Assessment of last cycle. Between the health scare in the first half, and the bruised rib in the second, it was a pretty dismal cycle. But I started to get into a late morning rhythm when I did lift/walk. And I got a glimpse of the Lower/Upper Split working out OK.
Goals for this cycle. Really try to establish a late morning start-time most days. I'll try to keep to the Lower-/Upper-body Split for the entire cycle, to really give it a chance. Optimally, I would start with the lifting, then go on a 2-to-3-mile "Hills" walk, then push the sled on upper-body days, and get on the rower on lower-body days for some HIIT, for about ten minutes total each conditioning session.
But as it gets nice out later in the cycle, it might make more sense to get the walk in first thing in the morning, then do the lifting and conditioning just before lunch.
---------------Week 1: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.02.27
Monday, 22.02.28
Tuesday, 22.03.01
LATE MORNING/NOON
Resistance
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Wednesday, 22.03.02
LATE MORNING/NOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Thursday, 22.03.03
LATE MORNING/NOON
Resistance
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.6 mi walk with dog around a suburban lake with little path, too much traffic noise. Oh well, worth a try. 120ft.
Lots of Ice!
I think I've officially given up on the time-restricted dieting. For the late morning workout timeslot, it seems to work better if I have breakfast earlier and then a mid-morning snack of fruit or Goat Kefir. So I'm prioritizing consistency over weight loss per se this cycle, as I think consistent exercise will have the greatest long-term impact on weight loss.
Friday, 22.03.04
AFTERNOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Saturday, 22.03.05
AFTERNOON
Resistance
Shoveling heavy snow
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
It rained Friday and then snowed overnight. During the walk I employed a lot of stability muscles.
---------------Week 2: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.03.06
Monday, 22.03.07
Tuesday, 22.03.08
AFTERNOON
Resistance
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Wednesday, 22.03.09
AFTERNOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Thursday, 22.03.10
MORNING
Resistance
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85/95
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
OK, getting to five ramps again. I'll try to do the same for the Lower-body lifts soon. Next, I will work in the Bench Press and Pendlay Rows on the Upper days. Then I'll try to add sets to the target loads of all six lifts of the Upper/Lower split. After that, hopefully, I'll start building up to the five ramps of Training Block One again:
It would be nice to get there by the end of this cycle, but the focus remains consistency over goals.
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Friday, 22.03.11
AFTERNOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185
Below zero windchills, I wimped out and skipped my walk. I'm ready for spring temps, which should begin next week.
Saturday, 22.03.12
Son's futsal in the morning then birthday party in the afternoon.
---------------Week 3: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.03.13
NOON
Resistance
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85/95
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.45 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog, plus a walk around the block checking out snowmelt going into the storm sewers with my son. 206ft. Spring is in the air!
Monday, 22.03.14
LATE MORNING
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185/225
Intermittence
Concept II Rower: 2 x [30 sec @ L-Int; 30 sec @ M-Int] = 2 minutes
LATE AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Wow, all three metabolic modalities in one day . . .
I read today that statins can cause muscle weakness. Perhaps that is why I seem to be in endless priming mode with the lifting? I began taking a statin in mid-January because my cholesterol levels were a bit above the normal range when I checked in with my new doc. I think it'll be better to get the levels down through consistent exercise, which seems to be taking hold, so I'll stop taking it tomorrow. Maybe half my blood pressure med too. I've never liked the idea of pill-popping, only started a few years ago, but the more I read about Big Pharma, the more it seems best to avoid the pills if possible. Ten years ago I got my blood pressure down through consistent exercise, so I think I'll try that again until proven wrong. It's just that I had been viewing the meds as a stopgap until I got in better shape. Now I wonder if they are in some ways preventing me from exercising more, or even affecting my motivation. Hard to say with so many variables, but best to try what I know has already worked in the past first.
Tuesday, 22.03.15
NOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Wednesday, 22.03.16
LATE MORNING/NOON
Resistance
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
LATE AFTERNOON
.5 mi to rec center. 34ft
Thursday, 22.03.17
Friday, 22.03.18
LATE MORNING
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185/225
Intermittence
Concept II Rower: 3 x [30 sec @ L-Int; 30 sec @ M-Int] = 3 minutes
LATE AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Saturday, 22.03.19
---------------Week 4: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.03.20
AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Monday, 22.03.21
LATE AFTERNOON
Persistence
2 mi walk with dog and daughter, mostly flat. 105ft.
Tuesday, 22.03.22
Rainy blew off walk. Also have a mild sore throat, hopefully it's just seasonal allegeries.
Wednesday, 22.03.23
NOON
Resistance
BP: 3 @ 45/95/115/135
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
OP: 3 @ 45/65
Got interrupted, but managed to start up the Bench Press again. Next time will get in the Rows too.
Thursday, 22.03.24
LATE AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.05 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft. 44F first day barefoot since last fall. Most surfaces are dry now.
Felt pretty draggy all day. Went and got a Covid test.
Friday, 22.03.25
Saturday, 22.03.26
---------------Week 5: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.03.27
Monday, 22.03.28
AFTERNOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135
RDL: 3 @ 135/185
I think what I've been doing are Roman Deadlifts, not of Straight-legged ones: https://www.t-nation.com/training/difference-between-romanian-deadlifts-stiff-leg/
Persistence
2.05 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft. 37F
I jogged up the first hill. Will do that again I think, then if all goes well, start adding hills.
Tuesday, 22.03.29
LATE MORNING
Resistance
BP: 3 @ 45/95/135
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75
RW: 3 @ 95/135
Finally got in all four Upper Body lifts. I noticed these loads are close to the ones of the first Ramp set of my first training block, so I guess I'll follow that block and try to go up in Ramps until I hit the Target set, then add reps.
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft. 46F, 37WC
Wednesday, 22.03.30
Thursday, 22.03.31
Friday, 22.04.01
Saturday, 22.04.02
---------------Week 6: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.04.03
Monday, 22.04.04
Tuesday, 22.04.05
Wednesday, 22.04.06
Thursday, 22.04.07
Friday, 22.04.08
Saturday, 22.04.09
---------------Week 7: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.04.10
Monday, 22.04.11
Tuesday, 22.04.12
Wednesday, 22.04.13
Thursday, 22.04.14
Friday, 22.04.15
Saturday, 22.04.16
---------------Week 8: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.04.17
Monday, 22.04.18
Tuesday, 22.04.19
Wednesday, 22.04.20
Thursday, 22.04.21
Friday, 22.04.22
Saturday, 22.04.23
Goals for this cycle. Really try to establish a late morning start-time most days. I'll try to keep to the Lower-/Upper-body Split for the entire cycle, to really give it a chance. Optimally, I would start with the lifting, then go on a 2-to-3-mile "Hills" walk, then push the sled on upper-body days, and get on the rower on lower-body days for some HIIT, for about ten minutes total each conditioning session.
But as it gets nice out later in the cycle, it might make more sense to get the walk in first thing in the morning, then do the lifting and conditioning just before lunch.
---------------Week 1: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.02.27
Monday, 22.02.28
Tuesday, 22.03.01
LATE MORNING/NOON
Resistance
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Wednesday, 22.03.02
LATE MORNING/NOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Thursday, 22.03.03
LATE MORNING/NOON
Resistance
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.6 mi walk with dog around a suburban lake with little path, too much traffic noise. Oh well, worth a try. 120ft.
Lots of Ice!
I think I've officially given up on the time-restricted dieting. For the late morning workout timeslot, it seems to work better if I have breakfast earlier and then a mid-morning snack of fruit or Goat Kefir. So I'm prioritizing consistency over weight loss per se this cycle, as I think consistent exercise will have the greatest long-term impact on weight loss.
Friday, 22.03.04
AFTERNOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Saturday, 22.03.05
AFTERNOON
Resistance
Shoveling heavy snow
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
It rained Friday and then snowed overnight. During the walk I employed a lot of stability muscles.
---------------Week 2: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.03.06
Monday, 22.03.07
Tuesday, 22.03.08
AFTERNOON
Resistance
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Wednesday, 22.03.09
AFTERNOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Thursday, 22.03.10
MORNING
Resistance
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85/95
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
OK, getting to five ramps again. I'll try to do the same for the Lower-body lifts soon. Next, I will work in the Bench Press and Pendlay Rows on the Upper days. Then I'll try to add sets to the target loads of all six lifts of the Upper/Lower split. After that, hopefully, I'll start building up to the five ramps of Training Block One again:
It would be nice to get there by the end of this cycle, but the focus remains consistency over goals.
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Friday, 22.03.11
AFTERNOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185
Below zero windchills, I wimped out and skipped my walk. I'm ready for spring temps, which should begin next week.
Saturday, 22.03.12
Son's futsal in the morning then birthday party in the afternoon.
---------------Week 3: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.03.13
NOON
Resistance
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85/95
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.45 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog, plus a walk around the block checking out snowmelt going into the storm sewers with my son. 206ft. Spring is in the air!
Monday, 22.03.14
LATE MORNING
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185/225
Intermittence
Concept II Rower: 2 x [30 sec @ L-Int; 30 sec @ M-Int] = 2 minutes
LATE AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Wow, all three metabolic modalities in one day . . .
I read today that statins can cause muscle weakness. Perhaps that is why I seem to be in endless priming mode with the lifting? I began taking a statin in mid-January because my cholesterol levels were a bit above the normal range when I checked in with my new doc. I think it'll be better to get the levels down through consistent exercise, which seems to be taking hold, so I'll stop taking it tomorrow. Maybe half my blood pressure med too. I've never liked the idea of pill-popping, only started a few years ago, but the more I read about Big Pharma, the more it seems best to avoid the pills if possible. Ten years ago I got my blood pressure down through consistent exercise, so I think I'll try that again until proven wrong. It's just that I had been viewing the meds as a stopgap until I got in better shape. Now I wonder if they are in some ways preventing me from exercising more, or even affecting my motivation. Hard to say with so many variables, but best to try what I know has already worked in the past first.
Tuesday, 22.03.15
NOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Wednesday, 22.03.16
LATE MORNING/NOON
Resistance
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75/85
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
LATE AFTERNOON
.5 mi to rec center. 34ft
Thursday, 22.03.17
Friday, 22.03.18
LATE MORNING
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135/185
SLDL: 3 @ 135/185/225
Intermittence
Concept II Rower: 3 x [30 sec @ L-Int; 30 sec @ M-Int] = 3 minutes
LATE AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft.
Saturday, 22.03.19
---------------Week 4: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.03.20
AFTERNOON
Persistence
3 mi "Eight Hills" walk with dog. 292ft.
Monday, 22.03.21
LATE AFTERNOON
Persistence
2 mi walk with dog and daughter, mostly flat. 105ft.
Tuesday, 22.03.22
Rainy blew off walk. Also have a mild sore throat, hopefully it's just seasonal allegeries.
Wednesday, 22.03.23
NOON
Resistance
BP: 3 @ 45/95/115/135
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
OP: 3 @ 45/65
Got interrupted, but managed to start up the Bench Press again. Next time will get in the Rows too.
Thursday, 22.03.24
LATE AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.05 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft. 44F first day barefoot since last fall. Most surfaces are dry now.
Felt pretty draggy all day. Went and got a Covid test.
Friday, 22.03.25
Saturday, 22.03.26
---------------Week 5: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.03.27
Monday, 22.03.28
AFTERNOON
Resistance
SQ: 3 @ 45/95/135
RDL: 3 @ 135/185
I think what I've been doing are Roman Deadlifts, not of Straight-legged ones: https://www.t-nation.com/training/difference-between-romanian-deadlifts-stiff-leg/
Persistence
2.05 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft. 37F
I jogged up the first hill. Will do that again I think, then if all goes well, start adding hills.
Tuesday, 22.03.29
LATE MORNING
Resistance
BP: 3 @ 45/95/135
PD: 3 @ 100/120/140/160
OP: 3 @ 45/65/75
RW: 3 @ 95/135
Finally got in all four Upper Body lifts. I noticed these loads are close to the ones of the first Ramp set of my first training block, so I guess I'll follow that block and try to go up in Ramps until I hit the Target set, then add reps.
AFTERNOON
Persistence
2.15 mi "Five Hills" walk with dog. 194ft. 46F, 37WC
Wednesday, 22.03.30
Thursday, 22.03.31
Friday, 22.04.01
Saturday, 22.04.02
---------------Week 6: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.04.03
Monday, 22.04.04
Tuesday, 22.04.05
Wednesday, 22.04.06
Thursday, 22.04.07
Friday, 22.04.08
Saturday, 22.04.09
---------------Week 7: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.04.10
Monday, 22.04.11
Tuesday, 22.04.12
Wednesday, 22.04.13
Thursday, 22.04.14
Friday, 22.04.15
Saturday, 22.04.16
---------------Week 8: Cycle II---------------
Sunday, 22.04.17
Monday, 22.04.18
Tuesday, 22.04.19
Wednesday, 22.04.20
Thursday, 22.04.21
Friday, 22.04.22
Saturday, 22.04.23
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