3 Questions on method, order and routine

[H1N1]

Workout B report
Squats - [email protected], 3m rest, [email protected], 4m rest, [email protected], 4m rest
Backoff set - [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] I think my rest pauses were a little longer here. Probably closer to 30s.
Stiff leg deads - [email protected]
Chinups - [email protected] More awkward than difficult. As tall as I am I still had trouble clasping the dumbbell before starting each set.
BW squats - 300. I was a little fucked off here. Finished the first 5 sets in 6 minutes. After 8 I had about 2:30 left before 14 minutes were up but then I was shooed away because a ladies class was about to start so I was put off my pace. I finished all 300 but I really wanted to see if I could have improved or at least matched my time
.
I spoke to several guys and 2 staff members yesterday. None could give me a definite answer but the general consensus was that the bar weighs 20kg.

I've got a lot on tomorrow so can I get my orders today please.

1. Better to add sets than take the longer rest pauses for the time being. It's not a massive deal, but it slightly changes the point of the training as given. In future, try just keeping the bar on your back and taking 10-15 deep breaths before hitting another rep. Only do this with squats.

2. Well done on the 10 reps at 50, that's a great improvement for a week.

3. Try to bring in a sturdy backpack or something, a dumbbell between the legs is not ideal. Better to put a weight plate in a backpack.

4. Interruptions happen sometime, don't sweat it. Just know that we're going for sub 14:00 next time out.

 

[H1N1]

Workout C report
Military press - [email protected], 1m rest, [email protected], 2m rest, [email protected] Slight wobble on the last rep
Backoff set - [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 15s, [email protected] A little leg bounce on the last couple of reps
Chinups - [email protected] My gym doesn't have the weight belt that you use to attach barbell weights to yourself so I had to improvise and hold a dumbbell between my feet.
Rear delt raises - [email protected]
5m rest
40 pressup & jump burpees - 6:00

Military press - [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Backoff set - AMRAP rest pause @12.5 (not 7.5)

Chinups - 70 total reps (vary your grips between sets if you like

Rear delt raises - [email protected]

40 Burpees - beat your previous time

 

[Hardy Daytona]

Workout C report
Military press - [email protected], 1m rest, [email protected], 2m rest, [email protected]
Backoff set - [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 3m rest
Chinups - 7x10 alternating sets of palms in and out, 4m rest
Rear delt raises - [email protected], 6m rest
40 burpees - 5:25

 

[Blackwell]

Big up H1N1 for taking the time to give you all of these personalised workout plans and helping you make progress.

How about a rep point or something for him Hardy.

Anyway lots of good stuff here however I often think that what you do as in the number of reps and sets etc etcetera is overstated.

The difference maker between making some progress or average process as opposed to great or even elite progress is the variable of intensity. You can't deny it. Commitment and pride is what can help you to transcend the 'just going through the process' kind of feel.

Unfortunately this is an intangible that can't really be taught over the internet. It has to be shown and it has to be exemplified.

 

[H1N1]

Big up H1N1 for taking the time to give you all of these personalised workout plans and helping you make progress.

How about a rep point or something for him Hardy.

Anyway lots of good stuff here however I often think that what you do as in the number of reps and sets etc etcetera is overstated.

The difference maker between making some progress or average process as opposed to great or even elite progress is the variable of intensity. You can't deny it. Commitment and pride is what can help you to transcend the 'just going through the process' kind of feel.

Unfortunately this is an intangible that can't really be taught over the internet. It has to be shown and it has to be exemplified.

This is exactly what I've been trying to get across in the course of all this, and why I've had him doing a range of rep schemes and set schemes. Everything from just doing a total number of reps, a single all out set, or a determined number of sets and reps. The idea has been, at this early point in his lifting career, to help him understand that consistency and intensity are they keys to making gains. As you say, sets and reps matter very little, so long as over time you are doing enough quality work. As I've said before in this thread, in many ways this program could be more optimal, but the point for now is to teach lessons that HD can use in the course of of the rest of his lifting career, and apply to programs written by far better and more experienced coaches than me. Really I'm trying to get across the lessons I wish I'd learned years ago, that would have saved me a lot of time and seen me make more progress.

Appreciate the kind words, mate, thank you.

 

[Hardy Daytona]

I'm not sure if it's worth mentioning but I'll put it out there in case the information is important.
Over the weekend I attended an event up in London and as a result my meals were slacking. Lunch on Friday was a piece of fruit and some leftover stew, Saturday I skipped and yesterday I had to make do with a bowl of soup. Also I probably walked the sum total of a few miles.

I've read over the novice lifter's thread and I'll be honest - while I understand the words on screen it's a little difficult to grasp the concept behind them. Blackwell's right when he says that some of this has to be shown. I'll keep pouring over the information.

Oh, and I should mention that I'm back on a test. high after some more nofap.
What's today's orders?

 

[H1N1]

Workout A report
Bench press - [email protected], 1m rest, [email protected], 2m rest, [email protected], 2m rest
Backoff set - [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 15s, [email protected] I know the numbers here might make it seem like I was just aiming for your target but I really had to push to get them done.
DB rows - [email protected] for both sides. I failed at 2x15 and 3x13 on the right arm & 2x16 and 3x14 on the left arm.
Rear delt raises - [email protected] I went over my form and I think I know where I was going wrong - on the return I was clapping the weights together which must have been giving me a boost for the next rep. Anyway, I corrected it and took it down to about 1/2 speed - felt much more of a strain on the 3rd set.
30 burpees - You didn't say if you wanted a pressup and a jump with these but I decided to include them anyway. 4:40.

Week 7 Workout A

Do exactly as written in Week 6 Workout A, but beat your total reps on each exercise, particularly the first.

It matters a lot that your diet has been terrible for days. You cannot expect to perform if you do that, and there is no point me trying to give you a progression from last week, when you will most likely perform worse.

 

[Blackwell]

Hardy, that kind of weak approach to dieting is going to get you absolutely nowhere. You are just spinning your wheels. Sustained periods of poor diet with heavy training can even lead to backsliding.

I don't care what kind of event you had or what happened in your life that you allowed yourself to use as justification for eating like crap. It just doesn't fucking cut it.

You either want this or you don't and it's that simple. You have to really want it if you going to make real progress. You can't just kind of want it because then the slacking creeps in.

Agree with H1N1 yet again. There is no point in him trying to line up a progression for you when you haven't even given him the courtesy to take care of your diet. He is taking the time and the care to detail these progressions for you in order to help move you forward, now you aren't even giving him the opportunity to do so due to your own lazy and nonchalant approach to your diet. It's almost disrespectful in my opinion.

We are all men here and we all take responsiblity for our own failures. You have to step up your game pal. If we didn't want you to succeed we wouldn't be posting up on here offering valuable advice. Heed it.

It may seem as if I am being hard on you but that is because I have met you. I wish I could have offered more to you at that time however I had just received some devastating news and was not really in the correct frame of mind. I didn't bail on the meet up because I had set it up.

Don't make excuses for yourself. I used 3 words in my previous post to try and exemplify the difference makers.

Intensity, commitment and pride. Think deeply about what those words mean to you and take action accordingly.

Edit: Didn't even realise I hadn't repped you post meet. On its way.

 

[Hardy Daytona]

Workout A report
Bench press - [email protected], 1m rest, [email protected], 2m rest, [email protected]
Backoff set - [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 15s, [email protected]
DB rows - [email protected] for both sides with no failures.
Rear delt raises - [email protected]
30 burpees - 3:25

It wasn't my intent to show disrespect or lack of commitment through my actions over the weekend. Though I do think missing out on lunch for 2 days is a setback, it's not an overtly grave one that can't be rectified in time.
As much as I assign importance to this endeavor, I won't compromise the other areas of my life in the process. To do so would be equally as negligent.

With that being said, I won't lie - I did reap a huge sense of satisfaction from yesterday. When I was transcribing your orders I also took the liberty of writing in my logbook, 'He thinks you will most likely perform worse.' That coupled with additional motivation I was nursing from an altercation was instrumental in the intensity of my workout and its results.

While I appreciate the high standard that you hold me to during this program and your frankness therein, do not make the mistake of describing my attitude as nonchalant. If I didn't care I would have quit weeks ago.

 

[H1N1]

Workout A report
Bench press - [email protected], 1m rest, [email protected], 2m rest, [email protected]
Backoff set - [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 15s, [email protected]
DB rows - [email protected] for both sides with no failures.
Rear delt raises - [email protected]
30 burpees - 3:25

It wasn't my intent to show disrespect or lack of commitment through my actions over the weekend. Though I do think missing out on lunch for 2 days is a setback, it's not an overtly grave one that can't be rectified in time.
As much as I assign importance to this endeavor, I won't compromise the other areas of my life in the process. To do so would be equally as negligent.

With that being said, I won't lie - I did reap a huge sense of satisfaction from yesterday. When I was transcribing your orders I also took the liberty of writing in my logbook, 'He thinks you will most likely perform worse.' That coupled with additional motivation I was nursing from an altercation was instrumental in the intensity of my workout and its results.

While I appreciate the high standard that you hold me to during this program and your frankness therein, do not make the mistake of describing my attitude as nonchalant. If I didn't care I would have quit weeks ago.

This is the point you consistently miss - you do not yet understand what is and isn't an 'overtly grave' setback. It is not so much that two missed meals is disastrous in and of itself, it is the fact that you presume a level of knowledge and understanding that you do not have the results to justify.

If your goal is just to look a bit better and get girls to tell you they think your chest is a bit more toned, then that is what you should have stated as your goal at the outset of this thread. We would then be approaching your training with a different mindset. However, one of the reasons I volunteered to try to help you was that your stated goal was to be a man that could carry a credible threat. The first goal, of looking pretty, requires some consistency and focused training, but is achievable by all in a relatively short period of time, without really having to learn too much about training.

However, the second goal, the goal of being a powerful, explosive, enduring human being does not happen by accident, and it does not come from a mindset that accepts compromise. If I remember rightly you are somewhere around the 6ft mark, and 140lbs. Look around you when you're out and about - those stats make you prey, not the potential predator. Until you internalise that, and make it a major priority to change that (and that means taking a sandwich (or three!) with you if you know you're out and about - seriously, it's not 'compromising your other goals' or some shit like that), then you will not get to where you claim you are trying to get to, and where I have been trying to help you get to based on what you have said.

The whole philosophy is based around being able to outperform and outlast any competition at any moment. This is exponentially harder when you are half starved before hardship has even set in. This whole process is time consuming for me, and I have a lot of things I need to get done in the course of any given day. If my expectations of you are unreasonable at this point you should say, because honestly we're still at the basic end of the training spectrum here where we are simply trying to establish a base before going on to more demanding styles of training. If that is the case, then I would recommend you finish up this week, and then move on to one of the programs given by Strikeback in his excellent 'Novice Training' thread.

 

[Blackwell]

Workout A report
Bench press - [email protected], 1m rest, [email protected], 2m rest, [email protected]
Backoff set - [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 15s, [email protected]
DB rows - [email protected] for both sides with no failures.
Rear delt raises - [email protected]
30 burpees - 3:25

It wasn't my intent to show disrespect or lack of commitment through my actions over the weekend. Though I do think missing out on lunch for 2 days is a setback, it's not an overtly grave one that can't be rectified in time.
As much as I assign importance to this endeavor, I won't compromise the other areas of my life in the process. To do so would be equally as negligent.

With that being said, I won't lie - I did reap a huge sense of satisfaction from yesterday. When I was transcribing your orders I also took the liberty of writing in my logbook, 'He thinks you will most likely perform worse.' That coupled with additional motivation I was nursing from an altercation was instrumental in the intensity of my workout and its results.

While I appreciate the high standard that you hold me to during this program and your frankness therein, do not make the mistake of describing my attitude as nonchalant. If I didn't care I would have quit weeks ago.

This is the point you consistently miss - you do not yet understand what is and isn't an 'overtly grave' setback. It is not so much that two missed meals is disastrous in and of itself, it is the fact that you presume a level of knowledge and understanding that you do not have the results to justify.

If your goal is just to look a bit better and get girls to tell you they think your chest is a bit more toned, then that is what you should have stated as your goal at the outset of this thread. We would then be approaching your training with a different mindset. However, one of the reasons I volunteered to try to help you was that your stated goal was to be a man that could carry a credible threat. The first goal, of looking pretty, requires some consistency and focused training, but is achievable by all in a relatively short period of time, without really having to learn too much about training.

However, the second goal, the goal of being a powerful, explosive, enduring human being does not happen by accident, and it does not come from a mindset that accepts compromise. If I remember rightly you are somewhere around the 6ft mark, and 140lbs. Look around you when you're out and about - those stats make you prey, not the potential predator. Until you internalise that, and make it a major priority to change that (and that means taking a sandwich (or three!) with you if you know you're out and about - seriously, it's not 'compromising your other goals' or some shit like that), then you will not get to where you claim you are trying to get to, and where I have been trying to help you get to based on what you have said.

The whole philosophy is based around being able to outperform and outlast any competition at any moment. This is exponentially harder when you are half starved before hardship has even set in. This whole process is time consuming for me, and I have a lot of things I need to get done in the course of any given day. If my expectations of you are unreasonable at this point you should say, because honestly we're still at the basic end of the training spectrum here where we are simply trying to establish a base before going on to more demanding styles of training. If that is the case, then I would recommend you finish up this week, and then move on to one of the programs given by Strikeback in his excellent 'Novice Training' thread.

H1N1 hits the nail on the head yet again. Man its like reading my own thoughts back to me I swear.

@HardyDaytona Your response was childish and juvenile at best, expertly demonstrating the exact attitude we are talking about and missing the point entirely.

I don't care for how you put 'He thinks you will likely perform worse' in your logbook to serve as some kind of motivation. That was disrespectful and illustrates the 'nonchalance' of which I have been referring. You taking that as some kind of attack on you and spinning it into some kind of fuel for your workout? No man. You motivate yourself from a desire deep within to become a better man each and every day in order to maximise your potential in life.

You tell us you only ate soup for lunch and the day before a piece of fruit or whatever. H1N1 didn't tell you he thought you will most likely perform worse out of spite. He said it because its the truth. He said it because your body needs sufficient calories macro and micronutrients in order to grow and repair. It's clear to me you don't understand nor appreciate the importance of diet in your training, perhaps you think you don't even need to worry about it, I can assure you that is not the case.

I am also willing to bet you have made minimal progress in your weight gain over the last year. 10 pounds or less correct?

I see people all the time who consistently go to the gym week after week month after month year after year and make little to no progress. Guys like you who spin their wheels because of a refusal to acknowledge to vitality of key aspects.

You want to gain muscle and your out here telling us you only managed to get some soup in you on Saturday? Are you fucking kidding me? All this talk about how it could impact other areas of your life? Such as? That is bullshit man. Bullshit. It's like a woman who will use anything as justification for her shitty actions. Your better than that. We all are. Men don't make those kind of weak excuses.

You could have done better. You could have packed proper food. It wasn't because you couldn't it was because you didn't make it a priority.

You may think we are blowing a couple of shitty days of eating out of proportion.

A. You cannot go back in time and rectify it. It's done.
B. More importantly isn't the poor eating itself it was what the poor meal choices represent. They represent a lack of understanding, commitment and respect towards the people who take the time to construct thoughtful and valuable advice for you.

H1N1 has got shit to do. Don't waste his time.

If somebody was taking the time and the care to plan out my workouts for me, offering his time and his expertise you can be damn sure I wouldn't be letting them down. To do so is just lazy and not fair to neither you or them. I would also give them a rep point as a small token of my gratitude. But hey, that's just me.

 

[Hardy Daytona]

Let me be perfectly clear about this.
It is not my intent nor my desire to waste your time or effort during this program. You asked me for an honest description of my physical and mental state during this and that's what I've been providing you with.

It is not my intent to subvert your seniority or experience. But I'd like to us to work together to resolve these issues while maintaining a healthy working relationship.

I'm not trying to display excessive hubris. I know that I've only been at this a short time in the grand scheme. But relativity is key. Compared to a professional athlete, I am a twig. But compared to myself 2 years ago I'm stronger.

Remember that when I first came looking for help I was demotivated, confused and generally feeling pretty lousy? Well, that's changed now. I feel strong, confident, powerful again. I've got back what I lost thanks to you. It may not be empirically true but by my standards it's a significant improvement. And although it may not be true in your case, it does bleed over into other areas of my life. The gym isn't just a hobby for a few hours of the week, it changes my perception and behavior outside. If you think that's bullshit then we'll have to agree to disagree on that point.

Now both of you say things that I take issue with, as I'm sure I have with you. But I don't want this to devolve into nitpicking and accusations of character flaw.
The truth is that yes, over the course of the weekend I did have bigger and better fish to fry. I made a conscious decision to relegate my dietary needs in favour of getting my fucking balls back. I don't make excuses for it and I don't apologize for it. You might think it was a selfish, stupid, presumptuous thing but it was something I HAD to do.
We've hit bumps in the road already and there's going to be more before we're done but what's important is how we move forward from this.
Now, I'm still willing. If you are as well then let's put it behind us, learn from what's happened and keep going.

 

[H1N1]

That was a condescending post. I do not get the impression that you are learning, which is really the point of all of this. I've taken considerable care and attention to try to explain why you've been going so badly wrong, and explain what we have been trying to achieve with this process. That's your prerogative, but I do not feel that I am getting a sufficient return on my investment at this point. Below is the programming or the rest of the week, which should take you up to your operation. Once you return to training, what program you choose to follow is of course up to you. There is enough information in this thread to help you make progress alone, should you choose to engage with it.


Week 7 Workout B

Squats - [email protected], 3m rest, [email protected], 4m rest, [email protected], 4m rest
Backoff set - 1 AMRAP rest pause @45
Stiff leg deads - [email protected]
Chinups - [email protected]
BW squats - 300


Week 7 Workout C

Military press - [email protected], 1m rest, [email protected], 2m rest, [email protected]
Backoff set - 1xAMRAP rest pause @ 15
Chinups - 5x12
Rear delt raises - [email protected]
50 burpees

 

[roberto]

Wind yer neck in and knuckle down Hardy.

Cook yourself up a massive portion of rice, meat, veg and cover it all in butter. This is delicious cold. Divide this into sandwich pots. Find a Costco or Bookers near you and you can buy 250 disposable plastic pots and lids along with 250 plastic forks for under thirty quid. Saves on washing up. You can also microwave it easily if you fancy it warm.

If you've got a slow cooker the above requires nothing more than a chopping board and knife. But keep an eye on the water as it cooks, rice uses a lot but you don't want it too slushy either. Stir, test rice, top up if needed every few hours.

One hours cooking/cleaning per week (or even per fortnight) and there's a supply of nutritious, tasty, convenient food in the fridge for you every day.

If your gonna whinge that you don't like the same thing every day, then H1N1s program is not for you. That or you need a personal chef. Biggest guy I know is 6 foot, and 240lb of solid muscle. His day is planned around his meals, not the other way round. Rice and chicken, day in day out.

Yeah. you gotta make sacrifices. But nothing worth having is easy mate.

 

[Hardy Daytona]

Usually this is the part where I'd sit down with a cup of coffee and type out a carefully constructed response but that would be futile since in all probability the tone would be misinterpreted again. So I'm just going to stick to reports from now on.

Workout B report
Squats - [email protected], 3m rest, [email protected], 4m rest, [email protected] Fail at rep 6
Backoff set - [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 15s, [email protected]
Stiff leg deads - [email protected]
Chinups - [email protected]
300 BW squats - 14:45

Workout C report
Military press - [email protected], 1m rest, [email protected], 2m rest, [email protected] Fail at rep 8
Backoff set - [email protected], 15s, [email protected], 15s, [email protected]
Chinups - 5x12
Rear delt raises - [email protected]
50 burpees - 6:40

 

[Hardy Daytona]

My operation went well. A few complications afterwards but that should be taken care of in the next couple of days.
Just wanted to say thanks for everything you've done for me over the last few weeks. I guess this is the part where we shake hands and part company.

 

[H1N1]

Glad all went well with the operation. Thank you for the rep point. I would suggest either following one of the programs Strikeback posted in his novice lifter thread, or continuing for a while with the progression you've been following in this thread (reset your weights back a week or two, particularly after your operation). You've got onto the right path in the style of training, exercise selection, and diet. Keep it up, work hard at it, and you will continue to make progress. Best of luck.