Sparkss journey to recovery

UncleSarm said:
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Funny you should post these :) I didn't mention it, but I made another batch of chili last night, using canned beans this time (pre-cooked, no more bean poisoning) and had a big bowl a couple of hours before bed. i don't know if it was a lingering affect from the failed chili attempt and food poisoning aftermath, or the beans from the successful batch, but I was one gassy SOB last night. I literally even woke myself up with one of them (farts) LOL. And yea, squats today are going to be interesting. Good thing I work out at home and no one else is around today. It could become toxic :)

I do know that I was super hungry yesterday afternoon into the evening. I am guessing a combination of not having anything left in my gut from the past 18 hours of h*ll and the ABE doing its thing. I was just surprised that my appetite returned so fast after I recovered (almost before).
 
Sparkss said:
Funny you should post these :) I didn't mention it, but I made another batch of chili last night, using canned beans this time (pre-cooked, no more bean poisoning) and had a big bowl a couple of hours before bed. i don't know if it was a lingering affect from the failed chili attempt and food poisoning aftermath, or the beans from the successful batch, but I was one gassy SOB last night. I literally even woke myself up with one of them (farts) LOL. And yea, squats today are going to be interesting. Good thing I work out at home and no one else is around today. It could become toxic :)

I do know that I was super hungry yesterday afternoon into the evening. I am guessing a combination of not having anything left in my gut from the past 18 hours of h*ll and the ABE doing its thing. I was just surprised that my appetite returned so fast after I recovered (almost before).
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When the fumes clear, post a update!
 
UncleSarm said:
When the fumes clear, post a update!
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I thought I was "recovered" this morning so I hit the workout bright and early. It was leg day.

Squats 60 (2x30# DB)/15
80 (2x40# DB)/10,12,12 (took a bit to get my form down, hence the first set of only 10.. I wasn't feeling it for that first set)

Sumo Dead Lifts 105 (BB maxed out)/15(x4)

Raised (back) Leg Lunges 12,14,(long break due to phone call),15,15

Standing Calf Raises 50/15(x3)

I was feeling OK until a couple of hours later and my GI issues reared their ugly head again. I had issues after breakfast and lunch. I am just now (after dinner, at night) getting back to where I feel quasi normal.

I also applied Ep1q TD twice today, in the morning just before workout and again after a shower in the afternoon.
 
shoulders today.

Seated OH DB Press 20/15,30/11,10,10

Front Raises 20/15(x3) *started to feel an impingement in my surgery side shoulder, so I stopped at 3 sets

Incline Bench Bent Over DB Flyes 15/15(x4)

Standing Side Lateral Raises 15/14,15(x3) *first set didn't feel right. Stopped, stretched, hit it again. Last 3 sets form and feel was much better

Upright BB Row 45/20, 65/14,12, 45/15

Tom Hardy Shrugs 35/15(x3), 45/15(x2) *first couple of sets was to get a feel for the form. Then went for the weight. Invalid Link Removed Credit to lifted67 for pointing me to those.

Singled DB Two Handed Front Raise 25/25(x2) *Is almost an upright row. Just a way to pump alot of blood into front,middle delts and traps at the finish


Felt a little anemic, but the #s were not too far off from my last shoulder workout. I was sore going into it today, which is odd since I haven't worked shoulder in several days. But I have been working around the house in the evenings, so I can only assume that is what had my shoulders sore.

Applied Ep1q TD again this morning. Today will be day 3 (for b.i.d. application)
 
Thanks for the mention! You inspired me to create a whole thread on dealing that stubborn ass shoulder joint!

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lifted67 said:
Thanks for the mention! You inspired me to create a whole thread on dealing that stubborn ass shoulder joint!

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Thanks, subbing along on that one. I have a script from my orthopedic surgeon for some pretty aggressive PT (that I have been honestly a bit timid about going in for). He thinks I may have developed a bone spur from all trauma and surgery (which is also a type of trauma on its own). I am still looking for a good ART provider close by. I had much better results from ART than traditional PT in the months following my surgery. I also have a small TEMs machine that I need to learn how to use for my shoulder. They used to set me up on that post-ART sessions (a commercial model) and it seemed to help. I just need to learn the right placement for the pads for the muscle groups I need to target in my shoulder.
 
I felt the same way, PT was miles behind the good ART was doing me, I hear biofreeze is great too at soothing shoulder pain.

I'll update my thread with moves to focus on during shoulder next.
 
lifted67 said:
I felt the same way, PT was miles behind the good ART was doing me, I hear biofreeze is great too at soothing shoulder pain.

I'll update my thread with moves to focus on during shoulder next.
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I had tried biofreeze and it was OK. For some reason I just never got into it. A good stretch + moist heat/heating pad did more for me. Sometimes I use a heating pad before my workout to limber up the shoulder, if I am feeling a bit stiff. The ART place used to do that also, before a session, to get my shoulder prepped and primed for their manipulations.
 
Yeah I need to include stretch/massage pre and post workout on my post, I always forget to include that one.
 
today was chest day (been hitting it with a pretty consistent frequency lately).

Flat Bench DB Press 30/20, 40/15, 50/20,9

Incline Bench DB Press 40/7, 30/12,11,10

Close Grip BB Push Up 12(x3)

DB Pull Over 30/15(x3)

Cavalier Crossover 40/15(x3)

Decline Push Up 20,17,15,11 Pushup with feet on the bench and hands on the ground

Cross Bench Dip 12(x4)

Lying DB Tricep Extensions 10/8,9,8,7 Like a skull crusher move, but with DB instead of a BB.

I had a bit of a faulty start this morning. I had picked up the Epiq BOGO (for PA) and took 8 of the pills when I got up. I took 5 yesterday along with SL in my pre-shake, today just the pre, no SL, so I added a few more Epiq (not to be confused with Ep1c TD). Others reported no issues with the higher PA doses, in fact most reported dose dependent results. Well, it hit my GI and just as I was about to start lifting it hit and I spent the next 15+ minutes in the bathroom *sigh*. After that I jumped back into the workout (or should say "started") and so far so good. I did notice that towards the end I was running out of steam. I was not really "tired" but there was just nothing there when I tried to move the weights. No pain, just no movement. I either successfully fatigued my triceps to exhaustion, or I just ran out of CNS "juice".

Will definitely not be taking that much Epiq tomorrow *uugghh*.
 
lifted67 said:
Yeah I need to include stretch/massage pre and post workout on my post, I always forget to include that one.
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D0h!!! I was so wound up about my other issues this morning that I totally forgot to do my SMR. Going to do a quick session of foam rolling *sigh*. I don't know about anyone else, but the foam rolling makes me sweat.
 
Makes me sweat too, it's damn intense. Oh and that preworkout induced poop tale is too funny.
 
BFR bands arrived the day before yesterday. I was going to use them in my workout yesterday but ended up working until after midnight the night before and had to get up early the next day to help out a friend, which again took me well into the evening. I am funny about working out. If I can't get it in before noon, maybe 1 PM, then I just skip that day, make it a rest day. I just don't like working out in the afternoon, I can't sleep that night. Also, if I get less than 8 hours sleep I am sluggish, both mentally and physically. So if I get less than 7 hours the night before I also make that day a rest (non-workout) day. Neither scenario happens often, but if it does I just don't force it.

Well, my eccentricities aside I woke up yesterday sore as all heck, mainly my hands. I had been doing work that included a lot of unscrewing and re-screwing fixtures (replaced switches and outlets). And my grip (hands and forearms) were feeling the burn all day yesterday. I also did some attic and yard work yesterday, although both ended up before I finished, the attic work for lack of planning (my fault) and the yard work due to rain (not my fault :)). Suffice it to say that I got plenty of cardio with a fair bit of full-body exercise in. Since none of it was fasted I did not bother with yohimbine (would not have done anything w/ all of the blood glucose/insulin running around in my body :)).

Yesterday, after cleaning up from the work, I was struck by a ravenous appetite. Since the girls are out of town, and I have been busy around the house, the refrigerator was pretty bare. So I ordered up a pizza (thin crust/chicken and mushroom toppings) and pasta bowl (extra chicken, mushrooms and onions, light sauce). Not the best, but I was in a hurry, had eaten good all week, and was hungry. I ended up eating 4 pieces + half the pasta bowl. I did take an Evomuse Slintensity before hand, but even so I felt a bit guilty eating it all. I started with 2 pieces, ate slow, finished and was still hungry, grabbed another, small piece. Still hungry so I "taste tested" the pasta bowl, ended up "tasting" half the bowl. Then was still hungry and we back for another slice. This all took around 90 minutes (not like I slammed it in one sitting/30 minutes). And I was still hungry afterwards, but not so "famished" That was only my 4th meal of the day, a couple of hours later I ate a Cafe Steamer Teriyaki Beef, then a couple later my evening protein shake and off to bed.

I have been eating more each day, although not like yesterday. Up until then it was more about an extra bowl of chili (93% lean beef) w/ jasmine rice, or rotisserie chicken with jasmine rice and broccoli, or steamed salmon, or something along those lines. Nothing like the trough feeding of yesterday. Even so I expected to see the scales going up. I weighed in this morning at 164.6. We will see if the increased appetite ( plus the ABE and EP1C) will have an upward impact on that #. I know it is just a #, but I am already pretty lean, I am looking to gain mass (w/o PHs.. yet).

Getting ready for back/bis (already drank my PWO before I sat down to type this). We will see what today holds for me in terms of appetite and energy. :D
 
Today's workout was pretty intense. No other way to describe it. I had a bit of a break in the middle (mum called to wish me a happy father's day). Luckily that came at the back to bicep focus cut over. If there was any place to get interrupted, that would be it :).

Bent Over 105/15(x4) Max BB weight I have (could add another 10#, but it is a PITA and really needs to be done before I start, but I think next time I will)

Single Arm DB Rows 50/15(x4) Max DB weight I have

Landmines (Triangle Handle/Close Grip) 50/15(x4) Max DB weight I have

Lying (Flat Bench) Reverse Flyes 15/20(x4) Just trying to mimic the machines as much as I can. I held the weights at sternum level versus higher like for shoulders.

SuperSet
Incline Curl Alternating Arms 20/20, 18, 15, 15
Lower Back Hyper Extensions (Roman Chair) 30, 28, 24, 23

Concentration (DB) Curls 10/20, 15/18, 17.5/12, 12

Alpha Curls (Finisher) *With BFR
Was supposed to be: Grab a BB and DBs (with lighter weights) and keep doing switching when you hit failure until you get to 90 seconds
Ended up being:
SuperSet (with no rest between exercises or sets)
Standing DB Hammer Curl 10/20, 20, 20
Standing BB Curl 15/20, 15, 5

Got this suggestion from Alpha1agreda and gave it a shot today. It was also my first foray into BFR and I am not 100% sure I did it right. To be honest I felt like I was pushing a lot more weight then I should have been able to from what I have read about BFR exercises. So maybe I didn't have them tight enough? Although I did get a good pump. The DB reps didn't really change, but the BB ones just kept going down LOL. By the end I was spent.

In general I sweat more than I think I have since I started back exercising post-surgery (not including cardio). It is only day 5 for the Epicat TD, so I am leaning towards the ABE finally kicking in.

Tomorrow is leg day (and I am still a little sore from the last leg day *sigh*, but by tomorrow I should be ready to hit em again :)).
 
Sparkss said:
Today's workout was pretty intense. No other way to describe it. I had a bit of a break in the middle (mum called to wish me a happy father's day). Luckily that came at the back to bicep focus cut over. If there was any place to get interrupted, that would be it :).

Bent Over 105/15(x4) Max BB weight I have (could add another 10#, but it is a PITA and really needs to be done before I start, but I think next time I will)

Single Arm DB Rows 50/15(x4) Max DB weight I have

Landmines (Triangle Handle/Close Grip) 50/15(x4) Max DB weight I have

Lying (Flat Bench) Reverse Flyes 15/20(x4) Just trying to mimic the machines as much as I can. I held the weights at sternum level versus higher like for shoulders.

SuperSet
Incline Curl Alternating Arms 20/20, 18, 15, 15
Lower Back Hyper Extensions (Roman Chair) 30, 28, 24, 23

Concentration (DB) Curls 10/20, 15/18, 17.5/12, 12

Alpha Curls (Finisher) *With BFR
Was supposed to be: Grab a BB and DBs (with lighter weights) and keep doing switching when you hit failure until you get to 90 seconds
Ended up being:
SuperSet (with no rest between exercises or sets)
Standing DB Hammer Curl 10/20, 20, 20
Standing BB Curl 15/20, 15, 5

Got this suggestion from Alpha1agreda and gave it a shot today. It was also my first foray into BFR and I am not 100% sure I did it right. To be honest I felt like I was pushing a lot more weight then I should have been able to from what I have read about BFR exercises. So maybe I didn't have them tight enough? Although I did get a good pump. The DB reps didn't really change, but the BB ones just kept going down LOL. By the end I was spent.

In general I sweat more than I think I have since I started back exercising post-surgery (not including cardio). It is only day 5 for the Epicat TD, so I am leaning towards the ABE finally kicking in.

Tomorrow is leg day (and I am still a little sore from the last leg day *sigh*, but by tomorrow I should be ready to hit em again :)).
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Lol them Alpha curls haha , I was doing them today too , usually first set I'll get 10-12 reps by the end I'm switching after every 2-3 reps . Must have felt great with the bfr bands
 
Alpha1agreda said:
Lol them Alpha curls haha , I was doing them today too , usually first set I'll get 10-12 reps by the end I'm switching after every 2-3 reps . Must have felt great with the bfr bands
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They felt good in general. I think I will try them the next time w/o the bands, just to get a better feel for them and maybe determine the right weight for me (then back that down for the BFR inclusion).
 
Hunger is still up, although it is "sneaky". I can be working outside, or around the house and not thinking about food, and be fine. The minute I start eating I feel like I can't stop, or m,ore specifically that I am not yet full and should not stop. I am still a little hungry now, but don't want to be stuffing my face within hours of going to bed (that is what the slow release protein shake is for :)).

Other than that not much else to report for today. I had that great workout this morning, finished up some yard work left over from yesterday and haven't accomplished much else since then, well, except for putting away what I would consider a lot of "groceries" (at least for me it was a lot). No working in the wee hours tonight, just going to get to bed at a normal hour and get up and do it all over again tomorrow. After all, tomorrow (morning) is Leg Day *uugghh* :). Since I am limited on the amount of weights I can use for squats (due the limited equipment) I am going to try the BFR bands on my quads (and maybe also on my calves, we will see how I feel since those are always at the end of my leg workout).
 
I'm back! Looking good in here.
Missing the floor DB extensions, I guess I will be the first to do them on Monday.
 
hairygrandpa said:
I'm back! Looking good in here.
Missing the floor DB extensions, I guess I will be the first to do them on Monday.
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I know, I was not sure how many days I had before you got back. Mine tris are still sore from my regular workout 3 days ago. Tomorrow is probably going to be a rest day and I was going to try those extensions then.

It is kind of a winding crazy thought process that I followed :). I didn't want to do them on my normal tri day since I do triceps after chest and they are "pre-fatigued" by the time I start training them. I wanted to be "fresh" for the "challenge". Then I needed to find a day where they had time to recover so that the soreness from the challenge did not impact my next chest day.

Lately I have been working out 5 ~ 6 days a week, getting some body parts in twice a week, with only 4 days between days for a body part, just long enough for my old *ss body to recover enough to train it again.

But now that I know you are already back I can do one of two things. I can do the extensions on chest/tri day (in 2 or 3 days from now) or do them tomorrow, on my rest day, if they are not still sore when I get up. :D
 
Had an OK leg workout. I didn't sleep well last night and woke up feeling a bit lethargic, but went ahead and worked out anyways. Once I get into an exercise the energy and strength were there, but leading up to it I was hard pressed to stay motivated. Plus with the limited equipment for leg exercises I have only a few motions I can go through.

Deadlift 75/20, 115/15(x3) *Maxed out bar

Squats 70/15(x3)

Raised Leg Lunges 20, 16, 15

Single Leg Standing Calf Raises (used BFR Bands) 35/15,14,12

For the lunges I put the back leg up on a platform, about 6" tall. Should I be raising my leading leg, keep raising the back leg, raise either one higher (can add another 2" ~ 3") or ditch the rise all together?
 
Sparkss said:
For the lunges I put the back leg up on a platform, about 6" tall. Should I be raising my leading leg, keep raising the back leg, raise either one higher (can add another 2" ~ 3") or ditch the rise all together?
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I used to HATE lunges of all kinds, so I stopped doing them for a while. Probably why my squats and deads plateaued. Anyway, I've just been using walking lunges (space permitting) recently and yes they still suck, but I really like them now. Especially right after squats. I find that my hip flexors get irritated when I raise my leg to the rear, but all of the options that you stated are viable candidates for utilising lunges. Just find which one(s) will work for you and cycle them.
 
I stopped doing walking, or alternating, lunges. Now I just do my reps for one side then switch and do reps for the other. I found that if I alternated for each rep that I ran out of steam before I ran out of leg strength, and my stabilizers would fail me. That is something I might need to revisit now that I hopefully have improved my overall stabilization and strength. Thanks for the feedback! :)
 
Sparkss said:
I know, I was not sure how many days I had before you got back. Mine tris are still sore from my regular workout 3 days ago. Tomorrow is probably going to be a rest day and I was going to try those extensions then.

It is kind of a winding crazy thought process that I followed :). I didn't want to do them on my normal tri day since I do triceps after chest and they are "pre-fatigued" by the time I start training them. I wanted to be "fresh" for the "challenge". Then I needed to find a day where they had time to recover so that the soreness from the challenge did not impact my next chest day.

Lately I have been working out 5 ~ 6 days a week, getting some body parts in twice a week, with only 4 days between days for a body part, just long enough for my old *ss body to recover enough to train it again.

But now that I know you are already back I can do one of two things. I can do the extensions on chest/tri day (in 2 or 3 days from now) or do them tomorrow, on my rest day, if they are not still sore when I get up. :D
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I understand, lets do them as a finisher after chest, its more convenient. Since here is all in kilo, I'll have to use the 5kg DB's (11lbs).
Will do the exercise today. My guess is, it will take too much time to reach zero rep, maybe its better to do it for 10 sets and then count the reps... we will see, hehehe.
 
Numbers are in.
After chest exercises:

Rules:
10 set: Floor DB extensions
-TUT 0:1:0 (quick, no holding for energy)
- 2x10lbs (if possible 11lbs/5kg)
- pause 10 sec between sets
- every set to failure
- DB's must touch floor

My Son: total 121 reps
Myself : total 272 reps
Sparkss: ????

As I could see, this challenge, even though we used little weight, should be best between similar contenders.
My son would be a good ruler for you in this case, IMHO
 
hairygrandpa said:
Numbers are in.
After chest exercises:

Rules:
10 set: Floor DB extensions
-TUT 0:1:0 (quick, no holding for energy)
- 2x10lbs (if possible 11lbs/5kg)
- pause 10 sec between sets
- every set to failure
- DB's must touch floor

My Son: total 121 reps
Myself : total 272 reps
Sparkss: ????

As I could see, this challenge, even though we used little weight, should be best between similar contenders.
My son would be a good ruler for you in this case, IMHO
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Holy hell. Sounds pretty brutal, that's just enough "rest" between sets to really let that lactic acid build up. Might have to try this after my next chest/shoulder day and throw my stats up...272 will be hard to beat though.
 
sparks2012 said:
Holy hell. Sounds pretty brutal, that's just enough "rest" between sets to really let that lactic acid build up. Might have to try this after my next chest/shoulder day and throw my stats up...272 will be hard to beat though.
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Yes please! A friendly competition spices things up a bit. I bet you can do over 300 reps, judging by your avatar pic.
 
hairygrandpa said:
Numbers are in.
After chest exercises:

Rules:
10 set: Floor DB extensions
-TUT 0:1:0 (quick, no holding for energy)
- 2x10lbs (if possible 11lbs/5kg)
- pause 10 sec between sets
- every set to failure
- DB's must touch floor

My Son: total 121 reps
Myself : total 272 reps
Sparkss: ????

As I could see, this challenge, even though we used little weight, should be best between similar contenders.
My son would be a good ruler for you in this case, IMHO
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Today was shoulders, tomorrow is a forced day off (meeting and separate appointment taking up my normal workout time). The day after tomorrow is chest/tris and I iwll post my #s that afternoon. :)
 
Shoulder day today.

I was feeling some impingement for the last couple of days and even soreness this morning upon rising. I have a forced rest day tomorrow due to schedule conflicts and I did not want to take two days off, so I decided to just do volume/low weights and keep my "date with the weights". Even so the impingement kept me from having the workout I wanted.

Over Head DB Press 15/25, 25, 22

Bent Over DB Raise (Seated) 15/15, 10/25, 25, 25

Front DB Raises (Standing) 15/30, 30, 30

Side Lateral Raises (Standing) 10/30, 30, 30

Upright BB Row 35/30, 30, 30

Tom Hardy Shrugs 35/25, 28, 28, 26

At the end I was sore and felt "full", but it was less than an intense workout. I barely broke a sweat, even though the last couple of reps of most of the sets were challenging.

All in all I feel a lot better this afternoon, including my shoulder mobility and "feels", aside from being a bit sore (already).
 
If you don't have heavier DB's -or you are afraid of upping weights (injury), you can do TUT (time under tension), like holding 3 sec on top of the movement -or doing the raises slower. Did this for a couple of weeks and it really cranked up my workouts.
 
hairygrandpa said:
If you don't have heavier DB's -or you are afraid of upping weights (injury), you can do TUT (time under tension), like holding 3 sec on top of the movement -or doing the raises slower. Did this for a couple of weeks and it really cranked up my workouts.
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Thanks. If I hit another day like today I will definitely give that method a try.
 
hairygrandpa said:
Yes please! A friendly competition spices things up a bit. I bet you can do over 300 reps, judging by your avatar pic.
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Haha, we'll see about that. I know how daunting the menial 10lb DB's can be after the Tri's are pre-exhausted, so I'm not making any bets here.
 
Sparkss said:
All in all I feel a lot better this afternoon, including my shoulder mobility and "feels", aside from being a bit sore (already).
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I've found that just getting under the bar, or DB's will help "loosen" my shoulders up tremendously. They get tight every now and then, but after I get done with chest/shoulders everything is back to normal. Either that, or I have chronic inflammation and once the swelling goes down it hurts because something is wrong

Also, what HG suggested about TUT is awesome advice. Really will destroy your shoulders, in a good way, since they're so easy to burn out with lighter weights.
 
sparks2012 said:
I've found that just getting under the bar, or DB's will help "loosen" my shoulders up tremendously. They get tight every now and then, but after I get done with chest/shoulders everything is back to normal. Either that, or I have chronic inflammation and once the swelling goes down it hurts because something is wrong

Also, what HG suggested about TUT is awesome advice. Really will destroy your shoulders, in a good way, since they're so easy to burn out with lighter weights.
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Lay on a flat bench and hold a 5# or 10# plates with very little elbow bend as if you were in the bottom movement of a fly is also a good way to stretch out the RC
 
sparks2012 said:
Haha, we'll see about that. I know how daunting the menial 10lb DB's can be after the Tri's are pre-exhausted, so I'm not making any bets here.
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Yea, that is what I have been thinking too :D LOL

Tomorrow is chest day so we will see. I don't plan on any other Tri exercises except for the "challenge" (and whatever they get out of the regular chest exercises). I know that my workout two weeks ago I managed to pre-fatigue my tris in a way I had not done before. By the time I got to doing the tricep focused exercises I had to drop my normal weights to get the reps in. The DOMS the next day told me that it was not CNS failure, but true muscle fatigue. I killed em (in a good way) :)
 
Be prepared for doms, it's day 2 after the self inflicted challenge and my tris are still on fire, lol.
 
Yesterday was a crazy day, but I did manage to get ,y workout in.

Incline DB Press 35/15(x4)

Decline DB Press 35/15(x4)

Cavalerie Crossover 40/20, 45/15(x4)

DB Pull Over 35/15(x4)

Decline Push Ups 15(x3)

Lying Tricep Extension (HG Challenge) 10/20,15,15,15,12,12,10 Then my shoulder started complaining loudly, although I am not sure if I could have gotten another 5~10 reps in anyways, my triceps were pretty well spent. I came in under 100 (99 to be exact).
 
Sparkss said:
Yesterday was a crazy day, but I did manage to get ,y workout in.

Incline DB Press 35/15(x4)

Decline DB Press 35/15(x4)

Cavalerie Crossover 40/20, 45/15(x4)

DB Pull Over 35/15(x4)

Decline Push Ups 15(x3)

Lying Tricep Extension (HG Challenge) 10/20,15,15,15,12,12,10 Then my shoulder started complaining loudly, although I am not sure if I could have gotten another 5~10 reps in anyways, my triceps were pretty well spent. I came in under 100 (99 to be exact).
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You had at least 20 more reps in your triceps, doing 3 more sets. Anyway, great effort! Do you feel your triceps today? hehehe?

I figured doing rest pause sets, like those in the challenge, really, I mean REALLY bring workouts to the next level. You can do RP sets after each set with any exercise. Afterwards you feel like you had the workout of a lifetime, truly recommended.
 
Congratulation on your recovery!

Explication: Your log is called: "Sparkss journey to recovery".

As you got missing in action, I assume you fully recovered!
LOL
 
And he rode off into the sunset...

Surely we didn't have another "Donna" on our hands with this one?? Just up and left.
 
sorry all. a combination of travelling for work, work in general being all-consuming, and every free minute trying to finish up projects around the house before the girls returned. They landed 11:54 PM Wednesday evening, and since then I have been spending time with them, plus yesterday was a pool party w/ a rented huge slide at our neighbors house, so that took me from early afternoon late in the evening.

Work is still crazy busy, and more travel is on the horizon, but things should be better (more time to participate here on AM) now. The pressure to finish, or even start, the larger projects is gone now that the girls are home (can't really safely tackle any projects that I can't complete in a day now).

I have kept up with my workouts, including recording the logs, I just need to type them all in (uugghh).

After being so occupied with work (literally working from rising in the morning to going to sleep at night) that I felt I should have at least seen some decent body comp gains or improvements. They are there, but not what I would have expected from the amount of energy I expended (and food that I took in). I am beginning to feel that I may need to turn to something non-natty to get any further bulking gains. I am going to start researching and preparing for something to start around the first week in September, after most of my travel should be done for the year. I am open to suggestions.

More to come later today or maybe later this week (still helping unpack luggage, restock fridge, taking care of the girls as they work through major jet lag, and preparing for another brutal week at work).
 
Good to see you alive and well!
Just post the first- and the last of your exercise log, so anyone can see the progress.

For your upcoming bulk, Sarms come to mind, lets talk later about it.
 
Workout Log (catch-up)

Past

6/23
Incline DB Press 35/15, 15, 15 ,15
Decline DB Press 35/15, 15, 15, 15
Cavalerie Crossover 40/20, 45/15, 15, 15, 15
DB Pull Over 35/15, 15, 15, 15
Decline Push Ups 15, 15, 15
Lying Tricep Extension 10/20,15,15,15

6/25
1-Arm DB Row 30/20, 50*/20, 17, 15
Bent Over BB Row 115*/15, 15, 15, 15
Landmines 50*/20, 18, 18, 18
Decline DB Pull Over 30/20, 16, 16, 15
Spider Curls 45/18, 16, 15, 15
Super Set
Back Hyper Extensions 0/25, 25, 25, 25
Standing Hammer Curls 20/20, 25/15, 14, 12
(alternating)

6/2?
Deadlift 115*/15, 15, 15, 15
Squat 75/15, 15, 15, 15
Lunges 0/15, 15, 15, 15
Single-Leg Calf Raises 50*/15, 15, 15, 15

6/2?
Overhead Press 20/20, 30/9, 9, 7
Front Raise*** 20/20, 25/10, 10, 10
Side Lateral Raise 15/15, 17.5/10, 10, 9
Bent Over Raise** 17.5/14, 12, 12, 12
(lying on incline bench)
Upright Barbell Row 30/12, 35/9, 9, 9
Shrugs 45/15, 50*/12, 12, 12
DB upright Rown 30/20, 40/15, 50*/12, 10
(AKA High DB Pull)

Recent

7/24
Incline Bench Press 30/20, 40/14, 10, 9
Decline Bench Press 40/15, 16, 16, 14
Flat Bench Press 40/12, 11, 11, 12
DB Pull Over 40/12, 14, 14, 14
Cavalerie Crossover 50*/15, 15, 15, 15
Cross-Bench Dip 10/18, 15, 15, 14
Lying DB Tricep Ext 10/12, 12, 11, 12

7/25
Bent Over BB Row 95/25, 115*/19, 18, 18, 18
1-Arm DB Row 50*/19, 19, 20, 20
Landmines 50*/20, 20, 20, 20
Decline DB Pull Over 40/20, 20, 20, 20
BB Curl 50/20, 18, 15, 15
Superset
Back Hyper Extensions 10/25, 23, 17, 16
Concentration Curls 20/16, 15, 15, 14

7/26
Deadlift 95/20, 115*/16, 16, 16, 16
Squat 115*/14, 14, 14, 12
Lunges 10/16, 14, 12, 12
Single-Leg Calf Raises 50*/15, 14, 11, 11

7/27
Overhead Press 20/20, 25/18, 16, 15, 15
Side Lateral Raise 20/16, 16, 16, 16
Front Raise 25/17, 16, 16, 16
Superset
Bent Over Raise** 25/17, 16, 16, 16
Upright Barbell Row 65/16, 15, 15, 15
Shrugs** 50*/20, 16, 16, 16, 16
1-Arm DB Carry** 50*/40, 40, 40, 36 (steps)


* Maximum weight available
** Grip the limiting factor
*** Shoulder impingement experienced
 
More thoughts:

I only recently started upping my frequency from 4 ~ 5 times a week (more commonly 4 times per week) to 5 ~ 6 times per week (more commonly 6 times).

Before I had scheduled off days, noe I only take a day off if 1. Work/Life prevents the workout that day or 2. I can tell I hit CNS fatigue and need to recharge. Usually #1 happens enough times in a month that I rarely need to take a break for reason #2. But it did happen this past month, after 6 days straight working out, I felt it the night before and took a rest day. I also have noticeable improvements in my workouts after a break (for whatever reason the break was), although if it was a "fun" break, I seem to come back even harder. Like the pool party last weekend. I knew I would be drinking and I also know that alcohol takes you out of an anabolic state, so I didn't workout that day. Sunday's workout (even still a little hung over :)) was intense.

I have also adjusted my dietary intake "before" and now.

Before:
PWO Protien 7g BCAA 1g Glutamine 1g Carbs 10g
Intra Protien 5.5g BCAA 2.4g Glutamine 1.5g Carbs 11.2g
After Protien 10.2g BCAA 3.5g Glutamine 3g Carbs 13.5g
Bedtime Protien 9.5g BCAA 3g Glutamine 4g Carbs 1.3g
Total Protien 22.7g BCAA 6.9g Glutamine 5.5g Carbs 34.7g
(across workout)

Now:
PWO Protien 7g BCAA 1g Glutamine 1g Carbs 5.8g
Intra Protien 7g BCAA 4g Glutamine 1.8g Carbs 11.2g
After Protien 15.5g BCAA 5.75g Glutamine 4.5g Carbs 13.6g
Bedtime Protien 9.5g BCAA 4.25g Glutamine 4g Carbs 1.3g
Total Protien 29.5g BCAA 10.75g Glutamine 7.3g Carbs 30.6g
(across workout)

Not a huge jump, but an extra TBS of hydro whey in the intra and whey isolate in the after drink, plus extra BCAA (3:1:2) across the board. The BCAA/Glutamine in the PWO is from the hydro whey, not specifically added.


The hunger from the ABE was present before, but seems to have kicked into high gear about a week ago. I am eating what would have almost constituted an entire meal before, every 2 hours now. I would say easily tripled my intake (and am still always hungry). I have seen an improvement in the fullness of my muscles, but not really so much my waistline (which still contimnues to surprise me) Each morning I wake expecting to be "puffy" but can still see at least an outline of my abs (although by the end of the day they are no where to be seen when I go to bed, they just re-appear the next morning :)
 
Sparkss great to hear man, seeing those "morning abs" is a huge bump in motivation letting you know you're doing something right. The protein consumption you listed was just for shakes/supps right? Surely you're eating more through whole foods throughout the day? If you don't mind me asking, what is your total protein intake for an average day?
 
those are just pre/intra/post/nighttime shakes. I also am eating tons of whole foods (made another batch of Chili up again, using the 93% lean beef) and also at least one "mid-day" protein shake, usually paired with some carbs (like baked goldfish snacks, or something else similar). When the cravings hit epic proportions I even went so far as to order a pizza (w/ mushrooms and chicken toppings). But I still avoid eating anything like that past about 4 PM. Even later in the evening when I eat anything with carbs I feel my chest/arms/back tighten up and my vascularity visible increases. So either the ABE or the Epicat is still kicking as far as GDA/nutrient partitioning affects goes, well into the evening. I also add 500mg of agmatine to my bedtime shake. Really seems to help me sleep + lean out a bit overnight.

To answer your question I really don't know what my exact overall caloric intake is. I just know it is at least double maybe triple what it was 2 months ago (probably 50% more than even last month).

I am coming to the end of 8+ weeks of ABE + EP1C unleashed (transdermal). I have Follidrone 2.0 to arrive tomorrow and Alphamax XT bottle sitting here. I plan to roll right into that stack (I have a family reunion in September, so I want to maintain as much body comp as I can). I am honestly a little nervous about coming off of the ABE + EP1C. I feel invincible as far as eating goes. I actually enjoyed eating these last couple of weeks (Which is a change for me, before it was a chore). The limited downside to eating more or less what I wanted (carbs, ahhhhhh) and the overall muscle fullness were great. I will see if it was just the forskolin (as that is also in Alphamax and Follidrone 2.0) or if it was something else.

After the reunion, depending on how my workouts and diet (and body response) are doing I plan to stop everything for a week, then start up with 1 (no stack) to see if it is the epicat, ABE, or something else that is contributing to my body comp. I knew this would be a risk if I stacked going in, but TBH I am typically a non-responder to any of these things, so it was a shock to see the results. Plus, I wanted to make the most of my time alone to try new things, to see if there would be any aggression or other (negative) issues.
 
Sparkss said:
those are just pre/intra/post/nighttime shakes. I also am eating tons of whole foods (made another batch of Chili up again, using the 93% lean beef) and also at least one "mid-day" protein shake, usually paired with some carbs (like baked goldfish snacks, or something else similar). When the cravings hit epic proportions I even went so far as to order a pizza (w/ mushrooms and chicken toppings). But I still avoid eating anything like that past about 4 PM. Even later in the evening when I eat anything with carbs I feel my chest/arms/back tighten up and my vascularity visible increases. So either the ABE or the Epicat is still kicking as far as GDA/nutrient partitioning affects goes, well into the evening. I also add 500mg of agmatine to my bedtime shake. Really seems to help me sleep + lean out a bit overnight.

To answer your question I really don't know what my exact overall caloric intake is. I just know it is at least double maybe triple what it was 2 months ago (probably 50% more than even last month).

I am coming to the end of 8+ weeks of ABE + EP1C unleashed (transdermal). I have Follidrone 2.0 to arrive tomorrow and Alphamax XT bottle sitting here. I plan to roll right into that stack (I have a family reunion in September, so I want to maintain as much body comp as I can). I am honestly a little nervous about coming off of the ABE + EP1C. I feel invincible as far as eating goes. I actually enjoyed eating these last couple of weeks (Which is a change for me, before it was a chore). The limited downside to eating more or less what I wanted (carbs, ahhhhhh) and the overall muscle fullness were great. I will see if it was just the forskolin (as that is also in Alphamax and Follidrone 2.0) or if it was something else.

After the reunion, depending on how my workouts and diet (and body response) are doing I plan to stop everything for a week, then start up with 1 (no stack) to see if it is the epicat, ABE, or something else that is contributing to my body comp. I knew this would be a risk if I stacked going in, but TBH I am typically a non-responder to any of these things, so it was a shock to see the results. Plus, I wanted to make the most of my time alone to try new things, to see if there would be any aggression or other (negative) issues.
Click to expand...

def keep us posted
 
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