BP Run Take One...
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dracotdrgn
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:05 pm
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
Just like the BP it's Feast or Famine right. There is rumor of 12 hour shifts, I'll know more soon, but this is a temporary position. I guess this is "real world" training now. I may be taking it easy on the DL just because of work. I just need to find the groove, and the schedule will work out. I've come too far to let a little manual labor get in the way of my gains.
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dracotdrgn
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:05 pm
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
I don't recommend everyday use of these, but here's what I've found very effective for sleep, from mildest to strongest:
Zinc/Magnesium - asparate or picolinate. The common oxide versions found on store shelves are worthless. ZMA if looking for an all in one.
Melatonin 3mg - 1 or two either standalone or in combination with L-theanine. Schiff makes a combo product. I think you can find this at WalMart/Costco etc.
GABA - 2 to 5g on an empty stomach. Start slow as it creeps some people out. It will however, provide very sound, refreshing sleep with a big GH boost to boot! My first stop b/c 1.) You can feel it 2.) It works 3.) More GH. Sold here under Gamma GH.
Diphenhydramine hcl - 25mg. - Antihistamine/allergy relief. Sold as "allergy medicine" at Costco under Kirkland brand.
Doxylamine Succinate 25mg - Sold as "sleep aid" at Costco under Kirkland brand. This is the active in Nyquil that knocks you out.
Phenibut - 500mg to 1 gram. This stuff could zonk a horse so careful with the dose. You may also wake up dizzy.
Zinc/Magnesium - asparate or picolinate. The common oxide versions found on store shelves are worthless. ZMA if looking for an all in one.
Melatonin 3mg - 1 or two either standalone or in combination with L-theanine. Schiff makes a combo product. I think you can find this at WalMart/Costco etc.
GABA - 2 to 5g on an empty stomach. Start slow as it creeps some people out. It will however, provide very sound, refreshing sleep with a big GH boost to boot! My first stop b/c 1.) You can feel it 2.) It works 3.) More GH. Sold here under Gamma GH.
Diphenhydramine hcl - 25mg. - Antihistamine/allergy relief. Sold as "allergy medicine" at Costco under Kirkland brand.
Doxylamine Succinate 25mg - Sold as "sleep aid" at Costco under Kirkland brand. This is the active in Nyquil that knocks you out.
Phenibut - 500mg to 1 gram. This stuff could zonk a horse so careful with the dose. You may also wake up dizzy.
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dracotdrgn
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:05 pm
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
I've been taking 2 AD + an extra melatonin and one Tylenol pm as I leave work. My first four to five hours of sleep are fine, after that no good. The outside noises, light, and my wifes darn cats. I will deal with these things tonight.
I worry about some sleep aids b/c I don't like feeling groggy when I wake, and with the new schedule I will be going to the gym within a couple hours of waking.
I am taking one more day to try to feel better before going in to the gym. I was too tired and had failure set in my mind. I don't want to fail, but will give what I can tomorrow so we can get on with maintenance.
I worry about some sleep aids b/c I don't like feeling groggy when I wake, and with the new schedule I will be going to the gym within a couple hours of waking.
I am taking one more day to try to feel better before going in to the gym. I was too tired and had failure set in my mind. I don't want to fail, but will give what I can tomorrow so we can get on with maintenance.
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dracotdrgn
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:05 pm
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
Final workout went well. I got a good nights sleep, pounded some eggs, with ham and cheese. Took my supps and off to the gym.
Normal warm up for bench to pullovers. At 275 and above no pullovers until last set. 365 went up steady........370 spotter had to "bump" and let go......not good enough....370 one more time~all me~breather then pullovers 110 X 5
Normal squat warm up, no DL today.
445 first attempt missed depth 2-3 inches didn't re-rack dipped again missed 2". Waited a few minutes tried again missing depth by about an inch. Close enough good enough I'm done. When I get that much weight my body wants to squat only so far I guess. Did a few curls but had to cut out and go to work.
The only bad news here is that I weighed in at 228, still a good weight but down 6.
Normal warm up for bench to pullovers. At 275 and above no pullovers until last set. 365 went up steady........370 spotter had to "bump" and let go......not good enough....370 one more time~all me~breather then pullovers 110 X 5
Normal squat warm up, no DL today.
445 first attempt missed depth 2-3 inches didn't re-rack dipped again missed 2". Waited a few minutes tried again missing depth by about an inch. Close enough good enough I'm done. When I get that much weight my body wants to squat only so far I guess. Did a few curls but had to cut out and go to work.
The only bad news here is that I weighed in at 228, still a good weight but down 6.
Nice work Draco. Excellent work, in fact.
Clearly, the schedule change/sleep issue took their toll at the end. HOWEVER, you observed some very impressive gains in a short period of time. More importantly, you learned the ins and outs of The Blueprint and what works for you.
I have to believe had you not had that schedule change and resulting 6lb loss, it would have been a 5 star run. If you really think about it, you're a lot stronger now at 228 than you were prior. For example, you achieved significant increases in strength (minimum +15lb increase in the bench and +20lbs on the squat).
Rest that body now after a job well done. I'll have your maintenance program up tomorrow!
Clearly, the schedule change/sleep issue took their toll at the end. HOWEVER, you observed some very impressive gains in a short period of time. More importantly, you learned the ins and outs of The Blueprint and what works for you.
I have to believe had you not had that schedule change and resulting 6lb loss, it would have been a 5 star run. If you really think about it, you're a lot stronger now at 228 than you were prior. For example, you achieved significant increases in strength (minimum +15lb increase in the bench and +20lbs on the squat).
Rest that body now after a job well done. I'll have your maintenance program up tomorrow!
OK Draco, here we go. Once you're mentally and physically ready we're going to slide into the maintenance phase. To refresh, the objective here is to let the cement settle, so to speak. Your body has gained significant size/strength in the past few weeks and we aim here to establish that as permanent.
Your calories shouldn't vary too much from what you've been consuming. That is, you shouldn't be overfeeding but rather "comfortably full" and have enough in the tank for training. No need for Adaptogen N/Kre-Anabolyn or more than 1g of protein per bodyweight here, so dial the supps back too.
The key again, is training. You'll be transitioning to a 5 sets of 5 format, going back to an upper body/lower body split and adding static holds for certain body parts. Here's the plan:
FOR ALL WORKOUTS: Take about 3 minutes between sets or enough time to complete the target reps. Don't worry if this seems difficult at first. Going from 1 set to failure to a 5x5 format is a BIG jump in work capacity/total tonnage. It's also why it works; your work capacity will pick up fast and the remaining maintenance phase workouts will be much easier.
Day 1
Chest - Bench press 5 sets of 5 reps with 295lbs or 80% of your new
1RM. Your last set you should take to 1 or 2 reps short of failure,
ideally getting more than 5 reps.
Shoulders - Seated shoulder press 5 sets of 5 with a target weight that
gets you into that range.
Tris - Close grip bench press, 1 set of a 6-10 second static hold. You'll need a spotter here or perform inside of a power rack with the pins set just below lockout. You'll be able to use extremely heavy weight and should strive to really push it in order to finish off the workout.
Day 2
Legs - Squats for 5 sets of 5 reps with 355lbs or 80% of new 1RM. Your
last set you should take to 1 or 2 reps short of failure, ideally
getting more than 5 reps.
Leg sled - 1 static hold for 6-10 sec with feet positioned high on the
platform, pressure on the heels to accentuate the hamstrings.
Again, you'll likely run out of plates loading the thing given your
strength.
Back - Seated cable rows OR 1 arm dumbell rows for 5 sets of 5 reps.
Bi's/
Calves - Find a universal, strive or hammer strength type of machine that
mimics the preacher curl. Load that sucker up and have
someone assist you into the fully contracted position at the top.
One static hold for a 6-10 second period. If the weight isn't
sufficient, OK to extend the hold time for up to 45 sec.
Ditto for calves, except you'll either utilize the leg sled/toe press
OR the seated calf raise machine.
ABS Utilizing the high pulley on the cable crossover or lat pulldown
machine, sit on your knees with the rope/attachment behind
your head. Have someone assist you in crunching forward into
the fully contracted position. Hold that with as much weight as
possible for 6-10 seconds.
Frequency is up to you but the goal should be to perform no less than 6 of these workouts over 16 days. In practice, I find a 1 on 2 off format ideal. If you can squeeze in more, consider doing so. Provided you get 6 in over 16 days though, it should establish the new muscle mass/strength as "permanent".
Your calories shouldn't vary too much from what you've been consuming. That is, you shouldn't be overfeeding but rather "comfortably full" and have enough in the tank for training. No need for Adaptogen N/Kre-Anabolyn or more than 1g of protein per bodyweight here, so dial the supps back too.
The key again, is training. You'll be transitioning to a 5 sets of 5 format, going back to an upper body/lower body split and adding static holds for certain body parts. Here's the plan:
FOR ALL WORKOUTS: Take about 3 minutes between sets or enough time to complete the target reps. Don't worry if this seems difficult at first. Going from 1 set to failure to a 5x5 format is a BIG jump in work capacity/total tonnage. It's also why it works; your work capacity will pick up fast and the remaining maintenance phase workouts will be much easier.
Day 1
Chest - Bench press 5 sets of 5 reps with 295lbs or 80% of your new
1RM. Your last set you should take to 1 or 2 reps short of failure,
ideally getting more than 5 reps.
Shoulders - Seated shoulder press 5 sets of 5 with a target weight that
gets you into that range.
Tris - Close grip bench press, 1 set of a 6-10 second static hold. You'll need a spotter here or perform inside of a power rack with the pins set just below lockout. You'll be able to use extremely heavy weight and should strive to really push it in order to finish off the workout.
Day 2
Legs - Squats for 5 sets of 5 reps with 355lbs or 80% of new 1RM. Your
last set you should take to 1 or 2 reps short of failure, ideally
getting more than 5 reps.
Leg sled - 1 static hold for 6-10 sec with feet positioned high on the
platform, pressure on the heels to accentuate the hamstrings.
Again, you'll likely run out of plates loading the thing given your
strength.
Back - Seated cable rows OR 1 arm dumbell rows for 5 sets of 5 reps.
Bi's/
Calves - Find a universal, strive or hammer strength type of machine that
mimics the preacher curl. Load that sucker up and have
someone assist you into the fully contracted position at the top.
One static hold for a 6-10 second period. If the weight isn't
sufficient, OK to extend the hold time for up to 45 sec.
Ditto for calves, except you'll either utilize the leg sled/toe press
OR the seated calf raise machine.
ABS Utilizing the high pulley on the cable crossover or lat pulldown
machine, sit on your knees with the rope/attachment behind
your head. Have someone assist you in crunching forward into
the fully contracted position. Hold that with as much weight as
possible for 6-10 seconds.
Frequency is up to you but the goal should be to perform no less than 6 of these workouts over 16 days. In practice, I find a 1 on 2 off format ideal. If you can squeeze in more, consider doing so. Provided you get 6 in over 16 days though, it should establish the new muscle mass/strength as "permanent".
Couple suggestions-dracotdrgn wrote:I've been taking 2 AD + an extra melatonin and one Tylenol pm as I leave work. My first four to five hours of sleep are fine, after that no good. The outside noises, light, and my wifes darn cats. I will deal with these things tonight.
You might want to consider bumping the AD (Adaptogen N) up a cap or two and dropping the other two. Diphenhydramine (in Tylenol PM) has several good and valid uses, but as a sleep aid I find that it 1)Wears off too suddenly, and 2)Does not allow for the natural sleep cycle to occur.
Gamma GH is THE best addition to Adaptogen N, far and away.
Also, many years ago when I was in high school I hosted the midnight to 6am shift on a local radio station, getting by on about 5 hours of late afternoon sleep a day for about a year and a half. I had to make those 5 count and employed the "Elvis day to night trick" of covering the windows with dark plastic, sealing every corner/light entry spot while arranging thick blankets over/under doors, etc. to soundproof and rid the room of inside light/activity.
Ear muffs could also be employed, those eye masks, etc.
Just suggestions, but I've always had to function on limited sleep, and know the value of optimizing those hours.
To close, I'll say that I'm personally not a fan of Tylenol at all, again. Daily use of acetaminophen is risky business and the cause of death of around 500 people yearly on average. Main stream media funded by Johnson & Johnson isn't going to tell you that truth, but it is the truth.
If and when I ever ingest diphenhydramine, it's in a stand alone cap and as a last resort to combat insomnia in a situation where I've only got a small 3-4 hour window left to sleep or for allergic reaction to a bee sting or something.
Good luck, hope some of this helps.
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dracotdrgn
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:05 pm
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
I have been thinking about the Gamma here lately. More for my stack instead of sleep. It was part of my stack "back in the day." I have a funny story about that too, I'll have to tell some time.
Static Training, wow. Ballpark weight? 6-10 seconds can be a long stretch. When I've done static holds in the past I've done one leg or one arm at a time. Something I could unrack with the strength of two, hold with one, then re-rack with two. This would work on the sled, bi's, and calves, only could work for close bench on the smith and we're not going there....
Sleep cycles are better but job is beating me up in several ways.
Static Training, wow. Ballpark weight? 6-10 seconds can be a long stretch. When I've done static holds in the past I've done one leg or one arm at a time. Something I could unrack with the strength of two, hold with one, then re-rack with two. This would work on the sled, bi's, and calves, only could work for close bench on the smith and we're not going there....
Sleep cycles are better but job is beating me up in several ways.
Do share the Gamma GH/GABA story! This is one you can feel. I remember using it in the early 90's. Blew my mind b/c I'd never felt anything from an amino before... until Gamma GH.
On the static hold weight....it's so difficult to prescribe. Reason being, different machines have different leverage points and trainee's static strength varies widely in my experience. Just load that sucker up and don't sell yourself short. If there's one constant with this method... trainees underestimate the amount of weight they can use.
Now on training with one limb only.... yes, excellent suggestion. I had totally forgotten about this and it's a valid/productive method for sure. Appreciate you jogging my memory.
I did NOT find that it transferred to full range strength although I admit there is a small % of people for which this does (maybe 10-15%). If that's you, run with it. I typically prescribe it during Feast or Maintenance as it has a propensity for frying the nervous system if used too much. I'm also cautious to prescribe it for mostly the smaller muscle groups as its worthy of an experiment for those. For some reason, bi's-tri's, calves etc. seem to respond best, at least in my experience.
Keep us posted! I suspect that despite the lowered cals during this phase you're going to re-gain much if not all of that weight!
On the static hold weight....it's so difficult to prescribe. Reason being, different machines have different leverage points and trainee's static strength varies widely in my experience. Just load that sucker up and don't sell yourself short. If there's one constant with this method... trainees underestimate the amount of weight they can use.
Now on training with one limb only.... yes, excellent suggestion. I had totally forgotten about this and it's a valid/productive method for sure. Appreciate you jogging my memory.
I did NOT find that it transferred to full range strength although I admit there is a small % of people for which this does (maybe 10-15%). If that's you, run with it. I typically prescribe it during Feast or Maintenance as it has a propensity for frying the nervous system if used too much. I'm also cautious to prescribe it for mostly the smaller muscle groups as its worthy of an experiment for those. For some reason, bi's-tri's, calves etc. seem to respond best, at least in my experience.
Keep us posted! I suspect that despite the lowered cals during this phase you're going to re-gain much if not all of that weight!
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dracotdrgn
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:05 pm
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
New job has exposed me to stuff my respitory system doesn't like. 12/7 spent the day on the sofa trying to calm the cough and the sniffles not to mention the bloody noses. Not much good eatin throughout the day until dinner.
12/08 Weighed in at 227
Bench~ first two sets of 295 were fine first three of the third were ok but the lst two were bad. Decreased weight to 285 then 275 for last two sets of five. Seemed like first three of all sets were my strongest 4&5 were a push. Shoulder press and static hold as prescribed. Felt good to do o/h presses again, wouldn't you know it as soon as I got to work my first task was overhead work.
I worked out, ate, got ready for work now working 12's I am loging in before I go to bed and my chest is already sore and my back is tired.
12/08 Weighed in at 227
Bench~ first two sets of 295 were fine first three of the third were ok but the lst two were bad. Decreased weight to 285 then 275 for last two sets of five. Seemed like first three of all sets were my strongest 4&5 were a push. Shoulder press and static hold as prescribed. Felt good to do o/h presses again, wouldn't you know it as soon as I got to work my first task was overhead work.
I worked out, ate, got ready for work now working 12's I am loging in before I go to bed and my chest is already sore and my back is tired.
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dracotdrgn
- Posts: 349
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:05 pm
- Location: Tacoma, Washington
"Going from 1 set to failure to a 5x5 format is a BIG jump in work capacity/total tonnage."
Yeah buddy! Just by default I took 2 each of KA and Ad-N on wo day. None two days prior and none today. Just habit. PWO drink same. Food seems like a lot of little meals or 5 snack times.
Job is...... we'll see, and Gamma story to come later. Did I mention my chest is sore?
Yeah buddy! Just by default I took 2 each of KA and Ad-N on wo day. None two days prior and none today. Just habit. PWO drink same. Food seems like a lot of little meals or 5 snack times.
Job is...... we'll see, and Gamma story to come later. Did I mention my chest is sore?