x60m@270/1

Friday, 21.08.13
Trail run - 1:40

Saturday, 21.08.14
Warmup
5 min Stair stepper, 3x60m@270/1 Sleds, 3 min of planks
Front squats - 5x5@135
Pull ups - 5x5
Bench - 5,5,5,5,4@185

Ran out of time and had to get one of the boys to his soccer game.


 
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Knees started to feel sore on top of the first hill. I thought about heading back home, but I did a squat and held the position for a few seconds and that seemed to work it out. After several hundred feet, the knees were good to go. I'm still laughing at the two orthos who told me that, with my knees, I would have to give up squats and deadlifts, in addition to running. Luckily, the third ortho told me otherwise, that squats had kept my knees otherwise strong and healthy and possibly gave me a few extra years of running until the degenerative meniscus issue caught up to me.

This is really important, and actually your recommendation for me to start stretching has been helping with my back issue but also most little issues in my knees, hips, back and lower legs. I have been doing a lot of body weight squats throughout the day and it is really amazing how therapeutic they are for basically everything from chest down. It's shocking to me health care professionals would recommend against them. I feel like the last 5 I have seen all recommend squatting as much as you can.
 
This is really important, and actually your recommendation for me to start stretching has been helping with my back issue but also most little issues in my knees, hips, back and lower legs. I have been doing a lot of body weight squats throughout the day and it is really amazing how therapeutic they are for basically everything from chest down. It's shocking to me health care professionals would recommend against them. I feel like the last 5 I have seen all recommend squatting as much as you can.
Yeah, it is shocking, the same way mainstream podiatrists are against barefoot running, at least from I read on this site many years ago. It still seems to be a common misconception that squatting is bad for your knees. Probably because so many laypeople do them with poor technique.

Glad to hear stretching is helping, now I got to follow my own advice!

Doing bodyweight stuff early or throughout the day seems to fit in with the Neural Morning Primer stuff I discovered this morning. Your 'Sun Salutation' yoga also fit that profile.
 
At first I thought you drank two pints of beer beforehand, and questioned your judgment. Then I scrolled up to read you had donated blood the week before.

Try to eat some beets, spinach, or red meat!
I have done that before too, beer really is a great energy drink when running. Actually a beer and coffee combined hits everything, pain killer, stimulant and quick energy source.

Yeah eating a lot of iron and starting to feel better. Will probably be another week or so before it's back to normal.

"I tried adding another ramp set 20 pounds below the first one. Trying to make the jump between warmup sets and worksets a little more regular. The other three ramp sets still go up in five-pound increments for the Press, ten-pound increments for the other upper body lifts and the Squat, and fifteen pound increments for the Deadlift. Might tweak it a bit more, but I re-read some Thibaudeau on ramping and was reminded that if the jump between sets is too great, it can have an inhibitory effect rather than a potentiating one."

Do you have a link for this article I am curious about the inhibitory affect of ramping too fast?
 
I have done that before too, beer really is a great energy drink when running. Actually a beer and coffee combined hits everything, pain killer, stimulant and quick energy source.

Yeah eating a lot of iron and starting to feel better. Will probably be another week or so before it's back to normal.

"I tried adding another ramp set 20 pounds below the first one. Trying to make the jump between warmup sets and worksets a little more regular. The other three ramp sets still go up in five-pound increments for the Press, ten-pound increments for the other upper body lifts and the Squat, and fifteen pound increments for the Deadlift. Might tweak it a bit more, but I re-read some Thibaudeau on ramping and was reminded that if the jump between sets is too great, it can have an inhibitory effect rather than a potentiating one."

Do you have a link for this article I am curious about the inhibitory affect of ramping too fast?
Can't imagine drinking beer before exercising. It makes me lazy at the first sip. Doesn't even work with yardwork.

Cool. Since I've had malaria multiple times, I can't donate blood. But everything else is available in the event of an accident.

Yah, here it is: https://www.t-nation.com/training/22-proven-rep-schemes

Here's the quote:

"Don’t use too many sets to work up to your RM because you want to avoid excessive fatigue. It’s often best to start with 60% of your 1RM when ramping. I used to take up to 12 sets to reach my top weight, but later found better results using only 5 or 6 sets to get there. Don’t go too with too few sets either, otherwise the jumps in weight will be too large and you’ll create an inhibitory effect instead of a stimulating one."

It's under the first rep scheme, third bullet point.

Thibaudeau is kind of like Rippetoe; he actually seems to know what he's talking about.

Anyway, yah, the idea is that since my warmup sets are all in combinations of 25- and 45-pound plates (45/95/135/185/225/275/315/365), and therefore the increases are always in 50- or 40-pound increments, at times it might be advantageous to find a spot somewhere in between to smooth the transition from fairly easy reps on warmups sets, to more rigorous worksets. So, for example, if the last warmup set is 135, and the first ramp set 145(/155/165/175), it might be better if the last warmup set is 125 instead, a sort of fifth ramp set: 125/145/155/165/175. Then you have a 30-pound difference between the last warmup set (95lbs) and first ramp set (125lbs), instead of 40, and then a 20-pound difference to the next ramp set, instead of 10. It flattens the curve of increasing intensity a bit. But part of me also rails against these more complex approaches (although it only takes a minute to copy-n-paste the changed formula in my chart). Still, ramping during the last cycle did seem to make the Push-Pull split more tolerable for my aging shoulders, so I think there's something to ramping up nice and gradually. And if I go back to a Push-Pull split, then adding extra sets, maybe also two target sets per lift, should be OK, volume-wise. Otherwise, for a full-body workout of six lifts, it gets to be a lot of rigamarole, and the volume might be hard to recover from, and the time slot needed for all that less likely to occur.

Anyway, it's all an experiment, variations on a six-lift theme.
 
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Monday, 21.07.12
Same as Sunday, its getting a bit better but am still basically immobile and in constant pain. Time to start back at square one. Once I get some mobility back I will focus on mostly body weight lifts for a while. I am going to give up at least deadlifts and maybe low pulls. I am still considering what to do with squats.

I may become a upper lifter with some lower conditioning only lifter from now on.
Seems like you were doing fine until you tried the deads. Maybe just cut those out for 6-12 months? You did 5x5@185 for the squats. That seems like enough resistance to get some benefit, why not just continue with back squats and goblet squats once your back loosens up again?

I know in my case anyways, squats seemed to help heal the pull I got while doing deads without a proper warmup back in 2015 or 2014. I also brought the squat to dead ratio down to 1:1.15 instead of 1:1.20 or 1:1.25. I just feel like squats really unify upper and lower body strength, so I would try to keep them if possible.

It's funny though, a little less than two decades ago I was "an upper lifter with some lower conditioning only lifter." I think that works too, especially with the intensity you work the lower body with conditioning/aerobic work. For me, Squats are especially important because I don't really work the lower body that much with my walks. I would work it more if I got back into cycling though, or if I ever got around to sled work . . .
 
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Seems like you were doing fine until you tried the deads. Maybe just cut those out for 6-12 months? You did 5x5@185 for the squats. That seems like enough resistance to get some benefit, why not just continue with back squats and goblet squats once your back loosens up again?

I know in my case anyways, squats seemed to help heal the pull I got while doing deads without a proper warmup back in 2015 or 2014. I also brought the squat to dead ratio down to 1:1.15 instead of 1:1.20 or 1:1.25. I just feel like squats really unify upper and lower body strength, so I would try to keep them if possible.

It's funny though, a little less than two decades ago I was "an upper lifter with some lower conditioning only lifter." I think that works too, especially with the intensity you work the lower body with conditioning/aerobic work. For me, Squats are especially important because I don't really work the lower body that much with my walks. I would work it more if I got back into cycling though, or if I ever got around to sled work . . .

Yeah I definitely want to keep the squats and probably will. I think I will put the DL's and Clean and Presses on hold for now. I am also going to drop low pulls and swap them out with some sort of chest supported horizontal rows.

Oh and I am definitely going to add more core work and try to do it daily. Maybe even twice a day. I keep hearing about hyperlordosis and I think that is one of the issues here. Too much pressure on the lower back muscles from hyperextending the lower back all the time.

I can finely walk a bit today thank goodness. Hopefully by next week I can get back in the gym and trails.
 
Yeah I definitely want to keep the squats and probably will. I think I will put the DL's and Clean and Presses on hold for now. I am also going to drop low pulls and swap them out with some sort of chest supported horizontal rows.

Oh and I am definitely going to add more core work and try to do it daily. Maybe even twice a day. I keep hearing about hyperlordosis and I think that is one of the issues here. Too much pressure on the lower back muscles from hyperextending the lower back all the time.

I can finely walk a bit today thank goodness. Hopefully by next week I can get back in the gym and trails.
Don't forget the one-handed Dumbbell Rows with opposing knee and hand on bench.

What are you doing to hyperextend your lower back so much? Are your chairs or bed a lot different from the ones you had in Europe?

Anyway, glad to hear you're feeling better. I remember my pull in the pelvic area, completely immobilized me for a while.

Looks like I have a better shot now of claiming the 405-deadlift prize. What was your PR, something like five or ten pounds shy of four plates? Anyway, feels good to be lifting a little heavier these days. It's funny how just a 5-10 percent increase can feel much more beneficial.
 
Don't forget the one-handed Dumbbell Rows with opposing knee and hand on bench.

What are you doing to hyperextend your lower back so much? Are your chairs or bed a lot different from the ones you had in Europe?

Anyway, glad to hear you're feeling better. I remember my pull in the pelvic area, completely immobilized me for a while.

Looks like I have a better shot now of claiming the 405-deadlift prize. What was your PR, something like five or ten pounds shy of four plates? Anyway, feels good to be lifting a little heavier these days. It's funny how just a 5-10 percent increase can feel much more beneficial.

I think its all hereditary and no everything is the same. I mainly stand at work still. Still not feeling great, I got to the gym and stupidly did some squats which went ok but I think I pulled my hamstring now...
Anyway I am going to give it another week of not lifting weights and hopefully it fades some more.

Ha I think I pulled 4 kg plates per side once, so 180kg, 397!

I might have to get there with squats instead of deadlifts now. That would be fair I think.
 
I think its all hereditary and no everything is the same. I mainly stand at work still. Still not feeling great, I got to the gym and stupidly did some squats which went ok but I think I pulled my hamstring now...
Anyway I am going to give it another week of not lifting weights and hopefully it fades some more.

Ha I think I pulled 4 kg plates per side once, so 180kg, 397!

I might have to get there with squats instead of deadlifts now. That would be fair I think.
Ouch, hope you feel better. Hamstrings can be tricky so definitely take it slow. I hope this doesn't throw off your race plans.

Yah, let's make it squats then, but I probably won't ever attempt a 1RM Squat over 300. Actually I doubt I'll ever try a 1RM on any lift except for maybe the Overhead Press. Just seems like an unnecessary risk. Three reps at 365 projects to a 1RM of 405, so getting the deadlift to a 3RM of 365 is my real goal, with a very slight chance I'd try 405 for one rep.

My goal for the Squat is to get up to 315 at three reps, which projects to 1RM of 350. I think I can make it, because five and half years ago I got up to 295 at two reps I think. Anyway, we should probably shelve all talk of competition until your back and hammie are on the mend. I don't want to tempt you to come back too soon--apologies for bringing it up.
 
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Ouch, hope you feel better. Hamstrings can be tricky so definitely take it slow. I hope this doesn't throw off your race plans.

Yah, let's make it squats then, but I probably won't ever attempt a 1RM Squat over 300. Actually I doubt I'll ever try a 1RM on any lift except for maybe the Overhead Press. Just seems like an unnecessary risk. Three reps at 365 projects to a 1RM of 405, so getting the deadlift to a 3RM of 365 is my real goal, with a very slight chance I'd try 405 for one rep.

My goal for the Squat is to get up to 315 at three reps, which projects to 1RM of 350. I think I can make it, because five and half years ago I got up to 295 at two reps I think. Anyway, we should probably shelve all talk of competition until your back and hammie are on the mend. I don't want to tempt you to come back too soon--apologies for bringing it up.

Feeling much better this week, I hit the gym last night after a good hike/run up a mountain and everything felt great. Today there is almost no back pain at all which is the first time since the injury. I am not sure if its just time, the no beer thing or that I am eating better? At some point I will probably reintroduce a beer a day or so and see if that much or little is ok. Probably after the race though.

Yeah I think I will just progress slowly, really slowly and just see where I end up. Squatting seems to be problem free so I am going to keep squatting only. I definitely feel the difference between back squats in the hammies and front squats in the quads that feels like it is a good balance. So maybe 5x5x225 is a good goal by the end of the year for back squats for now.

Yeah day two with my son yesterday, that conditioning work was much harder for me than him....

How's the blood pressure doing by the way?
 
Feeling much better this week, I hit the gym last night after a good hike/run up a mountain and everything felt great. Today there is almost no back pain at all which is the first time since the injury. I am not sure if its just time, the no beer thing or that I am eating better? At some point I will probably reintroduce a beer a day or so and see if that much or little is ok. Probably after the race though.

Yeah I think I will just progress slowly, really slowly and just see where I end up. Squatting seems to be problem free so I am going to keep squatting only. I definitely feel the difference between back squats in the hammies and front squats in the quads that feels like it is a good balance. So maybe 5x5x225 is a good goal by the end of the year for back squats for now.

Yeah day two with my son yesterday, that conditioning work was much harder for me than him....

How's the blood pressure doing by the way?
Glad to hear things are progressing well.

I think I read in the Paleo literature that beer is supposed to inflammatory. But I rarely pay much attention to the diet/nutrition stuff. Just too confusing, and there's such a strong impetus to publish just about anything. Of course, alcohol in general is toxic, that seems pretty well established . . .

Sounds like a good plan with the dual squats replacing the deads. I'm sure you'll be just fine with that.

My ten-year-old son likes to monkey around on my rack and with the cable while I'm lifting, but I think he's still a few years from serious training. I think 12-14 would be a good period to start, once the androgens start kicking in. He absolutely loves sports. He's just finishing up tennis and baseball, then on to soccer and flag football next week. It will be interesting to hear of your experience with your son. Will give me some idea of how to approach my son's lifting when the time comes.

Blood pressure is better with the nearly daily walking (except for the last 6-7 days), and I can feel the difference. But I think I really need to get serious about the conditioning before it will get down to completely normal. Meanwhile, I take my meds.

Thinking about going on walks first thing in the morning in a fasted state, see if that helps a bit with weight loss. But I think here again, conditioning will be key.

How's the air quality there when you're running? It's been poor at times here. Some of it is from fires directly above us in northern Minnesota and Canada. Not sure how much is from out West.
 
Glad to hear things are progressing well.

I think I read in the Paleo literature that beer is supposed to inflammatory. But I rarely pay much attention to the diet/nutrition stuff. Just too confusing, and there's such a strong impetus to publish just about anything. Of course, alcohol in general is toxic, that seems pretty well established . . .

Sounds like a good plan with the dual squats replacing the deads. I'm sure you'll be just fine with that.

My ten-year-old son likes to monkey around on my rack and with the cable while I'm lifting, but I think he's still a few years from serious training. I think 12-14 would be a good period to start, once the androgens start kicking in. He absolutely loves sports. He's just finishing up tennis and baseball, then on to soccer and flag football next week. It will be interesting to hear of your experience with your son. Will give me some idea of how to approach my son's lifting when the time comes.

Blood pressure is better with the nearly daily walking (except for the last 6-7 days), and I can feel the difference. But I think I really need to get serious about the conditioning before it will get down to completely normal. Meanwhile, I take my meds.

Thinking about going on walks first thing in the morning in a fasted state, see if that helps a bit with weight loss. But I think here again, conditioning will be key.

How's the air quality there when you're running? It's been poor at times here. Some of it is from fires directly above us in northern Minnesota and Canada. Not sure how much is from out West.

Actually the air quality here has been great this summer, other than the layer of pollution hanging over the metro area. Usually I head up the mountains above all that though. I think most of the smoke is going north of us. Good to hear about the benefits of walking, I would have to agree if I don't get a run in a walk really is a great substitute, maybe even a better one physically. Although I tend to be a little more productive mentally on my runs for some reason?

I'll keep you posted about how the lifting is working for him, we are supposed to go tonight. I'll check back in the AM to see if he wanted to go.

Yeah same here with sports basically all of the kids are participating in them, it makes for hectic scheduling and driving around during the week and weekends. But the benefits are definitely worth it.
 
Actually the air quality here has been great this summer, other than the layer of pollution hanging over the metro area. Usually I head up the mountains above all that though. I think most of the smoke is going north of us. Good to hear about the benefits of walking, I would have to agree if I don't get a run in a walk really is a great substitute, maybe even a better one physically. Although I tend to be a little more productive mentally on my runs for some reason?

I'll keep you posted about how the lifting is working for him, we are supposed to go tonight. I'll check back in the AM to see if he wanted to go.

Yeah same here with sports basically all of the kids are participating in them, it makes for hectic scheduling and driving around during the week and weekends. But the benefits are definitely worth it.
Ya, for me running is much more satisfying than walking. And I agree, you get into a deeper meditative state too. Lately I've been listening to my field recordings. I sort of drift in and out of attention. My "Five Hills" walk has become my standard. Just a little under two miles, with little flat terrain. It just takes 40 minutes and really sets up the day nicely. Today I skipped it though due to all the particulate matter in the air. It's supposed to clear out later today.

I guess I'm lucky that our daughter has no interest in sports, so I just have to transport our son around, and a lot of the practices and games are just four blocks away. It's fun to relive all that through him, albeit at a higher level of speed and skill.
 
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I think I am all caught up now, both lifting and running are going well. I had a tweak in the back the other night but I have been taking 500mg of curcuminoids and a couple ibuprofen at night before bed and it seems to help. Also adding in some beer seems to help me get better sleep at night. I have been averaging 7 hours vs. 6 before.

Glad to hear your lifting and running are going well again. Do you think you'll be in decent shape for your trail run?

As you can see, my lifting has been getting better ever since I increased the loads and adjusted the ratios a bit. Funny how that works. Seems like there's a certain threshold of stress/stimulation to get full benefit from lifting. By going too light, I was regressing. It got me back to a Squat-centric approach.

With my family member's illness, I've fallen off the bandwagon a bit, but I'll think I'll be caught back up before next cycle. I've got another tweak or two in mind, but overall, I'm enjoying the ramping approach. I've got such a mental block to lifting these days, it's very useful to ease into the worksets, and I think Thibaudieu makes a good case for the physical activation aspect as well. Now I just have to figure out the right formula for increases, sets/reps at target load, and back-off sets.

What does curcuminoid do?
 
Glad to hear your lifting and running are going well again. Do you think you'll be in decent shape for your trail run?

As you can see, my lifting has been getting better ever since I increased the loads and adjusted the ratios a bit. Funny how that works. Seems like there's a certain threshold of stress/stimulation to get full benefit from lifting. By going too light, I was regressing. It got me back to a Squat-centric approach.

With my family member's illness, I've fallen off the bandwagon a bit, but I'll think I'll be caught back up before next cycle. I've got another tweak or two in mind, but overall, I'm enjoying the ramping approach. I've got such a mental block to lifting these days, it's very useful to ease into the worksets, and I think Thibaudieu makes a good case for the physical activation aspect as well. Now I just have to figure out the right formula for increases, sets/reps at target load, and back-off sets.

What does curcuminoid do?

No I am not confident at all, although it's probably going to be pretty painful after about 4 hours. I am planning on taking it slow though and eating plenty so hopefully I will at least finish. They finally posted some stats and the route, its 6000ft up but 8000 ft down so that will be helpful. There is about 6 miles above 12,000 ft elevation but that is in the beginning of the race mostly and the second climb comes at 14 miles. Hopefully over the next couple of weekends I will get a 4 then 5 hour run in.

Yeah ramping does work well actually, it's a little more time consuming but I think probably better off lifting in the long run. The one thing I miss when doing it is the volume, but then again that comes with some serious soreness so maybe 5x5's is too much? I guess with your back off set you could ramp up then drop down a bit and do 2-3 decently heavy sets if you want.

Curcuminoid is turmeric extract, on most of the turmeric studies done they used a 500mg curcuminoid equivalent dosage which is why I started taking that in addition to regular tumeric as well. I usually take it for the anti-inflammatory effects but supposedly it is good for a plethora if things https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/turmeric/ . Usually I take a teaspoon of turmeric in the morning and then two pills of turmeric extract in the evening. Supposedly pepper speeds up the absorption in the stomach so I add pepper to water when I drink it. There seems to be benefit to taking both and little if any risk of side effects. I don't think its a cure all but any little bit helps I guess.
 
No I am not confident at all, although it's probably going to be pretty painful after about 4 hours. I am planning on taking it slow though and eating plenty so hopefully I will at least finish. They finally posted some stats and the route, its 6000ft up but 8000 ft down so that will be helpful. There is about 6 miles above 12,000 ft elevation but that is in the beginning of the race mostly and the second climb comes at 14 miles. Hopefully over the next couple of weekends I will get a 4 then 5 hour run in.

Yeah ramping does work well actually, it's a little more time consuming but I think probably better off lifting in the long run. The one thing I miss when doing it is the volume, but then again that comes with some serious soreness so maybe 5x5's is too much? I guess with your back off set you could ramp up then drop down a bit and do 2-3 decently heavy sets if you want.

Curcuminoid is turmeric extract, on most of the turmeric studies done they used a 500mg curcuminoid equivalent dosage which is why I started taking that in addition to regular tumeric as well. I usually take it for the anti-inflammatory effects but supposedly it is good for a plethora if things https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/turmeric/ . Usually I take a teaspoon of turmeric in the morning and then two pills of turmeric extract in the evening. Supposedly pepper speeds up the absorption in the stomach so I add pepper to water when I drink it. There seems to be benefit to taking both and little if any risk of side effects. I don't think its a cure all but any little bit helps I guess.
Wow, that sounds like a tough race. Shows me how badly out of shape I am. My "Hills" walks usually have less than 200 ft gain, and that tires me out a little, although not as much as when I started. I'm thinking about running up at least part of the hills from time to time. I think my knees can take it. They haven't been cranky in years. Anyway, good luck!

I think 5x5 is a good amount of volume, provided you have a day of rest in between each movement. If the soreness is in the muscles, that's probably OK, but if your joints or back are getting sore, then yes, it might be too much volume. My ramp approach actually is a 5x5 program too, if we count the four ramps. The question is how exactly to program it: How close should the ramps be? How many target sets are best? And should I try a double progression where I include a progressive increase in reps as well as weight? And then how useful are back-off sets in a pure strength program? I've got some ideas for next cycle.

Thanks for the explanation and link. I try not to get too caught up in supplements, but I do take some. Perhaps I should add Curcuminoid.
 
Wow, that sounds like a tough race. Shows me how badly out of shape I am. My "Hills" walks usually have less than 200 ft gain, and that tires me out a little, although not as much as when I started. I'm thinking about running up at least part of the hills from time to time. I think my knees can take it. They haven't been cranky in years. Anyway, good luck!

I think 5x5 is a good amount of volume, provided you have a day of rest in between each movement. If the soreness is in the muscles, that's probably OK, but if your joints or back are getting sore, then yes, it might be too much volume. My ramp approach actually is a 5x5 program too, if we count the four ramps. The question is how exactly to program it: How close should the ramps be? How many target sets are best? And should I try a double progression where I include a progressive increase in reps as well as weight? And then how useful are back-off sets in a pure strength program? I've got some ideas for next cycle.

Thanks for the explanation and link. I try not to get too caught up in supplements, but I do take some. Perhaps I should add Curcuminoid.

I think for the ramping you could probably do it moving from heavier increases to lighter as the sets go on. I am curious to hear what you come up with. It might be worth reviewing the 531 plan to see his logic for increases. It sounds like you are tinkering with some of the same ideas.