Buckfever's "It's The Final Countdown" Journal

1/25/2024

132 @ 60 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add ?
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
32.5 add 12
33.5 low heat
53.5 remove device/start manual stretching
60 end

Went better.

1/26/2024

132/144 @ 60 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add 12 X2?
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
32.5 add 12
33.5 low heat
53.5 remove device/start manual stretching
60 end

Lost track of the tension increases so may have done a repeat but not sure, 132 for sure. Glans condition was excellent at the end. Things have been going really well on this. I have come to the opinion that days off were not helping.

IMO it is better to use less tension to keep the attachment tissues robust and then bake there for a while before going up. I know this is contrary to the accepted ultrasound protocol, but it is just what I have found. It was not something I deliberately tested but something I stumbled upon when dealing with bruising of the glans which forced that approach.

So I would say that the advice generally given here to observe the effects on EQ is valid. Incremental tension increases with EQ as a guide might very well be a thing. But for sure consecutive days without rest while keeping the tissues healthy is working better at least for me. FWIW

I gained 2 lbs seemingly overnight. Bodyfat scale suggests it’s all muscle and I’ve always gained muscle easily, BUT I don’t want to gain weight so we need to hold tight here.

On weight lifting.
So I’m not crazy about push/pull. For instance on the push day by the time I get to the triceps, because they are used on almost all the exercises, there is no opportunity for recovery and I’m actually using less weight for fewer reps than when I was doing the whole upper body in one session. I’m going to go back to how I was doing it before the whole upper body in one session and I’ll hit that twice a week.

If I do go for a split again. It’ll be a chest/bi day and a back tricep day with the shoulders split between the 2 days to minimize the fatigue. Wondering what others have found.

I do a push-pull-legs-arms/misc 4 day split. Some weeks I go two rounds without a break, some weeks I put a day in between, sometimes two. So maybe add another training day if you have the time in your schedule. Shortens all my training sessions a bit, or allows a bit more focus on each part if I want to spend the extra time.

I also throw in some lower body stuff most days, either air squats or reverse hypers or something along those lines, so my lower body gets enough stimulation. Plus calves 4 or 5 days a week (which has my lagging calves growing well for the first time maybe ever..)

But I didn’t sweat the arm fatigue back when I was doing push-pull-legs. Got great arm growth all the time even when I was pre-exhausted from compound upper body movements. I think accumulated time under tension is more of a growth stimulus than how much I’m lifting on any given exercise. I would just target a rep range and use the weight that I could move that many times. It’s more of a bodybuilding approach than a strength training approach so I can see that not being for everyone.

Now that I’m in my 50’s I don’t care at all about how much weight I lift. I’m more focused on hypertrophy than strength as a goal at this point, and also keeping my connective tissue healthy. So lighter weights are more than ok for all that.

Same here. I just wish there was a bodybuilding version of Rippetoe’s "Starting Strength."

Thanks for that. This morning when I looked in the mirror I looked jacked. My chest was full and especially my arms looked huge. So I guess the fatigue is a non factor. I’ll stick with the push/pull a little longer.

1/27/2024

Decided to take a day off. I don’t have anything planned but thinking I can work something out this evening and want to see how the EQ is on an off day.

1/28//2024

120 @ 50 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add 12
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
33.5 low heat
42.5 remove device/start manual stretching
50 end

Dumbbell Bench Press
60X22
60X18

Observations on EQ. I think the biggest difference now and after the long deload, is a matter of sensitivity. The EQ is there BUT it takes a little more to get to full blown AND it takes even longer to finish. Having to work to finish now and getting into going a little too long, which isn’t necessarily bad.

1/29/2024

132 @ 60 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add 12
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
32.5 add 12
33.5 low heat
52.5 remove device/start manual stretching
60 end

Glans condition excellent at end.

Travelling in a few weeks, going to go steady and maybe wrap it up by then. Been a long haul and wanting to explore the pumping.

1/30/2024

132 @ 60 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add 12
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
32.5 add 12
33.5 low heat
43.5 remove device/start manual stretching
50 end

Slippage at 43 minutes. Lack of sleep never goes good.

1/31/2024

108 half turns @ 30 minutes

84half turns @ 40 minutes

On the first round at 108 half turns I had to stop at 30 minutes because the attachment wasn’t set right and it was painful. So I reset and took it to 84 half turns and put in a shorter session. The problem with the reset is that the head swell is never as good as the first time so did not want to push the tension. Probably salvaged the day but was not as robust as it could have been. I had slept in and there was outstanding head swell but what can you do.

The pop in weight has come off but I would say that my progress in that area is poor. I think you have to look at the total amount of expenditure and with how much I am working and it is for sure sedentary, I’m guessing I’m only in a deficit the 3 days a week I work out. Once the weather breaks I’ll be more active and will add daily walks but I don’t want to wait till then. Legs are so fatigued from pushing it on Sunday, I’ll have to skip legs today and go again on Friday.

Forced ,myself to sleep in today and I’m going start doing that on all my days off, got to make sure I get enough sleep.

2/1/2024

120 @ 50 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add 12
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
33.5 low heat
41.5 remove device/start manual stretching
50 end

This went better but there was pinching at the attachment so discontinued at 41.5 minutes in. I really need to pay better attention to the setup. Good forward position in the cradle at the end and the tension was on the lighter side. Thinking it should go better tomorrow.

Took the day off from working out yesterday which will be 5 days off till Friday and we’ll start up again. Going back to my old meal plan starting today, this has been too much food for this time of year when I’m less active IMO.

2/2/2024

132 @ 56.5 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add 12
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
32.5 add 12
32.5 low heat
51.5 remove device/start manual stretching
56.5 end

Sleep deprived so very happy with the session. Managed to not screw up the attachment so that was very good. Looking at the record, we’re able to get back to 132 half turns much more quickly so definitely progressing. Everything seems to take longer than I like but what can you do.

Changing up the meal plan actually started yesterday but I need to work on the macros today. If I have to I’ll weigh everything. So far I gained 2.2 lbs, but based on the bodyfat scale all of it is muscle, And that’s fine but there’s been no fat loss so that’s not good, because that takes time and we need to be making some progress on it.

Back in the gym today, but I have to pick up a ladder a few towns over. It’s really un fucking believable how expensive everything is.2 hours to save $3-400 is worth it to me. The price gouging continues BUT there are deals out there if you look for them and negotiate.

I think I’m going back to hitting the entire upper body in one session. I just don’t think I can be consistent enough if I split it, we’ll see. I got to get the aerobics in!

Body weight 187.2 @ 20.3% bodyfat.

2/2/2024

Dumbbell Bench Press
60X25 reps
60X22 reps

I was pretty happy with that result so that made me decide to stick with the Push/Pull split. I followed the weight workout with 45 minutes on the Treadmill at a 20 degree incline at 2.5 MPH. Heart rate pretty steady at 140-141 plus or minus.

2/3/2024

132 @ 58.5 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add 12
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
32.5 add 12
32.5 low heat
52.5 remove device/start manual stretching
58.5 end

Didn’t get the attachment right but this went really well nevertheless.

2/4/2024

120 @ 60 minutes

2.5 minutes lower to down position
5 minutes reset attachment to gain forward position
7.5 add 12 half turns
10 add 12 half turns
12.5 add 12
15 add 12
17.5 add 12
17.5 add Total Man heat pad high
20 add 12
22.5 add 12
25 add 12
27.5 add 12
30 add 12
36 low heat
55 turn heat off
60 end

Tension felt higher so didn’t push it. I think a good move got the 60 minutes, none the worse for wear.