Assessment of Last Cycle: Broke into decent lifting resistances, got a little better with the aerobic component. Gave up on the Push-Pull Split and everyday (ED) lifting and aerobic. It was just too ambitious for my level of motivation.
Goals for this Cycle:
Try to get my Squat up to a 3RM of 260. If I can do that, then I'm just one cycle away, Cycle I of 2020, from my previous PRs on most lifts, except the Bench Press, as projected by the Iron Ratio. Then Cycle II of next year would push into unknown territory. I will try to do all six main lifts every other day (EOD), as I used to, and then some kind of aerobic or conditioning activity in between. As a preference, I will cycle, but on inclement winter days, I will suffer indoor aerobics on the Airdyne or Rower, or possibly outside with the sled. Winter might be a good time to finally incorporate sled work into my routine. Maybe that could be my seventh-day workout. All six weekly workouts should take about an hour to complete. So,
M = lifting
Tu = aerobic/conditioning
W = lifting
Th = aerobic/conditioning
F = lifting
Sa = aerobic/conditioning
Su = conditioning? Longer bike ride? Rest?
---------------Week 1: Cycle VII---------------
Sunday, 19.12.01
Lifting:
BP: 5 @ 135/145/155/165
SQ: 2 x 2 @ 235
Just primed a bit.
Aerobic:
Shoveling
Monday, 19.12.02
Lifting:
SDL: 3 x 3 5 @ 225
PD: 3 xx5 @ 120
Just primed a bit.
Tuesday, 19.12.03
Feeling a strange virus, cloudy head and a bit dizzy, but otherwise asymptomatic.
Wednesday, 19.12.04
Thursday, 19.12.05
Friday, 19.12.06
Saturday, 19.12.07
---------------Week 2: Cycle VII---------------
Sunday, 19.12.08
Monday, 19.12.09
Dizziness wasn't passing, so I kept putting off working out last week, and then my vision started to get blurry Sunday and Monday mornings, so I went into our clinic. High blood pressure! Crap. They gave me 200mg of Clonidine to bring it down right away.
Tuesday, 19.12.10
Follow up visit, blood pressure prescription. Hmnn, time to prioritize cardio/heart over lifting/strength! I may go back to trying the ED aerobic in the morning, Push/Pull split in the after protocol of last cycle. This was a real wake-up call.
Wednesday, 19.12.11
Trip out of town.
Thursday, 19.12.12
Aerobic
Snow shoveling, 10 minutes rowing until I was interrupted.
Friday, 19.12.13
Saturday, 19.12.14
---------------Week 3: Cycle VII---------------
Sunday, 19.12.15
Monday, 19.12.16
PM
Aerobic
20 mins, light rowing
Tuesday, 19.12.17
AM
Aerobic
20 mins, light Airdyne
Well, with the blood pressure scare, I'm going to try the ED Push/Pull split for the rest of this cycle, try to get the heart rate up twice a day. So the plan is to alternate these Day 1 and Day 2 workouts three times a week.
Day 1: Push
AM
Aerobic: Airdyne, 20-30 minutes
PM
Lifting: Push (Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press)
Conditioning: Sled Push
Day 2: Pull
AM
Aerobic: Rower, 20-30 minutes
PM
Lifting: Pull (Deadlift, Pendlay Row, Pulldowns)
Conditioning: Sled Pull
On the Seventh Day, either hang out with our maker, or go on a bike ride, or do some rinky dink stuff with weights or kettlebells or some active mobility stuff.
Wednesday, 19.12.18
PM
Lifting: Push
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 135
OP: 3 x 5 @ 65
BP: 3 x 5 @ 135
Still feeling light-headed, so did everything light just to see how it goes.
Aerobic
15 mins, Airdyne some higher intensity mixed in with the low intensity.
Thursday, 19.12.19
PM
Lifting: Pull
DL: 3 x 3 @ 225
RW: 3 x 5 @ 135
PD: 3 x 5 @ 120
Aerobic
15 mins, Rowing, a little more higher intensity mixed in with the low intensity. I think I will keep the indoor aerobic stuff to 15-20 minutes and just try to increase the intensity. I think I prefer intensity over volume/length. It's easier to motivate.
Still feeling a light-headed, but it seems to be getting better. Could the return to aerobic exercise be having such an immediate effect?
Friday, 19.12.20
PM
Lifting: Push
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 185
OP: 3 x 5 @ 95
BP: 3 x 5 @ 135
Seems Ok, I guess I'll try 3 x 225 for the squat next time.
Aerobic
15 mins, Airdyne a little higher intensity--amazing how quickly the cardio-vascular system adapts to even a little stimulus.
Saturday, 19.12.21
PM
Lifting: Pull
DL: 3 x 3 @ 245
RW: 3 x 5 @ 135
PD: 3 x 5 @ 140
Aerobic
30 mins, Rowing.
---------------Week 4: Cycle VII---------------
Sunday, 19.12.22
Monday, 19.12.23
Lifting: Push
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 225
OP: 3 x 5 @ 95
Aerobic
30 mins, Rowing. Ice chopping. 30 minutes basketball with sons and fathers after my son's practice.
Tuesday, 19.12.24
Lifting: Pull
DL: 3 x 3 @ 260
Wednesday, 19.12.25
Thursday, 19.12.26
Friday, 19.12.27
Aerobic
30 mins, Rowing.
Saturday, 19.12.28
Lifting
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 185
Aerobic
20 mins, Airdyne.
Keeping the lifting to a minimum until I find out what's causing the lightheadedness. My blood pressure has reduced to semi-healthy levels with the increase in meds, but the lightheadness persists. Seeing the doc on Monday.
Goals for this Cycle:
Try to get my Squat up to a 3RM of 260. If I can do that, then I'm just one cycle away, Cycle I of 2020, from my previous PRs on most lifts, except the Bench Press, as projected by the Iron Ratio. Then Cycle II of next year would push into unknown territory. I will try to do all six main lifts every other day (EOD), as I used to, and then some kind of aerobic or conditioning activity in between. As a preference, I will cycle, but on inclement winter days, I will suffer indoor aerobics on the Airdyne or Rower, or possibly outside with the sled. Winter might be a good time to finally incorporate sled work into my routine. Maybe that could be my seventh-day workout. All six weekly workouts should take about an hour to complete. So,
M = lifting
Tu = aerobic/conditioning
W = lifting
Th = aerobic/conditioning
F = lifting
Sa = aerobic/conditioning
Su = conditioning? Longer bike ride? Rest?
---------------Week 1: Cycle VII---------------
Sunday, 19.12.01
Lifting:
BP: 5 @ 135/145/155/165
SQ: 2 x 2 @ 235
Just primed a bit.
Aerobic:
Shoveling
Monday, 19.12.02
Lifting:
SDL: 3 x 3 5 @ 225
PD: 3 xx5 @ 120
Just primed a bit.
Tuesday, 19.12.03
Feeling a strange virus, cloudy head and a bit dizzy, but otherwise asymptomatic.
Wednesday, 19.12.04
Thursday, 19.12.05
Friday, 19.12.06
Saturday, 19.12.07
---------------Week 2: Cycle VII---------------
Sunday, 19.12.08
Monday, 19.12.09
Dizziness wasn't passing, so I kept putting off working out last week, and then my vision started to get blurry Sunday and Monday mornings, so I went into our clinic. High blood pressure! Crap. They gave me 200mg of Clonidine to bring it down right away.
Tuesday, 19.12.10
Follow up visit, blood pressure prescription. Hmnn, time to prioritize cardio/heart over lifting/strength! I may go back to trying the ED aerobic in the morning, Push/Pull split in the after protocol of last cycle. This was a real wake-up call.
Wednesday, 19.12.11
Trip out of town.
Thursday, 19.12.12
Aerobic
Snow shoveling, 10 minutes rowing until I was interrupted.
Friday, 19.12.13
Saturday, 19.12.14
---------------Week 3: Cycle VII---------------
Sunday, 19.12.15
Monday, 19.12.16
PM
Aerobic
20 mins, light rowing
Tuesday, 19.12.17
AM
Aerobic
20 mins, light Airdyne
Well, with the blood pressure scare, I'm going to try the ED Push/Pull split for the rest of this cycle, try to get the heart rate up twice a day. So the plan is to alternate these Day 1 and Day 2 workouts three times a week.
Day 1: Push
AM
Aerobic: Airdyne, 20-30 minutes
PM
Lifting: Push (Squat, Bench Press, Overhead Press)
Conditioning: Sled Push
Day 2: Pull
AM
Aerobic: Rower, 20-30 minutes
PM
Lifting: Pull (Deadlift, Pendlay Row, Pulldowns)
Conditioning: Sled Pull
On the Seventh Day, either hang out with our maker, or go on a bike ride, or do some rinky dink stuff with weights or kettlebells or some active mobility stuff.
Wednesday, 19.12.18
PM
Lifting: Push
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 135
OP: 3 x 5 @ 65
BP: 3 x 5 @ 135
Still feeling light-headed, so did everything light just to see how it goes.
Aerobic
15 mins, Airdyne some higher intensity mixed in with the low intensity.
Thursday, 19.12.19
PM
Lifting: Pull
DL: 3 x 3 @ 225
RW: 3 x 5 @ 135
PD: 3 x 5 @ 120
Aerobic
15 mins, Rowing, a little more higher intensity mixed in with the low intensity. I think I will keep the indoor aerobic stuff to 15-20 minutes and just try to increase the intensity. I think I prefer intensity over volume/length. It's easier to motivate.
Still feeling a light-headed, but it seems to be getting better. Could the return to aerobic exercise be having such an immediate effect?
Friday, 19.12.20
PM
Lifting: Push
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 185
OP: 3 x 5 @ 95
BP: 3 x 5 @ 135
Seems Ok, I guess I'll try 3 x 225 for the squat next time.
Aerobic
15 mins, Airdyne a little higher intensity--amazing how quickly the cardio-vascular system adapts to even a little stimulus.
Saturday, 19.12.21
PM
Lifting: Pull
DL: 3 x 3 @ 245
RW: 3 x 5 @ 135
PD: 3 x 5 @ 140
Aerobic
30 mins, Rowing.
---------------Week 4: Cycle VII---------------
Sunday, 19.12.22
Monday, 19.12.23
Lifting: Push
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 225
OP: 3 x 5 @ 95
Aerobic
30 mins, Rowing. Ice chopping. 30 minutes basketball with sons and fathers after my son's practice.
Tuesday, 19.12.24
Lifting: Pull
DL: 3 x 3 @ 260
Wednesday, 19.12.25
Thursday, 19.12.26
Friday, 19.12.27
Aerobic
30 mins, Rowing.
Saturday, 19.12.28
Lifting
SQ: 3 x 3 @ 185
Aerobic
20 mins, Airdyne.
Keeping the lifting to a minimum until I find out what's causing the lightheadedness. My blood pressure has reduced to semi-healthy levels with the increase in meds, but the lightheadness persists. Seeing the doc on Monday.
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