Ruckin's low-dose GET LEAN holiday blast

[ruckin]

Training yesterday 12/15: 5/3/1 press day, cycle 1 wk 2
Press 135x3, 155x3, 178x6
Chins (dead hang) 236x5x5
Dumbbell Incline bench 60sx10x5

Training today 12/16: 5/3/1 deadlift day, cycle 1 wk 2
Deadlift 335x3, 385x3, 435x6
ATG Squat 225x10x5
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3
Decline Situps +30x12

Also 1 hour at BJJ right after.

Deadlift felt weak as fuck today, but my squat and deadlift are always really bad in the mornings, which is when I had to lift today due to my schedule. Does anyone have that same problem? It's basically that my lower back is always SUPER tight when lifting before the early afternoon.

Maybe there's some mobility work I could do to help on those days I'm forced to squat/pull in the mornings. Any ideas?

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I feel like I'm not strong before about 9am at the earliest.

 

[ruckin]

Training both yesterday and today was a 5 mile jog followed by an hour at BJJ. Didn't time either jog due to heavy rain when I was outside yesterday (and I don't particularly enjoy breaking my phone, so didn't bring it), and just forgot to time today. If I had to guess though, yesterday was probably 44-45 minutes (felt REALLY slow after doing squats and deads the day before) and today probably 41-42 minutes.

I feel like I'm not strong before about 9am at the earliest.

Even on upper body stuff I'm not either, but for the lower body stuff it's just like my nervous system doesn't "wake up" til mid-day. Really frustrating.

If anyone reading has any ideas about that, I'd still really love to hear them.

 

[Oldschool]

Keep up the great work!

 

[ruckin]

Hey everyone, I got distracted with traveling and visiting family around Christmas and fell out of the habit of keeping up here for a while, but I'm back now. Diet has been fine; I went a little overboard during the week of Christmas and just ate like an asshole, but a couple weeks of good, clean eating after that has me back to where I was before. I just finished my first ever 10 mile jog as I'm typing this (most I've ever ran before was 5-6), which is logged below just copying my private training log from my phone from the last few weeks:

1/15: TEN MILE JOG. Time 1:27:41 (pace 8:46/mile)

1/14: 5 mile jog. Time 43:38

1/13: 5/3/1 deadlift day, cycle 2 wk 2 (had to go right after waking up, felt super weak)
Deadlift 345x3, 395x3, 445x5 (wtf)
ATG Squat 205x10x3
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3

1/12: 5/3/1 press day, cycle 2 wk 2
Press 140x3, 160x3, 180x6
bb rows 135x20x3
Incline bench 60sx10x5

1/11: 5 mile jog (treadmill). Time ~42:00

1/10: 5/3/1 squat day, cycle 2 wk 1
ATG Squat 275x5, 315x5, 357x9
Deadlift 225x12x4
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3
Decline Situps +30x12

1/9: 5/3/1 incline day, cycle 2 wk 1
Paused cg incline 155x5, 175x5, 201x9 (wtf)
Bb rows 135x20x3
Press 105x10x5

1/7: 5 mile jog. Time 41:51

1-6: 5/3/1 deadlift day, cycle 2 wk 1
Deadlift 325x5, 365x5, 420x10
ATG Squat 205x10x5
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3
Decline Situps +30x12

1-5: 5/3/1 press day, cycle 2 wk 1
Press 130x5, 150x5, 170x9
Chins (dead hang) 246x5x2 (forearm/elbow tendon still having pain)
Bb rows 135x20x2
Incline bench 60sx10x5

1-4: 4 mile run

1/3/20: 5/3/1 squat day, cycle 1 wk 4
ATG Squat 165x5, 205x5, 245x5
Deadlift 185x10x3
Plate shrugs 45sx30x1
Decline Situps bwx20+

1/2/2020: 5/3/1 incline day, cycle 1 wk 4
Paused cg incline 95x5, 115x5, 145x5
db rows 50sx10x3
Press 35sx10x3

1/1/2020: 5 mile jog. Time 42:08

12/31: 5 mile jog. Time 41:30


12/30: 5/3/1 deadlift day, cycle 1 wk 4
Deadlift 195x5, 245x5, 295x5
ATG Squat 135x10x3

12/29: 5/3/1 press day, cycle 1 wk 4
Press --- db press 40sx5, 45sx5, 50sx6
db rows 50sx15x3
Incline bench 50sx10x3

12/27: 5/3/1 squat day, cycle 1 wk 3
ATG Squat 305x5, 345x3, 390x3
Deadlift 225x10x5
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3
Decline Situps +30x10

12/26: 5/3/1 incline day, cycle 1 wk 3
Paused cg incline 175x5, 195x3, 215x8
Chins (dead hang) BWx3x3 (right forearm pain)
Press 50sx10x5

12/24: 5/3/1 deadlift day, cycle 1 wk 3
Deadlift 365x5, 415x3, 455x5
ATG Squat 225x10x5
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3

12/22: 5/3/1 press day, cycle 1 wk 3
Press 145x5, 165x3, 185x3
Chins (dead hang) --- (right forearm/elbow pain)
Incline bench - press 105x10x5

12/20: 5/3/1 squat day, cycle 1 wk 2
ATG Squat 285x3, 325x3, 370x7
Deadlift 225x10x5
Situps +30x10
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3

12/20: 5/3/1 incline day, cycle 1 wk 2
Paused cg incline 165x3, 185x3, 210x9
Chins (dead hang) BWx5x5
Press 50sx10x5


*Also still doing BJJ 3-5 times per week

 

[ruckin]

Training today:
5/3/1 incline day, cycle 2 wk 2
Paused cg incline 165x3, 185x3, 213x7
1 arm db rows 60x20x3
Press 50sx10x5

1 hour at BJJ

Not sure what's going on this week, that's the second straight workout with shit performance. Diet has been the same as usual leading up to and including this week, and sleep has been on point. Don't feel particularly stressed either, so maybe it's just a fluke.

I am weighing in at a low of 233 this morning though, and looking noticably leaner, so maybe it's just a part of the weight loss.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Weight loss and shit performance go hand in hand.

 

[ruckin]

Weight loss and shit performance go hand in hand.

Yeah I guess you're right. I've just never been very good at losing weight before lol so I'm not used to it. I'm sure it'll come back quick once I finish and start eating a little more again.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

It will, you just have to suffer through it. I'm still feeling a little weak after my cut.

 

[ruckin]

Weight was 232 this morning.

Training today:
-1 hour at BJJ
-5/3/1 squat day, cycle 2 wk 2
ATG Squat 295x3, 335x3, 378x4... (goal was 7-8)
Deadlift 225x10x5
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3
Decline situps +35x10

I don't know what the fuck is going on with my strength all of the sudden, but I can't stand it. This is just ridiculous. 7 reps on my top set of squats was a pretty reasonable expectation going in based on last week, and I barely squeezed out 4. I'm praying this is just one of those unexplainable bad weeks and next week is more like last week (which still wasn't that great by the way). Could be some lingering fatigue from the 10 mile run too, but that still wouldn't explain the shit deadlifts on Monday...

Oh well, fuck me. Just have to keep at it I guess and get to my goal weight soon so I can stop this. Thanks for reading my bitching and whining.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I mean running, cutting weight, BJJ... recipe for strength loss. Plus getting older, wait till your my age lol. For real though I feel your pain. 275x8 bench was kind of difficult for me yesterday. Can't wait to get my strength back post cut.

 

[ruckin]

I mean running, cutting weight, BJJ... recipe for strength loss. Plus getting older, wait till your my age lol. For real though I feel your pain. 275x8 bench was kind of difficult for me yesterday. Can't wait to get my strength back post cut.

Yeah man it's a serious mind fuck. What's confusing me the most is that I've been doing the running and BJJ regularly for months now, and it's just this week that all of the sudden my strength goes to shit. But oh well, I'm not slowing down the cut so I'll just do my best and see what happens. I'm sure both our strength will come back quickly once it's over.

 

[ruckin]

Weight this morning 231

Training:
-conditioning work: 13 hill sprints (~40 yds at ~30° angle). Walked on the way down after each and did the next one immediately once I was back to the start. No "rest" besides the walking downhill.

-1 hour at BJJ


Glad to see my weight down some more today despite eating a lot last night. I didn't cheat, just went to town on a shit ton of veggies and a few extra eggs, which I expected to add a little weight just from still sitting in my stomach this morning. Didn't poo either so I wouldn't be surprised to see a 1-3 lb weight drop again in the next couple days.

 

[ruckin]

Training today:
5/3/1 press day, cycle 2 wk 3
Press 150x5, 170x3, 190x3
bb rows 135x20x3
Incline bench 65sx10x3 (left triceps getting a little pain…)

I think this new tricep pain I started feeling suddenly today is the last piece of proof I needed to see to realize I probably just need a deload. Luckily this is the last week of heavy lifting before the scheduled deload week anyway, so I'm just going to stick it out these last 3 workouts and take it real easy next week. I'll be sure to eat more too so I can recover as much as possible before starting up cycle 3 of the program.

 

[ruckin]

Morning weight 231

Training:
5/3/1 deadlift day, cycle 2 wk 3
Deadlift 365x5, 415x3, 470x1
ATG Squat 185x10x3
Plate shrugs 45sx30x3
Decline Situps +35x10

1 hour at BJJ

Lifting this morning was bad to the point where ot was just funny, not even upset about it anymore. It's painfully obvious that I seriously need a deload now. I normally should've been able to deadlift 470 for 6 reps bare minimum, so to barely get 1 was just silly. I'm thinking now maybe I should just start the deload and diet break now and make it a week and a half, instead of the originally planned 1 week next week. Thoughts anyone? I'm strongly leaning towards the 1.5 week option starting today.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Do one week and have a high carb day in my opinion or even a carb up weekend as long as it won't send you into a binge eating spree.

 

[ruckin]

Do one week and have a high carb day in my opinion or even a carb up weekend as long as it won't send you into a binge eating spree.

Good idea. I am worried about going into a binge if I let myself get too relaxed around the carbs, but if I just buy stuff like fruit and oats I'm sure it'll be fine. I have a rugby game this weekend too so that'll be extra good reason to carb up a little.

 

[ruckin]

Weight this morning 232

Training today(deload):
5 mile sorta jog (walked the first quarter of each mile to make it easier for the deload)

After I left my gym yesterday and decided to start the deload, I went straight to a grocery store and got a nice big jar of salted peanuts and devoured probably 2000 calories of them. Lol it felt amazing. All I ate aside from them was the usual eggs and veggies though, so no harm done. Ate a little extra today too and it feels really nice. Looking forward to getting back to heavy training next week.