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Update:

Jan 28/2016:

Training: Lactic acid training with Giant superset.

1st set: 5:54
2nd set: 6:42
3rd set: 6:59

Diet:

Total calories: 2925
Protein: 248.097
Carbs: 290.43
Fats: 84.007

Overall thoughts:

Woke up feeling all right energy wise (keep in mind I could sleep at least another hour or 2 every day but unfortunately I don't have that luxury lol.).

After I used the washroom and went about my day I noticed I the "feeling" of being fat has disapated substantially from the preivous days. My appetite was also much better than the previous days as well (meaning I didn't feel full or like I didn't care to eat.).

Mentally this made me feel A LOT better lol.

Went about my day and completed my lactic acid training. I noticed that I felt a lot better doing this workout and it just seemed easier to me.
[/b]I am also starting to notice now that on the lactic acid training days I get great pumps, specifically in my chest and legs. This makes me feel good considering for all my other workouts I don't get a pump, something that has concerned me for almost a year and a half.

Don't get me wrong, when I workout I can feel blood swelling in the muscle but if I'm honest it's nothing like what I used to remember even 2 years ago when I would finish a heavy set of bench presses. That tightness and pumped feeling and look just was something I could never get again unless it was doing a brand new exercise or something.


I decided not to go too crazy with my postworkout meal just to make sure it wasn't an overabundance of calories from last week that made me feel "blocked up" and "fat". If I feel good tomorrow I will load up the calories to maybe around 19X or 20X bodyweight depending on how I feel. I don't want to jeopardize my GLP1 workout #5.

Update:

It didn't dawn on me until later in the evening when I was just going over my program that I noticed the lactic acid portion of the regime requires you to do 4 SETS. I HAVE BEEN DOING ONLY 3 SETS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PROGRAM. WHOOOPPPSSS!!!LOL
In any event, I have decided to just continue doing 3 sets for the remainder of this blueprint run considering I have only 2 more workouts for that type of training. When I start my new program I will use the recommended 4 sets prescribed.

Went about my day and completed my lactic acid training. I noticed that I felt a lot better doing this workout and it just seemed easier to me.
[/b]I am also starting to notice now that on the lactic acid training days I get great pumps, specifically in my chest and legs. This makes me feel good considering for all my other workouts I don't get a pump, something that has concerned me for almost a year and a half.

Very good! You are getting back on track..

Update:

Jan 29/2016

Training: NONE!

Diet:

Total calories: 3074.5
Protein: 194.585
Carbs:437.1
Fats: 59.78

Overall thoughts:

Felt pretty good today. Could feel some tightness due to the lactic acid training but nothing really worth mentioning.

Update:

Jan 30/2016:

Training: NONE!

Diet:

Total calories: 3233
Protein: 188.81
Carbs: 460.76
Fat: 70.85

Overall thoughts:

So I thought I was going to have a relaxing day and just rest up for my GLP workout #5 the next day. WRONG! My daughter wasn't feeling good and ended up having stomach issues/very bad constipation all day. As a 15 month year old she can't really communicate with us as to just what is wrong with her so instead the whole day was a bunch of screaming and crying. At one point during the day the only way to calm her down (which we eventually did.) was for me to hold her close to me while she thrashed back and forth in my arms because she wanted to feel safe while she didn't know why she was undergoing this pain. If any of you have been in the same situation you know what holding a 20 pound something child for hours while you stand doing nothing can do for your back. It is much worse when they are flailing around in your arms too lol. After the pain subsided and she started to feel better (which was after a few hours by the way.) she ventured off and was feeling much better. I on the other hand felt like my back had been DESTROYED LOL! I felt so weak and tired after this that I almost went to bed... at 4PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was supposed to take my measurements but unfortunately I did not have the luxury of it this day. Going by the mirror (which isn't always the best I know.) I can tell I am definitely gaining some fat around my love handle/high glute area. There is no denying it. I have also lost some of my leanness/conditioning in my lower back.
On the positive side I have noticed a difference when my back is just hanging relaxed. It just looks a little... I don't know... thicker? I will try to take measurements when I can next as they don't lie.

MY WEIGHT ON THE OTHER HAND WAS: 164.2 POUNDS.
I'm sure there's a good mix of muscle and fat in there but I'm hoping most of it is muscle lol.

Despite all this I managed to get all my calories in and TRIED to relax as I knew I had GLP1 workout #5 the next day. A part of me was worried my workout would be substantially compromised but knowing I wasn't going for a new 1 rep max made me feel a little better.

THE JOYS OF BEING A PARENT LOL! Comes with the territory! [/b]

Update:

Jan 31/2016:

Training:

GLP! workout #5 for bench press and deadlifts.

Bench press:
set 1: Fine.
set 2: The sharp increase in weight on this set from the previous made me actually put some effort into this set.
set 3: Had to put some effort into this one due to all the reps.
set 4: Fine.
set 5: Fine.

I actually felt pretty good doing my bench press sets. Nothing felt too challenging although I believe the 3rd set I had to put some effort in for all the reps.. I didn't have to mentally psych myself up a whole bunch at all for my heaviest set which was about 94% of my previous 1 rep max.

I think I will be able to achieve my prescribed new 1 rep max without any problem next week. I just hope I can get a few reps with that weight (like 3 or 4.)

Deadlifts:

set 1: fine.
set 2: Once again, the increase in weight between the 2 sets made me put some effort in. I completed the set without using a reverse grip but I did notice near the end of the set I had to stop while on the ground and take a few breathes before exploding back up to finish the remaining reps.
set 3: THIS SET WORKED ME HARD! I don't think I mentally prepared myself for the amount of weight I was going to be lifting before tackling it. I could feel myself struggling on the first rep and thought "WHAT THE HELL?". I could also feel my back tightening up midway through this set. Needless to say, after I was done the set I felt pretty lousy about how it felt.
set 4: Knowing how hard the last set felt I mentally prepared myself for this set, making sure not to make the same mistake. The weights felt heavy but It didn't come as much of a shock as the last set.
set 5: So for this last set I didn't want to psyche myself up to the extent I did for my GLP! workout#4 (which had me going for 2 reps at 97%.). I mildly increased my adrenaline response (If one can actively do that lol.) and dove into the weights knowing that I could easily do it without the "Crazy, Psychotic" drive I knew I would be using next week. As such I completed the set without having to send myself into a "psycho induced rage" lol.

Overall thoughts on training: Other than what I have described, everything went pretty good. I knew my back wasn't in tip top condition before I started the workout but I made the best of what was given to me. I've also realized that no matter what weight I'm using I have to be mentally prepared to lift and respect the weights I'm pushing, regardless of whether they felt light in a previous workout.

Another nice thing was that there was only 5 sets this week as opposed to the usual 6.

Diet:
Total calories: 2930.4
Protein: 244.29
Carbs: 314.5932
Fats: 78.6

Overall thoughts:

Unlike last week I did not feel stuffed and bloated after my meals. I also did not feel terrible and energy levels were good.. Everything for the rest of the day went smoothly.

Update:

Feb 1/2016:

Training: NONE!

Diet:
Total calories: 2805.4
Protein: 242.383
Carbs: 59.8832
Fats: 180.38

Overall thoughts:

Got some good rest and woke up feeling good. My back, while not sore, was a little more tighter than usual. I also noticed around mid day that my right knee was feeling a little "weird", no doubt from the heavy deadlifts. I could also feel my right hamstring being more tighter than usual.

Other than that I felt pretty good. I am already preparing myself mentally for my last GLP! workout. I feel pretty confident about the bench for 1 rep so I am visualizing myself getting a few. The deadlift has me a bit worried. I think it's just because there is so much more weight, but at the same time I believe based on my previous workouts that if my mind is in the right place that I can do it.

NATTYDADDY7,

re:

NATTYDADDY7 wrote:Update:

Feb 1/2016:
...

My back, while not sore, was a little more tighter than usual.

Slow circular cat to cow both ways before you even get out of bed in the morning can prevent a bunch of nagging small (or major) back issues. btw, If you going to do a 'cruise', 2 parts yang/power yoga and 1 part yin yoga can really help clear any bound flow / keep the flow going forward.

NATTYDADDY7 wrote: ...
I also noticed around mid day that my right knee was feeling a little "weird", no doubt from the heavy deadlifts.

Check for ‘trigger points’ possibly developing in
> bottom 10% of vastus lateralis
> bottom half of vastus medialis
> about 20% down and /or 66% down from top of rectus femoris

NATTYDADDY7 wrote:
...
I could also feel my right hamstring being more tighter than usual.

Check for ‘trigger points’ possibly developing
> where the biceps femoris crosses the bone / ~5-6 inches up from center of back of knee
> at ~ 25% down, ~ 55% down, and at ~ 80% down from top of semitendinosus/semimembranosus

“A stitch in time saves nine” bro franklin


hth...

and also hope this doesn’t mar what is probably the best BP run log ever put up in here... thx

Thanks BrainSquirts.
It's good to know that people are actually following my log and any advice or help sent my way I will definitely consider. With that being said...

I noticed you sent me some recommendations on some of the thing's I was describing in my last post. Unfortunately I am unfamiliar (please forgive me lol.) with exactly what they are referring to.

BrainSquirts:
"Slow circular cat to cow both ways before you even get out of bed in the morning can prevent a bunch of nagging small (or major) back issues. btw, If you going to do a 'cruise', 2 parts yang/power yoga and 1 part yin yoga can really help clear any bound flow / keep the flow going forward."

Is this some kind of yoga/meditation routine? "Circular cat to Cow/Yang/power yoga". Is this in reference to something more specific?



BrainSquirts:
"Check for ‘trigger points’ possibly developing in
> bottom 10% of vastus lateralis
> bottom half of vastus medialis
> about 20% down and /or 66% down from top of rectus femoris"

Is this terminology for chiropractics?

Sorry once again that I am not familiar with these terms but I more than appreciate your words of encouragement and hopefully with some further explanation I will have a better understanding of what your advice entails.

Update:

Jan 2/2016:

Training: EDT blocks.

1ste EDT block: Weighted dips and Cable pulls.

Due to completing all my sets for the target rep range from last week for dips I decided to up the weights by roughly 20%.

1st set: 1:21 completed all reps in each set.
2nd set: 1:24 completed all reps.
3rd set: 1:35 could only finish 9 reps on the dips.
4th set: 1:39 completed all reps.
5th set: 1:31 Struggled to get all 10 reps on dips but did so. Only got 7 reps though on the seated cable pulls.

Overall thoughts on EDT block 1: I immediately noticed the difference in effort I had to exert on the first set of dips. The strain involved in completing each set also made the cable pulls more demanding to go into right after.


2nd EDT block: Front squat and Russian step ups.

As with the dips from the previous EDT block I decided to up the weight on the front squats although not as high (maybe around 10%.)

1st set: 2:35
2nd set: 2:57
3rd set: 3:26

Overall thoughts on EDT block 2: As with the first block I immediately felt the difference in effort when doing the front squats. During the first 2 sets I thought about just stopping at 7 or 8 reps but I think my own stubbornness prevented the idea from actually manifesting into reality. I noticed after completing every set of front squats that it made walking over to the dumbells to perform the Russian step ups seem like a nightmare lol.
Even though I had initially toyed with the idea of increasing the weight for the step ups after last weeks session I decided against it due to the fact that the "step up set" had sporadic breaks throughout the set due to my own exhaustion. As such I decided to only move up in weight when I could NOT ONLY hit the "target" rep range but also when my pace would be more continuous (without the need for me to take a breather for a few seconds in between say the 6th rep or so.).
Still, completing them was a nightmare after the onslaught of the front squats. However, I did notice something different than all the other previous weeks pertaining to the step ups...
It was easier. I managed to complete almost all my sets without stopping to take a breather. The only one that I did this for was the last set and it was after I had finished the step ups for one leg. I took a few seconds to gasp for air before starting on the alternate leg.

After all was said and done I went inside and had my post workout meal. It felt great.

Diet:
Total calories: 2937.3
Protein: 247.4425
Carbs: 301.4235
Fats: 82.085

Overall thoughts:
I was actually feeling a little weird before I started this workout. The whole day my energy levels had been alright (not great but ok.) but for some reason I felt a little rundown. My back was still a bit tight (much more than usual.) and my right knee was still feeling not so perfect. My hamstring was fine though. As a result I didn't feel up to par with previous days before I hit the iron. Still I didn't let the dissuade me from increasing the weights on a few of the selected lifts I mentioned above, even if the increases in weight were only minor.

bearing all this in mind I figured I would have a few more calories than originally planned in my postworkout meal, resulting in roughly 100 more calories than what I am used to on this type of training day.

Update:

Feb 3/2016:

Training: NONE!

Diet:
Total calories: 2814
Protein: 243.62
Carbs: 58.12
Fats: 181.22

Overall thoughts:

I noticed that throughout the day I could feel soreness in my legs, most noticeably in my quads (teardrops.). No doubt this was from the added weight on the front squats from the previous day. My back still felt uncomfortably tight, much more than usual but I'm sure some of that was also brought on from the workout as well.
[/b]My knee still felt a little weird, and every time I did a "mock squat" or put pressure on it I could feel a somewhat uncomfortable feeling. I also noticed that my front delts felt strained, possibly from the bar resting in that position from the front squats.

Another thing was that I noticed I felt more hungry than usual.

I know this may sound strange, but I think a lot of this is in my head. I have noticed that in the past when I am getting ready for a big lift day (one that my body knows is pushing itself beyond what it's used to.) my body suddenly becomes more aware of everything going on inside of it in the days leading up to the lift. It's kind of a form of nervousness in a way I guess lol. Suddenly I can feel parts of my body and feelings I would have neglected under every day casual life. I'm hoping that this is all it is but if it persists over the next few days I may insert an extra rest day as per Rob's advice (although I have no idea how I will do this based upon my already crazy schedule lol.)

Here's hoping it's just in my head or some tightness due to the workouts I have had over the last few days ( Not going into GLP1 #5 feeling rested may have contributed to this.)

In any case, I'm going to make sure I rest up good for GLP1 # 6 and have adequate food to fuel me.

Update:

Feb 4/2016:

Training: Lactic acid training.

set 1: 6:28
set 2: 7:03
set 3: 6:40

diet:

Total calories: 3029
Protein: 246.39
Carbs: 296.1125
Fats: 94.845

Overall thoughts:

I woke up feeling alright but I did notice that still had some tightness in my back. The other strange thing (I forgot to mention this in my log the last 2 days.) was that I still had what could only be described as aching joints, most noticeably around my front deltoid area near my chest. I had wondered if it was from the GLP1 #5 workout but I hadn't noticed any strain or aching in these areas the day after.

While I had gotten descent sleep the whole week ( I had made it a priority to get a little bit more sleep each night.) I still felt a little worn out. I also felt demotivated knowing I had my lactic acid workout later in the day.

A part of me reasoned that these feeling may somehow be related to potentially overtraining or something and I thought about the idea of maybe adding a rest day or 2. However, a part of me was confused as to why this may be the case as my workouts the last week (GLP1 #5) weren't nearly as strenuous as GLP1 #4.

I then told myself that if I continued feeling like this the next day that I would see if I could insert an extra rest day although due to my hectic schedule I knew trying to get another workout in would be very difficult if it wasn't on the intended date I had allotted.


As I said before, I wasn't really looking forward to the workout but I completed it without too much trouble. I did notice that my "pumped up" feeling wasn't as intense or as tight as last week. Yet another sign that maybe I should rest.

I went about the rest of my day fine but the evening got bad real fast.
My daughter had a "screaming fit" and my wife and I spent the whole night trying to calm her down. We made an appointment to go see the pediatrition in the morning. My daughter seemed to be having an issue with one of her ears, as she was poking it and touching it. We deduced that she most likely was in the beginning stages of getting sick/having an ear infection.

We finally got her to bed but by then it was already the middle of the night. I knew that my sleep would be compromised but, oh well, it's just part of being a parent

I also noticed once again the aches in my joints but that's when something dawned on me. Every time my daughter came down with a cold I would inevitably end up getting it the following week, if not at least some mild symptoms. Suddenly the tightness and aches started to make sense to me. The feelings I had were probably not overtraining or something related to the program, rather it seemed they were just the initial stages of my own body fighting of some sort of "bug" or perhaps (hopefully not.) myself in the early stages of exhibiting symptoms myself.

While figuring this out gave me an answer as to why I was feeling like this all week it didn't exactly leave me feeling better knowing I had a 1 rep max GLP1 #6 workout in a few days.


Unfortunately due to my schedule GLP1 #6 HAS TO HAPPEN ON THE DAY I PLANNED IT.
As of right now that's still the plan. I will eat a few more calories than usual the next few days (mostly carbs.) and hope that I am in a good enough state to complete the workout. If I feel really rundown than I will have to postpone it I guess, but I'm not planning on it!

I have literally been thinking about this workout every since GLP1 #5 ended. I KNOW I can achieve new 1 rep max's on both bench press and deadlifts. I was just hoping I could exceed even these expectation with either more weight or more reps.

THAT IS STILL THE PLAN!

Update:

Feb 5/2016:

Training: NONE!

Diet:

Total calories: 3189
Protein: 202.16
Carbs: 487
Fats: 67.749

Overall thoughts:

My usual routine/schedule for the day has been turned upside down. My wife and I brought out daughter to the doctor and got her taken care of. She seems to be doing fine now but we won't know how she really is until later in the evening.

I still got all my calories in but due to my schedule being "thrown out the window" my meal times were scattered throughout the day not at the most opportune times. There would be long stretches where I didn't have anything to eat and then there would be 3 hours in which I had 2 fairly big meals.

Having spaced out the meal times on days where I ingest more carbs I've noticed that I tend to not feel as "backed up" or bloated. Unfortunately, this day I had no choice.

I also noticed that I felt a bit tired (thanks to the lack of sleep.) but it didn't hit me as hard as it had in the past which is a good thing.

The plan is to rest up tonight and tomorrow and give GLP1 #6 everything I got!

re: “Is this some kind of yoga/meditation routine? "Circular cat to Cow/Yang/power yoga". Is this in reference to something more specific? “

Yes, cat and cow are yoga postures. Here is the first hit I got when I googled it
https://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to ... se-in-yoga
and a 1.5 minute video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpNznspZZEY
step 5 on that utoob is the “Slow circular cat to cow both ways before you even get out of bed in the morning” I was referring to ... roll the back and belly like you’re trying to scoot the extremes of your arching torso 360 / all the way around the inside of a barrel.

Fwiw - All my back issues just plain disappeared after about a month with almost daily AM inversion boots for about 3 - 4 minutes. Decompression, circulation, stretching the myofascial, etc... ‘ walkin tall’...

In general, yoga is too time consuming. However, I still find a way to do about 3 hours a week of hard (and some yin) yoga and find it gradually rips the chains and locks off my performance and frees me from having to worry about ‘pulling’ something... etc

///

Re: “Is this terminology for chiropractics? “
The term “trigger point” was first coined by J.G.Travel, MD. In cooperation with D.G. Simons, MD, they developed the ‘science’ of it... Many chiro’s are attuned to this stuff, but high end CMT’s are the ones who develop the most expertise with them.

Practically, and in (almost) plain speak, trigger points are contraction knots in muscle fibers where small mass of sarcomeres go into continuous maximum contraction... first causing compensation near muscle/tendon attachments... then typically, blocking flow in the myofascial which causes ‘referred pain’ - which is pain felt somewhere else. Chronic Trigger points have been associated with pain (local and referred elsewhere), compression of vessels and nerves, autonomic effects, problems with movement/ mobility, problems with ‘mood’, cns anomalies (like even dyslexia, etc. ??)

When I suggested you
"Check for ‘trigger points’ possibly developing in
> bottom 10% of vastus lateralis
> bottom half of vastus medialis
> about 20% down and /or 66% down from top of rectus femoris"
I was giving you places to test for ‘developing’ trigger points. The sensitivities such as “my right knee was still feeling not so perfect” in your latest post - imo - means you are in a position to intervene early and clear them quickly... If you leave them/ ignore them/ treat them like you do soreness / hope they go away/ live with them - the result will be persistent points that actually do take repetitive professional interventions to clear.

By finding any deep sensitive points at or near those areas mentioned and repetitively working them with deep stroking self massage (at a pain level of about seven on 1-10 scale) until they are no longer sensitive - you will avert chronic susceptibility with certain lifts / movements... and be floating around life like a fkn kid again...

I combine hard core trigger point work by a pro CMT with self therapy and have cleared hundreds of points and have hundreds more to go... working old ‘traumas’, old lifting injuries, old sports injuries, etc etc.
... and am proactively clearing any new ones at first signs - becoming injury-resistant. Current example: I am working old trigger points in flexor hallucis longus, extensor hallucis longus, tibialis anterior,etc. and have almost cleared big toe pain after sprinting, sharp turns in racquet sports, etc.
The best book I’ve found on this subject is The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies, who was a piano tuner who was driven to find a solution by his pains...

Re: “my energy levels had been alright (not great but ok.) but for some reason I felt a little rundown.” It’s deep winter where I am... have you ‘checked’ or bumped up your Vit D levels? Eating plenty of root crops? With Kerrygold or Allgau butter?

All the best.


BrainSquirts

Thanks BrainSquirts,
I will definitely look into all the info you sent my way. I very much appreciate it.

Where I am living at the moment it has been pretty rainy lately. Your thoughts on sunlight and/or vitamin d levels may actually have something to do with how I have felt as of late as well. I don't know if you read my last post but I may also be on the verge of coming down with a cold/virus. All these things factored in I am sure are playing a role in how I have felt as of late.

Hopefully they don't get worse. I am dead set on my GLP1 #6 workout and I am mentally preparing myself for it even now lol.