Building Back Up

GreenMachineX said:
Got a light upper session in. Holy smokes the fatigue…walked in thinking I was going to jump right back in to where I was…nope lol
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you have discovered the life hack to enjoying perpetual newbie gains forever. Just get sick about once a month or so and consistently start over every 4-6 weeks 😂
 
Weight: 210.4

Messed up my diet all weekend. Motivation was low since being sick. Fatigue improving slightly, headache off and on still. All other symptoms gone for days, so maybe the headache is unrelated.

Today’s lower session:

Squat 4 x 5 x 255
Ham-Focused Back Extensions 3/4/3
Skullcrushers 3 x 6/6/5 x 70
DB Curls 3 x 8 x 25’s
Machine Shrugs 4 sets
 
Hope that headache clears up for you. Just get back in the saddle on the diet. You are in a good spot, and if you don't keep going will not have done much damage at all.
 
MrKleen73 said:
Hope that headache clears up for you. Just get back in the saddle on the diet. You are in a good spot, and if you don't keep going will not have done much damage at all.
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You’re right. I don’t think I’ve done any real damage other than simply wasting time. But, from here forward, I don’t have any full day trips or forced poor-meals for an entire month, so I should be able to get close to 200 I think.
 
Sounds like you have a good runway there to make some great progress.
 
Weight: 209.0

Couple new theories to the sleep issues I have:

Overreaching/Overtraining: Doesn’t make too much sense since I really only hit each muscle with 8-10 sets total per week.

Hydration/Electrolytes: halfway through the last illness, I started drinking 1 liter sugar Gatorade per day and sleeping great, up to 7 hours most nights, even the past 2 workout nights. The one day I skipped, slept terribly and was up at 4:30am for no reason. I also feel more calm/relaxed. Otherwise, diet and stress are exactly the same.
 
never in my life did I take cortisol very seriously and all the sudden I feel like I see the word everywhere in 2026. Saunas, which are also a new endeavor for me, are also supposed to lower cortisol. Maybe there is a connection there because I have found myself looking forward to hitting the sauna postWO a few times a week this year. Especially during the cold months.
 
Weight: 209.0

Weight hanging around the same place due to less steps, but same calories. Very small deficit.

Bench 4 5/5/5/6 x 225
NG Pull-ups 5/4/4
Hammer Iso Machine OHP 3 x 8 x 180
Inverted Row 5/5
DB Upright Row 4 x 10 x 37.5’s

Hit my pressing goals, but my pulls were weak.
 
Weight: 207.2
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Excellent sleep last night. Feels good.

I’ve also noticed I’m less irritable while doing this Low sugar Gatorade protocol. Weight dropping still.
 
Made it the whole weekend eating clean in a deficit. Let’s go! I really just had to make it through one to be able to go through more. It’s a mental hurdle for some reason.
 
I think weekends are way harder for a normal mon-fri 9 to 5 kinda life. you grind all week and by the weekend you're ready for that refeed. I've always told my wife that it feels like any legit progress is made on the weekend since that is the time I'm most likely to sabbotage myself.
 
Stringing a few clean weekends together will for sure bring the progress more quickly.
 
Dustin07 said:
I think weekends are way harder for a normal mon-fri 9 to 5 kinda life. you grind all week and by the weekend you're ready for that refeed. I've always told my wife that it feels like any legit progress is made on the weekend since that is the time I'm most likely to sabbotage myself.
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Yep. And the family wants to go out to dinner, and there’s literally nothing clean on the menus 😂 Went to a German restaurant and I sat there and didn’t eat. Torture.
 
yeah thats a tough one lol. its why my wife and I tend to go our favorite dive bar. I know I can get a philly with tots, but I also know I can get a sirloin on a bed of greens for $17 with no extra garbage added to it. and its a good steak!
 
GreenMachineX said:
Yep. And the family wants to go out to dinner, and there’s literally nothing clean on the menus 😂 Went to a German restaurant and I sat there and didn’t eat. Torture.
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Yeah, but i bet you felt accomplished and proud that you did not give in.
 
GreenMachineX said:
Yep. And the family wants to go out to dinner, and there’s literally nothing clean on the menus 😂 Went to a German restaurant and I sat there and didn’t eat. Torture.
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That’s great that you were able to abstain, but also recognize that “clean” is a just manufactured concept designed to itemize food, which may or may not be relevant. While managing net energy intake is what’s important for weight management.

Clean is usually just attributed to items that are low fat or minimally processed. But eating a modest amount of the best choices available is usually still possible within a successful diet at most restaurants if you are flexible & savvy. I have not been to a restaurant yet that didn’t have something I could consume if I budgeted my calories wisely & stayed within my scope - only many restaurants I CHOSE not to eat.

One sausage and a bowl of kraut isn’t going to blow any diet if you can budget those calories and shift macros. Just might not be the worth it either.
 
Hyde said:
That’s great that you were able to abstain, but also recognize that “clean” is a just manufactured concept designed to itemize food, which may or may not be relevant. While managing net energy intake is what’s important for weight management.

Clean is usually just attributed to items that are low fat or minimally processed. But eating a modest amount of the best choices available is usually still possible within a successful diet at most restaurants if you are flexible & savvy. I have not been to a restaurant yet that didn’t have something I could consume if I budgeted my calories wisely & stayed within my scope - only many restaurants I CHOSE not to eat.

One sausage and a bowl of kraut isn’t going to blow any diet if you can budget those calories and shift macros. Just might not be the worth it either.
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It’s just not worth it though. And I have no idea on the calories, so when I say clean, I mean what will allow me to hit my minimums for protein and carbs without overdoing fat. And if I’m more than a 500kcal deficit I just feel like garbage. So, in the end, it’s better to just skip it.
 
Hyde said:
One sausage and a bowl of kraut isn’t going to blow any diet if you can budget those calories and shift macros. Just might not be the worth it either.
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Forcing yourself to order it that way helps with portion control too. I'm definitely one of those thats guilty of eyeballing the appropriate portion on the plate and then filling the plate 2 more times. 😂 😂

Segansational said:
So for what it's worth, I truly believe the biggest thing that has enhanced my training is adequate hydration. My electrolytes intra-WO has become a non negotiable.
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man thats so true. even if I 'feel' good, I can see a substantial strength sacrifice if lifting dehydrated. Particularly on bench days.
 
GreenMachineX said:
It’s just not worth it though. And I have no idea on the calories, so when I say clean, I mean what will allow me to hit my minimums for protein and carbs without overdoing fat. And if I’m more than a 500kcal deficit I just feel like garbage. So, in the end, it’s better to just skip it.
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This statement confuses me a little. If concerned hitting your minimums on protein, and carbs, and trying to avoid being more than 500 calories in a deficit, skipping the meal gets you farther away from all 3 of those goals than just eating a smaller serving of the safest choice they have there.

Did you replace the meal after with another meal, or protein shake, and carbs or something?

I am not saying skipping was an issue by any means and if it was between messing up, completely overshooting calories, and skipping the meal then skipping was probably the way to go considering your goal of weight loss. I just didn't understand the logic at play with that explanation. Either way, you are stringing together wins in my book, so just keep doing what you do Sir!
 
MrKleen73 said:
This statement confuses me a little. If concerned hitting your minimums on protein, and carbs, and trying to avoid being more than 500 calories in a deficit, skipping the meal gets you farther away from all 3 of those goals than just eating a smaller serving of the safest choice they have there.

Did you replace the meal after with another meal, or protein shake, and carbs or something?

I am not saying skipping was an issue by any means and if it was between messing up, completely overshooting calories, and skipping the meal then skipping was probably the way to go considering your goal of weight loss. I just didn't understand the logic at play with that explanation. Either way, you are stringing together wins in my book, so just keep doing what you do Sir!
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Yes, I just waited until I got home to eat.

I don’t miss meals 😂😂😂
 
Ah, yes, now that makes a difference for sure. Well done Sir.
 
Weight: 207.6

Some highlights from past couple workouts:
Bench 4x5/5/5/6x225
Standing OHP 4x5x137
CG Bench 3x6/6/7x155
Trap Bar DL 3x3x375
T-Bar Row 3x6x90

Need to start logging again better. I think I’ve figured out the balance of calories to actually increase strength while cutting.
 
Weight: 208.2

Pretty good weight for being just about completely full in glycogen yet still in a deficit.

Today’s WO:
Standing OHP 5x5x138.5
NG Pull-ups 7/4/3
CG Bench 4x6x165
Cable Shrugs 4 sets
Machine Lateral Raise 2 sets
 
Weight: 206.7

Flat Bench 4 x 5 x 227
Inverted Row 7/6/6
Monkey Bars 1 set x 15m
Hammer OHP 3 x 8 x 190
DB Upright Row 4 x 9/9/8/10 x 37.5’s

Pretty happy with everything. Glad I can still do monkey bars so easily at 42 lol
 
GreenMachineX said:
Weight: 206.6

Getting close to 4 year low.
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Thats gotta feel invigorating being so close to another big milestone after the past couple years of ups and downs.

GreenMachineX said:
Weight: 206.7

Flat Bench 4 x 5 x 227
Inverted Row 7/6/6
Monkey Bars 1 set x 15m
Hammer OHP 3 x 8 x 190
DB Upright Row 4 x 9/9/8/10 x 37.5’s

Pretty happy with everything. Glad I can still do monkey bars so easily at 42 lol
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LOL I haven't seen them or even heard the word in so long but all the sudden monkey bars sound pretty fun .
 
Dustin07 said:
Thats gotta feel invigorating being so close to another big milestone after the past couple years of ups and downs.



LOL I haven't seen them or even heard the word in so long but all the sudden monkey bars sound pretty fun .
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lol yeah, the gym I has this huge contraption* that has monkey bars, pull-up stations, rope climb simulation machine, etc. it’s pretty cool.
 
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Weight: 209.6

Ended up eating 6 slices pizza last nice, prolly 1500 kcal over maintenance. I’ll go a little deeper on my deficit for a couple days to make up for it.
 
GreenMachineX said:
lol yeah, the gym I has this huge contraception that has monkey bars, pull-up stations, rope climb simulation machine, etc. it’s pretty cool.
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Yikes, what kind of contraception requires monkey bars? You got people swinging from condoms instead of resistance bands over there? Some fat guy in the corner "I think I am gonna need the Magnums I am kind of girthy"
 
Weight: 207.6

Yesterday’s highlights:

Trap Bar DL 5x5/5/5/5/3 x 305
Leg Curls
Cable Shrugs
Skullcrushers
DB Curls

I’m pulling back on the trap bar DL to ensure I’m doing a more quad focused variation, and will add 5-10 pounds every workout to get to the edge before I start making it too hingy.
 
Messing up diet all weekend pretty much, then next weekend out of town so won’t be good either. Oh well.

Squat 4 x 5 x 275
Leg Curls 3 sets
Cable Shrugs 4 sets
DB Curls 4 sets
Triceps Pressdowns 4 sets
 
GreenMachineX said:
Messing up diet all weekend pretty much, then next weekend out of town so won’t be good either. Oh well.

Squat 4 x 5 x 275
Leg Curls 3 sets
Cable Shrugs 4 sets
DB Curls 4 sets
Triceps Pressdowns 4 sets
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Hey man, traveling cam be hard on the diet, but just remember that there are still things you can control. And even if you messed up this weekend, you have the ability to reign it in this week accordingly to make up for the missteps - as well as plan meals and do more deficit knowing that next weekend will also be less than ideal.

Also, just remember that you can prioritize lean meats, high protein, etc. even when going out to eat and so on. I'm a firm believer of when I travel or go on vacation still enjoying myself at meals or experiencing local cuisine - but you can still make informed choices vs taking an approach where it's full blown opposite of your goals. If you choose to!
 
Segansational said:
Hey man, traveling cam be hard on the diet, but just remember that there are still things you can control. And even if you messed up this weekend, you have the ability to reign it in this week accordingly to make up for the missteps - as well as plan meals and do more deficit knowing that next weekend will also be less than ideal.

Also, just remember that you can prioritize lean meats, high protein, etc. even when going out to eat and so on. I'm a firm believer of when I travel or go on vacation still enjoying myself at meals or experiencing local cuisine - but you can still make informed choices vs taking an approach where it's full blown opposite of your goals. If you choose to!
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Yeah, I gotcha. I do most of those things when stuck eating out, for the most part. I am reeling it in this week for sure to minimize damage from the back to back bad weekends.
 
Segansational said:
Hey man, traveling cam be hard on the diet, but just remember that there are still things you can control. And even if you messed up this weekend, you have the ability to reign it in this week accordingly to make up for the missteps - as well as plan meals and do more deficit knowing that next weekend will also be less than ideal.

Also, just remember that you can prioritize lean meats, high protein, etc. even when going out to eat and so on. I'm a firm believer of when I travel or go on vacation still enjoying myself at meals or experiencing local cuisine - but you can still make informed choices vs taking an approach where it's full blown opposite of your goals. If you choose to!
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Spot on. It’s never all or nothing, and past mistakes never define our future - in fact, they can often teach us to better pursue what we really desire!
 
GreenMachineX said:
Yeah, I gotcha. I do most of those things when stuck eating out, for the most part. I am reeling it in this week for sure to minimize damage from the back to back bad weekends.
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Well, can’t reel it in too tight actually. Can’t be too far in a deficit otherwise I won’t enjoy the death metal concert this week. Maintenance kcal then.
 
Standing OHP 4 x 5/5/5/6 x 140
NG Pull-ups 4/4/3/3
CG Bench 4 x 5 x 175
T-Bar Row 5x90, 2 x 3 x 135
DB Upright Row 3 x 10 x 35’s

Strength goes up quite a bit with all these calories 😂
T-Bar row is so much harder than barbell row per pound…
 
GreenMachineX said:
Standing OHP 4 x 5/5/5/6 x 140
NG Pull-ups 4/4/3/3
CG Bench 4 x 5 x 175
T-Bar Row 5x90, 2 x 3 x 135
DB Upright Row 3 x 10 x 35’s

Strength goes up quite a bit with all these calories 😂
T-Bar row is so much harder than barbell row per pound…
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Yeah, not only does it remove a lot of momentum, but also with the weight being on the long arm out in front of you the leverage is so bad it is effectively heavier.
 
Learned something new today. Apparently, carbohydrate intake only really messes with water retention when it fills liver glycogen. I had thought any carbohydrate intake influenced it, but the main lever is liver glycogen. One more reason to avoid fruit 😂
 
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