Making Gains While Registering Weakness

I swear, my intellectual side understands that restricting my calories will make me feel weaker, give me less energy and overall affect my mood.  And in spite of the deficit I've been good about not just eating "healthy food" and been trying to enjoy some regular snacks in order to maintain my sense of satiety and normalcy.

But my ego hates it.  Hates it.

Even worse, my body rebels against it, leaving me mostly bedridden and self-recriminating every life decision I've ever made anxious for about 48 hours.

Okay, that last bit has little to do with the calories.

Anyways.

Some rest was had. A few lighter workouts were accomplished over the weekend. And I visited an RMT for the first time in … maybe ever really. Some good deep tissue work on my neck and upper back was challenging to get through and the fascia breaking down around my knee was something to behold let me tell you.

But I'd be lying if I said that the body wasn't feeling a bit better today, even with my broken up graveyard shift sleep.

So, this morning. Went to the downtown Goodlife in Winnipeg. Gave my poor frozen car a break from the frigid planet of Hoth and attempted to push through my heavier Pull Day.

Feb 16, 2025
Back w/Biceps
Pull Downs - "200" x 10, 10, 10 7 (Slight strength improvement from last time)
Smith Mach Bentover Row - 205lb x 12, 12, 12, 10 (I prefer in the smith for the stability and the stretch)
Machine Row - "190" x 12, 12, 12, 12 (still a bit too easy but the feel after is good)
EZ Bar Curl - 80lb x 15, 15, 15 (Didn't want to add weight or sets, so the extra reps felt right)
DB Curls - 30lb x 15, 15 17 (after EZ Bar this was challenging but extra reps on final set were very effective)
Treadmill Walk 30 mins, 2.6 mph, 3% incline

Overall, a fine lift and post walk. Felt nice and satisfied once I was done. And absolutely famished. That did wonders for my mood I tell you. I forget what it's like when my fatigue and blood sugars tank. I get angsty and pissy in like 10 minutes.

Anyways, still trying to track my macros reasonably well. harder to do over night when I have to sleep during the day (Meaning that my breakfast an hour ago is technically counting towards tomorrow instead of today - its weird).

Whatever.

Thanks for reading and following. 

AK

Big Game Sunday Workout

Who am I kidding? I didn't watch the game. Save for it being on the TVs at the Garden City Goodlife while I was training. What can I say? I'm one of the few red-blooded fellas in North America who's not particularly invested in the NFL. 

Especially not this year.

Anyways. Made time for a quick lift and some cardio walking. Nothing too intense. My energy levels are still pretty low - most likely from continued calorie deficits (the family dinner Saturday night notwithstanding … so much ham.) As such, keeping my reps high and my weights in around a 60% range of heaviness remains ideal. Ended up with a good pump, no joint pain and no real discomfort. 

In other words, mission accomplished. 

I mean, my Ego keeps calling me a wuss. But my plan to trim the love handles knows I'm on the right path.

Anyways, here's what I did for all 7 of you who may care.

Back w/Biceps
Close Grip Pulldowns - "180" x 12, 12, 8, 8 (decided after this to only do 3 sets per exercise, was feeling a strain)
EZ Curl Bar - 80lb x 12, 12, 12 (nice and controlled)
DB Curls - 30lb x 15, 15, 15 (I should go up, were only there was a 32.5DB)
Cable Pressdown / FacePull Combo - "50" x 15, 15, 15 
1 Arm Mach Preacher Curl - "65" x 12, 10, 10 (No rest, just swapped arms)
Cardio - 30 Mins Treadmill Walk 3%, 2.6mph

So yeah. Nothing ground breaking. Made sure to get over 10K steps, had a high protein meal and still kept my calories down. Won't post the tracking screenshot since it's a bit messed up - working nights messes with the tracking days as you might imagine. I mean I still track it, but it's weird when dinner  comes before my sleep on the same day as breakfast.

Or maybe I'm messing it up somehow.

Weird.

K - til next time.
AK

Feeling It Friday and So Much for a Weekend

I won't spend a lot of time here kvetching about my straight job. Aside from saying; it's shift work, it keeps the majority of my bills paid, and the benefits are good. So, the mental fuckery involved when I switch days to nights and back again is a bit much some times, but overall it is what it needs to be - for now.

As such, the negative part of that is that it's currently 1230am on Sunday as I type this up. My weekend has officially "ended" and I'm using my "work downtime" to keep my writing fingers sharp... ish.

So yeah. Friday.  Leg Day. 

I went in planning to crush a marathon cardio session with some core and frankly was called out for not wanting to train legs (thanks Baby). So, I looked my training plan and decided that for the goals I'm working towards that being in a fairly significant calorie deficit (500-700 calories / day below estimated maintenance) would make the kind of Leg Day I normally do be challenging. Not that I'm Tom Platz or anything, just that right now I've no interest in growing my leg muscles. I'm focused more on Mobility, strength maintenance and minimizing my knee pain.

So I decided to focus almost exclusively on machines, cut everything down to 2 controlled sets with moderate weights and see how it felt.

Turns out, felt pretty good.

Legs, Core and Cardio
Hip Abductors - "205" x 20, 20
Seated Leg Curl - "115" x 12, 12
Quad Extensions - "85" x 12, 12 (Extra slow / careful here with my knees)
DB RDLs - 55lbs x 12, 12 (extra slow on eccentric)
Hyperextensions - 15, 15
Knee Lifts - 15, 15
Seated Leg Press - "150" x 12, 12
Treadmill - 2.6mph, 3% incline, 60 minutes

TBH I almost cheesed out on the Leg Press altogether. But one was open and I wanted to see how it felt in comparison to the Weight Plate loading presses I usual use. Honestly, I liked it. I'm going to make this more of a staple for leg day I think. Ever since I've felt very good in the old gams, and not like I want to crawl into a hole and die from the DOMS.

As for the treadmill, while I know the X-Trainer will be better on my knees, for some reason I am really feeling the treadmill these days. So, fuck it. The point of this is to pick the exercises that I actually want to do to help with my consistency. All said and done after a lengthy dog walk in the evening I ended up over 17000 steps, something I don't do as often as I used to. So, that's something.

Anyways, here's the food log for Friday. I wont post Saturdays, had dinner with the family and well - nobody goes hungry at my moms house. So call that day a draw I figure. Besides, I noticed after a dizzy spell earlier today that perhaps my recovery hasn't been as strong as I'd thought this week. So, a few more calories today were welcome. Definitely didn't blow my whole week.

Next few hours should be quiet. I have a fake'n'bake session scheduled for 10am, so gonna try to get my Biceps w/Back Day done before that. Eventually I might even sleep. Who knows.

Be well. Treat each other fairly. Be good to yourself.
AK

2 Posts in a Week, Good Reminders in Training

Couple of quick things. 

It's more important to DO something than to just PLAN to Do Something. 

Whether it's writing this Blog, keeping track of my calories, working on personal projects, booking trips to visit loved ones … you can get lost in the planning. I'm so fucking guilty of this, calling it being certain.

Nothing's Certain.

At some point procrastination is just stagnation and you never do anything.

Yesterdays' Examples?

Getting to the Downtown Goodlife (shout out to Goodlife Fitness 330 Main) and seeing way more people there than I'm used to. Forcing me to adjust, scrap my planned workout order and just do what was available. Turns out, I had a good lift and discovered energy limitations and challenges I wasn't expecting.

Getting in the ring with the @BlazeProWrestling trainees in spite of my plan to just "coach and spectate" and suddenly throwing my boots and pads on and running scrimmages with anyone interested. Sure, I'm sore today, but so what? A good experience for me, some good safety lessons and reminders for them, and everyone(I think) feels good today for their efforts.

Taking a recommendation from an old friend to actually use the benefits I have with work and book a massage appointment for my back and knees from his RMT. 

So yeah. Do Something. It leads to more things.

Anyways, here's yesterdays Workout Review:

Feb 5, 2025 - Pecks'n'Decks (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps)

Pec Fly Machine - "175" x 12, 12, 12, 12 (final set with full stretch partials, HUGE pump)
Incline Smith Mach Chest Press - "205" x 6, 6, 6, 7 (WAY fewer reps, but I usually start with a press, final set was to failure)
DB Side Lat raise - 30lb x 12, 12, 12, 12 (Felt good, short rests, stay here 1 more week)
Cable Lat Raise - "15" x 6, 6, 6  "10" x 12 (always a humbling but effective lift)
Mach OHP - "80" x 12, 12  "90" x 12 (def go up, felt good)
Rev Grip Wide Bar Cable Extensions - "50" x 15, 15, 15, 20, 25 (Just love burning these out)
20 Mins Treadmill

, 3.0 Incline, 2.6mph

This week I bumped up to 4 sets per exercise just to see how it feels. I don't want to get too deep into volume and overdo things like I'm guilty of in the past. Now that I'm a man of a certain age I try to be more cognizant of my recovery and energy expenditures. With that said, maintaining the calorie deficit
this week hasn't been too difficult. It's probably a bit more extreme than recommended, but as a superheavyweight a 500-750 calorie deficit isn't as big as it seems.

Anyways, that's all. Next lift likely wont happen until Friday. Going to try and make today about big steps and walking.

AK

Stop Overthinking This, Just Log Your Workouts

Pretty much what the headline says. Every few weeks I come back to this blog, lament at my lack of content and then berate myself for not having engagement or traffic. 

Bottom line? I like to workout. I want to be healthier for myself nad my family. So I need to have a record of my efforts to help keep me accountable. 

Current Goals? Get into a 2XL Tee comfortably again. Track my food consistently to maintain a moderate calorie deficit (2700 cals/day should do that). Focus on shorter, more intense workouts again. Dedicate some workout days purely to cardio for my heart health (either gym / ring training) and just try to enjoy the process as opposed to punishing myself which is more often than not what I default to (in spite of my knowing better.) 

As such: Here was yesterday 

Feb 3, 2025 

BACK w/ Biceps 

Hammer Grip Pulldowns - "200" x 10, 10, 8, 6 (full stretch and fail reps those last 2)

Bentover Barbell Row - 205lbs x 12, 12,10, 6 (last set was HARD)

Machine Row - "175" x 12, 12, 12 (not my preferred mach/option - gym was packed, this is what I got, also too easy) 

EZ Bar Curl - 80lb x 12, 12, 12 

DB Wide Curl - 30lb x 15, 15, 15 

20 Mins Treadmill Also went to wrestling training. Not too intense but still got some work done. 

Calories / macros as follows.

Progress Pic (This wont be a regular thing anymore)

Okay, that'll do. Be back Wednesday (no gym today). 

Remember. Be kind to yourself as well as others. 

AK

IG @warondadblog