# The Cornholio Journalio



## Cornholio (Oct 14, 2022)

I'm starting a new routine so I figured it is a good time to start a journal. I made some mistakes in the past so by putting it all out there for those more experienced than I to see, maybe I can avoid some mistakes in the future. Putting it all out there also makes me more accountable. 

*My Info*
Male
Age: 50
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180
BF%: 16.7% (according to my scale, so not that accurate). 
TRT: 200mg Test C/100mg Deca weekly

I've been lifting off and on (mostly off) since college. I got back into it a few years ago but did not make much progress because I either switched my routine too soon or injured myself and gave up. Starting in January, I was consistent and was making some progress but it was very slow progress. Got my Test checked out and it was low. Started TRT back in May and started making good progress and then got bicep tendonitis from bench press in June. I've been recovering from that ever since. My bench is still not 100% but is slowly getting there. 

Here are my current maxes. They are nothing to be proud of but I'm putting them out there as motivation for me to crush them. 

Bench Press - 175x2 (prior to my injury. Right now it is 145x5.)
Squat - 225x4
Deadlift - 275x5
Press - 120x4

*Goal*
Right now I just want to get stronger in the 4 big lifts. I'd like to have some maxes that I'm not embarrassed to admit. I'd also like to keep my bodyfat at a reasonable level. 

*Diet*
I just count calories and Protein. Currently consuming just under maintenance trying to slowly get to 15% BF. The plan is to increase calories when I hit my first deload. I eat 1g per 1lb of BW of protein every day. My diet is ok but there is room for improvement. 

*Routine*
I'll be doing *Greyskull LP* with the arms plug-in. I'm considering adding the Frequency method for chins. I also walk 2 miles 2-4 times a week as my schedule allows. Also, looking to possibly add some GPP on my off days once I figure out what GPP is, lol.

So, today was Day 1:

*Greyskull LP with Arms (only work sets shown)*

Bench Press - 115x5 x5 x11
EZ Bar Curls - 50x15 x12
Squats - 175x5 x5 x12
Neck Harness - 5x25
*Notes:* Estimated a little low in starting weight but that is okay. I tried the neck harness for the first time but only did one set. I'm unsure if I'll keep it in my routine. Seems kinda unnecessary. It'll take some time to get used to. 

Thank you for reading and I appreciate any and all advice.


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## MisterSuperGod (Oct 14, 2022)

One day at a time. Consistency is everything.
i still remember a couple years back when i struggled doing bent rows with 125 lbs.

Looking back on it it's like damn, it's sooo light now. It's all about consistency. Keep plugging away and good shit will happen.


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## Slabiathan (Oct 14, 2022)

Following along bro! Starting light and progressing often is what it is all about! Excited to see it!


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## GreenAmine (Oct 14, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> maxes that I'm not embarrassed to admit


The truth is something to be neither embarrassed about nor ignored. You are where you are. The important thing is that you are not where you will be. You have a good mindset; please don't let that change.

I recall from your intro thread that you have a sordid past... A LOT of us do, myself included. Lifting became my drug of choice several years ago, and hopefully that will never change.

I'll definitely be following. Greyskull is a fantastic program. Keep your stick on the ice.


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## Cornholio (Oct 17, 2022)

Thank you all for the replies. 
Spent this weekend out of town for a mini vacation. Totally blew my diet, lol.
I did get my workout in today and that went well. 

*Workout #2*
OHP - 95x5 x5 x9
Chins - BWx8 x8
DL - 220x11
Neck Harness - 5x25

*Notes: *Good AMRAP sets.  Not a fan of the neck harness. I'm going to swap it out for something else. Maybe shrugs or skull crushers or both in an A/B fashion. I plan to start the frequency method for chins tomorrow. 

Thank you for reading.


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## Cornholio (Oct 19, 2022)

Yeah, so I totally failed at doing the Frequency Method for Chins these past two days. I just kept forgetting to do them throughout the day. So, that is not going to work for me. I think I'll try doing some core and mobility work on my non-lifting days. I desperately need to work on my mobility. If anyone has any good routines or exercises for this, I'm all ears. 

*Weight:* 181.4 lbs.
*BF%:* 15.6 (scale reading) - this is unusually low for me, so I don't believe it.

*Workout #3*

Bench - 120x5 x5 x12
EZ Bar Curls - 52.5x15 x12
Squats - 185x5 x5 x9
Skullcrushers - 50x15 x13

*Notes: *Good workout today. I crushed it on the bench. Didn't feel any bicep pain at all too which is a first. Squats were okay but I think I gave up too early. I probably had one maybe two more reps in me but I chickened out. 

I decided to add skullcrushers and hammer curls, alternating them. This is in line with the Arms plug-in I went with and hammer curls are a good rehab exercise for my bicep tendonitis. My workout today was just under an hour which is the perfect length for me. 

Thank you for reading!


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## GreenAmine (Oct 19, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Frequency Method for Chins


I did this for a while to improve my pullup abilities. I hung a pullup bar in a doorway that I frequently walked through to remind me. Forewarning: the bar will chew up the doorframe and wall. It was a rental house managed by a total asshole, so I really didn't care, but I would be hesitant to do it in my own house. I'm sure there's a way to pad the bar though.


Cornholio said:


> mobility


Yoga is always good. Find a routine on YouTube and do it at home; it's really expensive at yoga clubs. Also look up "BJJ flexibility/mobility drills" and you will find a ton of good routines.


Cornholio said:


> tendonitis


If you're prone to this like I am, ensure that your form stays crisp on skullcrushers.

Keep killing it, man!


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## Slabiathan (Oct 19, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Yeah, so I totally failed at doing the Frequency Method for Chins these past two days. I just kept forgetting to do them throughout the day. So, that is not going to work for me. I think I'll try doing some core and mobility work on my non-lifting days. I desperately need to work on my mobility. If anyone has any good routines or exercises for this, I'm all ears.
> 
> *Weight:* 181.4 lbs.
> *BF%:* 15.6 (scale reading) - this is unusually low for me, so I don't believe it.
> ...


For mobility Squat University has some good routines that have helped me alot especially my hips and ankles but they got it all. 
















Those are ones I use most off days when I do mobility. Noticeable changes pretty quick! 
Alot of these you can do before lifts in short bursts that you kind of rep instead of staying in a long stretch. He mentions it in the vid but that has helped as well in the warmups.


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## Cornholio (Oct 19, 2022)

GreenAmine said:


> I did this for a while to improve my pullup abilities. I hung a pullup bar in a doorway that I frequently walked through to remind me. Forewarning: the bar will chew up the doorframe and wall. It was a rental house managed by a total asshole, so I really didn't care, but I would be hesitant to do it in my own house. I'm sure there's a way to pad the bar though.
> 
> Yoga is always good. Find a routine on YouTube and do it at home; it's really expensive at yoga clubs. Also look up "BJJ flexibility/mobility drills" and you will find a ton of good routines.
> 
> ...


Yes, I have two pull up bars - one in the garage and one in our hallway. Part of my problem is that there is no way to do them at work. The other thing I forgot to mention is that I just can't get up and crank out a set of chins. The few times I tried it yesterday, my elbows were not happy with me. I would need to warm up before doing them. So, a minute of work just turned into 10 minutes of work each time. Ain't nobody got time for that!

I will look into the BJJ drills. Thanks for the suggestion and the support!


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## Cornholio (Oct 19, 2022)

Slabiathan said:


> For mobility Squat University has some good routines that have helped me alot especially my hips and ankles but they got it all.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you for the videos! I will definitely incorporate some of these exercises in my mobility work.


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## Slabiathan (Oct 19, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Thank you for the videos! I will definitely incorporate some of these exercises in my mobility work.


No problem! The banded distractions take a little getting used to when it comes to setting up and implementing but I found them to have a huge impact and the quickest progress. Let me know how they work for you!


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## Cornholio (Oct 21, 2022)

So, on my off days I've been working on building a mobility routine using some of the exercises @Slabiathan linked. I also checked out some other Squat University vids and found a few more I will incorporate. So, this is the path I'll go on non-lifting days. It seems to be working well for me so far. 

*Workout #4*

OHP - 97.5 x5 x5 x8
Chins - BW+2.5 x8 x7
Squats - 190 x5 x5 x11
Hammer Curls - 15 x15 x20
Good workout today. I felt kinda silly wearing a weight belt with just a 2.5 lb plate but it's all about that linear progression. Don't want to rush it. I did not chicken out on squats today and had to dig pretty deep to get that last rep. 

Thank you for reading!


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## Slabiathan (Oct 21, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> So, on my off days I've been working on building a mobility routine using some of the exercises @Slabiathan linked. I also checked out some other Squat University vids and found a few more I will incorporate. So, this is the path I'll go on non-lifting days. It seems to be working well for me so far.
> 
> *Workout #4*
> 
> ...


Awesome stuff, man! Glad those worked out for you!


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## Cornholio (Oct 24, 2022)

The mobility exercises on the off days are going well. I've also added some rotator cuff exercises to the mix. Slowly building an off day routine. Lifts are going up while BW slowly goes down. Can't complain with that. I'll keep that up as long as I can. 

*Weight: *180.8
*BF%:* 16.2 (scale reading)

*Workout #5*

Bench - 125 x5 x5 x11
EZ Bar Curls - 55 x12 x13
Deadlift - 230 x11
Skullcrushers - 52.5 x13 x14
*Notes:* Solid workout. Really pushed hard on both bench and deadlift. This is what I like about these low volume workouts. I can give each AMRAP set my all and not feel like I have to hold back to leave some in the tank. When I was doing nSuns, I always held back a little on the AMRAPs because I knew I had a ton more sets after that. Don't have to do that with Greyskull. 

Thanks for reading!


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## Cornholio (Oct 25, 2022)

Yesterday was a rest day. Didn't do a darn thing in the gym. But I was back at it this morning. 

*Workout #6*

OHP - 100 x5 x5 x8
Chins - BW+5 x6 x6
Squats - 200 x5 x5 x8
Hammer Curls - 17.5 x16 x17
Another good workout. I noticed that I've been cheating a little on the chins and not doing full range of motion at the bottom. This is partially due to my rack's pull bar being too low. So, I ordered this bad boy to give me a little more range and more hand options. 




So, once I get this, I'll reset back to BW and work on doing full chins.


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## Cornholio (Oct 27, 2022)

I've gotten lazy about tracking my calories the past few days. Weight has gone up but body fat has gone down, so we'll see if the trend continues. 

I got my pull up bar in. Will probably install it tomorrow and try out the different hand positions. 

*Weight: *182.8
*BF%:* 15.9

*Workout #7*

Bench - 130 x5 x5 x10
EZ Bar Curls - 57.5 x12 x11
Squats - 205 x5 x5 x9
Skullcrushers - 55 x12 x13
Another good workout. Bench press is coming along quite nicely. Getting close to my pre-injury numbers.

Thanks for reading.


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## CJ (Oct 27, 2022)

Don't get lazy about getting the work in, about tracking. 

It's long term consistency over time that gets the results we desire.


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## CJ (Oct 27, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Yesterday was a rest day. Didn't do a darn thing in the gym. But I was back at it this morning.
> 
> *Workout #6*
> 
> ...


Nice bar!!!


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## Cornholio (Oct 27, 2022)

CJ said:


> Don't get lazy about getting the work in, about tracking.
> 
> It's long term consistency over time that gets the results we desire.


Roger that. You are absolutely correct. I need to pay more attention to my diet and not slack off. Thank you for the advice.


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## Cornholio (Oct 29, 2022)

My diet is back on track. Making sure I hit my calorie goal (slightly under maintenance) and protein goal (1g/lb. BW). I'm fine most of the day but tend to get hungry at the end of the day. I need to find some more satiating food, I guess. 

I'm not going to report BF% any more. The numbers are inconsistent and probably wrong any way. It's not really doing me any good to pay attention to them. 

*Weight:* 180.8

*Workout #8*

OHP - 102.5 x5 x5 x8
Chins - BW x8 x8
Deadlift - 240 x11
Hammer Curls - 20 x13 x16
Got the new pull up bar installed on my rack and it makes a huge difference. I'm able to get a fuller range of motion and try different hand positions. I did neutral grip this time and really liked it. It seems to be easier on my elbows. 

The deadlift wore me out! I was on the floor afterwards and had to rest for few minutes before I could get up. I'm pretty sure this is a PR for me. 

Thanks for reading.


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## Slabiathan (Oct 29, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> My diet is back on track. Making sure I hit my calorie goal (slightly under maintenance) and protein goal (1g/lb. BW). I'm fine most of the day but tend to get hungry at the end of the day. I need to find some more satiating food, I guess.
> 
> I'm not going to report BF% any more. The numbers are inconsistent and probably wrong any way. It's not really doing me any good to pay attention to them.
> 
> ...


Awesome work bro! Those deadlift amraps are no joke!


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## Cornholio (Oct 29, 2022)

Slabiathan said:


> Awesome work bro! Those deadlift amraps are no joke!


You ain't kidding! Since, I know I only get one shot at max DLs a week I give it my all.


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## CJ (Oct 29, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> You ain't kidding! Since, I know I only get one shot at max DLs a week I give it my all.


Be careful with those. If you're going to amrap DLs, consider it to be a perfect form AMRAP set. Getting sloppy is dangerous


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## Slabiathan (Oct 29, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> You ain't kidding! Since, I know I only get one shot at max DLs a week I give it my all.


Same here , buddy!


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## Cornholio (Oct 29, 2022)

CJ said:


> Be careful with those. If you're going to amrap DLs, consider it to be a perfect form AMRAP set. Getting sloppy is dangerous


Ok, not my _all_ all. Yes, I've learned from my mistakes that form trumps everything. Spent the summer recovering from my last injury and getting better on my form on the big 4 lifts. It has paid off well, I think. 

Thank you for the reminder. It is good to hear this from time to time to remind me not too push past my technical limits.


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## Cornholio (Oct 31, 2022)

Diet and exercise are going well. I may up the daily calories in the near future to maintenance in an attempt to keep the progression going. I've also decided to swap db rows for the curls. Curls don't really match my goals and biceps are not a lagging body part for me. Chins and hammer curls already hit them so I think they get plenty of attention without needing curls.

*Weight: *180.6

*Workout #9:*

Bench - 135 x5 x5 x8
Curls - 60 x10 x8
Squats - 210 x5 x5 x8
Skullcrushers - 57.5 x13 x13
Good solid workout. Not much more to say.

Happy Halloween, y'all! This was my workout music this morning.


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## Cornholio (Nov 2, 2022)

Took a day of rest yesterday and didn't do a darn thing in the gym. Back at it this morning though. 

Somehow I actually lost weight these past few days, even after having a handful of snack size Halloween candies and a few beers on Halloween. On my street, Halloween night is nuts. We had over 400 trick-or-treaters. And that is typical for us. The missus and I just sit in the driveway, drink beer, and hand out candy all night. It is a fun night. 

*Weight:* 179.8

*Workout #10:*

OHP - 105 x5 x5 x8
Chins - BW+2.5 x8 x8
Squats - 215 x5 x5 x8
Hammer Curls - 22.5 x13 x12
Another solid workout. I'm really liking these neutral grip chins. I fought hard for that very last OHP rep. Squats are getting tough now too. 

Thanks for reading. Feliz día de los Muertos!


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## Cornholio (Nov 4, 2022)

Not sure what is going with my weight the past three days. It is going down faster than I anticipated. I've done no cardio and my diet has not been that great. Probably water weight I'm losing for some reason. 

*Weight: *177.6

*Workout #11:*

Bench - 137.5 x5 x5 x7
DB Rows - 40 x15 x15
Deadlift - 250 x8
Skullcrushers - 60 x12 x12
Another solid workout despite the crazy humidity and higher than normal temps. I work out in my garage so I felt it all. I can handle the heat, it is the humidity that sucks. 

Made the switch from curls to DB rows. Weight is going down but the lifts are still going up so I'm a happy camper. 

Thank you for reading!


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## Cornholio (Nov 7, 2022)

Did my mobility and rotator cuff exercises yesterday as well as walked 2 miles. Also walked 1.8 miles today in addition to my workout. Overall, a good weekend. Weight is a little up which is what I expected. Darn that Halloween candy!

*Weight:* 178.0

*Workout #12:*

OHP - 107.5 x5 x5 x7
Chins - BW+5 x8 x8
Squats - 220 x5 x5 x7
Hammer Curls - 25 x10 x9 x8
Brutal workout. Shit is getting real now! I probably could have gotten one more squat rep but I had the safety straps set too high and the bar hit them on the last rep. That threw me off and broke my focus.  Won't let that happen again. 

Thanks for reading!


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## Cornholio (Nov 8, 2022)

I need to stop half-assing my diet. I stay on track for about half of the day but then stop tracking the rest of it and lose control. I'm going to start posting daily calories and macronutrients as a way of keeping myself accountable. I also decided to be a little more aggressive in my cut and cut the target calories by just a little bit. 

I also need to keep track of calories because I am starting my l-carnitine experiment. I got a 30ml vial of 600mg l-carnitine and will see if this does anything for me. Results from others seem to vary, so I'll see how it works for me. I tend to be a low responder, so I'm not expecting much. Still, I will be injecting 600mg ED for 30 days. We'll see how it goes. Today was day 1. Other than a little PIP, I felt nothing. 

*Weight:* 180.0

*Workout #13:*

Bench - 140 x5 x5 x7
DB Rows - 42.5 x13 x15
Squats - 225 x5 x5 x7
Skullcrushers - 62.5 x13 x12
Another brutal workout. I tried for an 8th rep of squats on that last set but I could not get it out of the hole.


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## Cornholio (Nov 9, 2022)

Did a 2 mile walk/run this morning. Trying to ease into a habit of morning runs on my non-lifting days. Will do my mobility and rotator cuff exercises this evening. Weight is fluctuating again.

*Weight:* 177.2

*Previous day's diet:
Calories:* 2299
*Macros:* 210p/261c/56f

*Day 2* of l-Carnitine 600mg ED


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## Cornholio (Nov 10, 2022)

So, I was planning on working out in the morning but my work schedule got screwed up and I'll be going into work early now. Thursday evening is booked so that's out and Friday is looking iffy to get a workout in too. So I decided to do it tonight. L-Carnitine is supposed to help with muscle recovery, right? So, let's test it. 

*Workout #14:*

OHP - 110 x5 x5 x8
Chins - BW+7.5 x8 x8
Deadlift - 255 x9
Hammer Curls - 25 x10 x10 x9
Really good workout tonight! I felt good, lifts were strong. I'm glad I decided to go for it. Got one more rep on the OHP than I expected but it was a solid one. I might have been able to squeeze out one more Deadlift rep but did not want to take that risk. I'm learning my limits. Best workout I've had since starting Greyskull. 

Thanks for reading!


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## Cornholio (Nov 10, 2022)

Rest day today. 

*Weight: *178.6

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2510
*Macros:* 190p/217c/105f

*Day 3* of l-carnitine 600mg ED


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## Cornholio (Nov 11, 2022)

Was able to get a workout in this morning after all. The cut is going well. Maybe a little too well. Did not expect to hit 176 already. I'm, sure it'll jump up again tomorrow.

*Weight:*  176.0

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2318
*Macros:* 190p/270c/51f

*Day 4* of l-carnitine 600mg ED

*Workout #15:*

Bench - 142.5 x5 x5 x6
DB Rows - 45 x12 x14
Squats - 230 x5 x5 x7
Skullcrushers - 65 x12 x10
Getting near max on bench. My tendonitis is not completely healed so the slow down is not due to lack of strength just lagging in recovery. Squats are getting hard. Like really hard. One of those two will be my first deload, I know it. And I could hit that as easily as next week. Which brings up a decision I've been putting off...

Do I keep up the cut and take the strength gains hit with deloads or do I up the calories and try to keep  the progression going? I estimate I'm currently at about 15% BF. I'm lean but still got some fat in the midsection. Also, I have muscle definition but I have no bulk. I'm still fairly skinny.

My two goals of building strength and getting BF down will soon be colliding and I gotta choose one. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks for the reading!


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## eazy (Nov 11, 2022)

All weights are in pounds?

Post some pics?


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## Cornholio (Nov 11, 2022)

eazy said:


> All weights are in pounds?
> 
> Post some pics?


Yes, weights are in pounds. 
I'll try to get some pics up soon.


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## Cornholio (Nov 11, 2022)

They are kinda shitty pics but this is what I have. Unflexed and flexed.
Cut or bulk?


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## eazy (Nov 11, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Do I keep up the cut and take the strength gains hit with deloads


yes. continue to cut until you have visible abs in any light without flexing. your strength won't take a hit, you'll get  stronger presuming you keep the protein high and train hard.



Cornholio said:


> do I up the calories and try to keep the progression going?


No. You will be able to keep progressing without upping calories, again presuming most of your food is nutrient dense and you protein is high.


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## Cornholio (Nov 11, 2022)

eazy said:


> yes. continue to cut until you have visible abs in any light without flexing. your strength won't take a hit, you'll get  stronger presuming you keep the protein high and train hard.
> 
> 
> No. You will be able to keep progressing without upping calories, again presuming most of your food is nutrient dense and you protein is high.


Roger that. Will keep on doing what I'm doing. 

My diet has been good the past few days but Im always looking to make it better. Protein has consistently been over 1g per lb. of BW. 

I appreciate the advice and support, @eazy. Thank you!


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## Cornholio (Nov 12, 2022)

Mobility exercises and some core work today. Will do a 2 mile walk/run this afternoon.

*Weight:* 177.0

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2475
*Macros: *190p/244c/91f


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## Cornholio (Nov 13, 2022)

Mobility and rotator cuff exercises today. 

*Weight:* 177.0

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2386
*Macros: *190p/246c/81f

*Day 6* of l-carnitine 600mg ED

I decided to stop the l-carnitine after today. Why? The PIP was annoying as hell. I tried different injection sites. I tried warming it up first. I tried splitting the dose. PIP every single damn time. If it was once a week, I'd just deal with it. But PIP every day was annoying and just not worth it, IMO. It has to be the l-carnitine because I do 3 injections a week for TRT and never get PIP with that.


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## Cornholio (Nov 14, 2022)

Weight has been staying steady for 3 days now. Guess that tells me I need to lower my calories a little bit. I'm trying to up the protein and lower the fat ratios too.

Tonight will be a true test of my willpower. I'm going to a meeting where there will be pizza, lots of pizza. And I'm leading the meeting so I cant get out of it, lol. I did request salad too, so I'll have something to eat. Maybe I'll have one slice.

*Weight:* 177.0

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2439
*Macros:* 218p/277c/58f

*Workout #16 (weight in lbs):*

OHP - 112.5 x5 x5 x7
Chins - BW+10 x8 x8
Squats - 235 x5 x5 x6
Hammer Curls - 25 x11 x9

And the lifts keep going up. Not sure how I got 6 reps on the last squat set but I ain't complaining. I need to make sure I keep going below parallel and not cheat them now. OHP and squats are PRs.


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## Thebiggestdumbass (Nov 14, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Weight has been staying steady for 3 days now. Guess that tells me I need to lower my calories a little bit. I'm trying to up the protein and lower the fat ratios too.
> 
> Tonight will be a true test of my willpower. I'm going to a meeting where there will be pizza, lots of pizza. And I'm leading the meeting so I cant get out of it, lol. I did request salad too, so I'll have something to eat. Maybe I'll have one slice.
> 
> ...


Good work on the prs


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## Cornholio (Nov 14, 2022)

Thebiggestdumbass said:


> Good work on the prs


Thank you, sir!


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## Cornholio (Nov 15, 2022)

Rest day today. I was good last night. Did not overindulge on pizza although I really wanted to. 
Weight is being crazy stupid again this morning. I don't expect that number to stick. 

*Weight:* 175.6

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2496
*Macros:* 210p/276c/71f


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## IronSoul (Nov 15, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Rest day today. I was good last night. Did not overindulge on pizza although I really wanted to.
> Weight is being crazy stupid again this morning. I don't expect that number to stick.
> 
> *Weight:* 175.6
> ...



Good job staying disciplined and not smashing all the pizza. I’ll be following the log


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cornholio (Nov 16, 2022)

Damn, another meeting with pizza tonight and a catered Thanksgiving lunch at work today. WTF?! At least at the lunch I can just load up on turkey to get in that lean protein. 

*Weight:* 176.6

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2432
*Macros:* 201p/292c/64f

*Workout #17 (weight in lbs):*

Bench - 145 x5 x5 x6
DB Rows - 47.5 x12 x12
Deadlift - 260 x11
Skullcrusher - 65 x12 x11
Good workout. Felt good this morning. Slowly progressing on the bench. It is the tendonitis, not a lack of strength, that is holding me back there. I did not expect to get that many reps in the DL. But I was crushing it and the reps felt good.


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## GreenAmine (Nov 17, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> tendonitis


I missed it; what kind of tendonitis?


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## Cornholio (Nov 17, 2022)

GreenAmine said:


> I missed it; what kind of tendonitis?


Bicep tendonitis. Did it back in June doing bench press. Did PT for a month and thankfully did not need surgery. Much better now but it is a slow recovery.


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## Send0 (Nov 17, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Bicep tendonitis. Did it back in June doing bench press. Did PT for a month and thankfully did not need surgery. Much better now but it is a slow recovery.


Long head tendon by any chance? If so, then can you describe what it felt like when you benched while having it.

I'm just curious if it lines up to how I'd describe my long time shoulder issue.


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## Cornholio (Nov 17, 2022)

Send0 said:


> Long head tendon by any chance? If so, then can you describe what it felt like when you benched while having it.
> 
> I'm just curious if it lines up to how I'd describe my long time shoulder issue.


Yes, long head. When I first got it, it was excruciating pain for about a week. Constantly hurting and hard to sleep at night. Pain was localized to the bottom front of the shoulder where the shoulder and bicep meet. Got a cortisone shot to deal with that and it helped. 

Once the pain was managed, I got back to benching but I was extremely weak in that arm. I could barely bench a 5 lb. DB. Hammer curls were also very weak as was side laterals. The interesting thing is that my OHP and BB curls were not affected as much. I was back up to my normal weight on those fairly quickly. I'm still not up to what should be my normal weight on BP or hammer curls yet.


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## Cornholio (Nov 17, 2022)

Mobility and rotator cuff exercises today. I was fairly good with all the free fattening food yesterday. Did eat a little more than I intended to but did not go crazy over as I easily could have.

*Weight:* 177.4

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2682
*Macros:* 213p/295c/78f


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## Cornholio (Nov 18, 2022)

Workouts are going well. Greyskull LP is working for me. I'm very happy with my progress. Diet is going well. Sleep is good. No new pains or injuries, just the normal ones for a 50 year old, lol. That is a sure sign to not change a damn thing and I'm not gonna. Not until something stops working. But it is all working right now. 

*Weight:* 175.4

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2228
*Macros:* 193p/247c/66f

*Workout #18 (weight in lbs):*

OHP - 115 x5 x5 x7
Chins - BW+12.5 x8 x8
Squats - 240 x5 x5 x6
Hammer Curls - 25 x10 x10 x11
I arched my back on that last set of OHP and felt a hint of pain. I need to be more careful. Had to dig deep for that last rep on both OHP and squats. Another PR on both.


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## Cornholio (Nov 19, 2022)

Mobility, rotator cuff, and core work today. Will also try to get a walk/run in as well. I'm not as consistent with that as I would like to be. 

*Weight:* 175.4

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2380
*Macros:* 202p/232c/74f


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## Cornholio (Nov 20, 2022)

Mobility and rotator cuff exercises today. 

*Weight:* 176.8

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2393
*Macros:* 211p/227c/77f


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## Cornholio (Nov 21, 2022)

*Weight:* 176.0

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2308
*Macros:* 210p/195c/78f

*Workout #18 (weight in lbs):*

Bench - 147.5 x5 x5 x6
DB Rows - 50 x10 x10
Squats - 245 x5 x5 x5
Skullcrushers - 65 x12 x12
And here we go. I'm about to hit my first deload on squats. Getting that last rep was a matter of sheer determination. I'm going to start incrementing squats by 2.5 lbs. to milk the progression a little bit longer. 

Tried for a 7th rep on BP. I thought I could do it. I could not. It is all good though. I'm learning where my weaknesses are. I got the bar about three inches off my chest but could not get it past that. I'm considering adding a supplemental lifts days once a week when I start bulking to help address my weak spots in the major lifts. So, this is good data.


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## GreenAmine (Nov 21, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Squats - 245 x5 x5 x5


In a little over a month, you've added 30 lbs and 1 rep to your squat max... And you did it 3 times. I'm loving the progress, man.

I also read your posts in Beavis's voice, so your posts are also very entertaining.


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## Cornholio (Nov 21, 2022)

GreenAmine said:


> In a little over a month, you've added 30 lbs and 1 rep to your squat max... And you did it 3 times. I'm loving the progress, man.
> 
> I also read your posts in Beavis's voice, so your posts are also very entertaining.


Thank you. I've surprised myself. Just goes to show how important 1. finding the right program, 2. consistently following that program, and 3. getting the things outside of lifting (sleep, diet, etc.) correct can do. In the past I've struggled with all three. 

Keeping myself accountable in this journal and the sage advice of you all here has definitely help me to find the right plan and stick to it. 

UGBB kicks ass!


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## Cornholio (Nov 22, 2022)

Rest day today. Diet could have been better yesterday. Had Popeye's for dinner and, although I did not overindulge, I did indulge a little bit. Fat macro is higher than I would like it to be. 

*Weight:* 177.4

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2505
*Macros:* 204p/208c/104f


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## Cornholio (Nov 24, 2022)

So, I've noticed my weight has not really changed much in weeks. It's fluctuated down a little but always seems to go back to around 177. I'll try to lower my calories a little but I have no desire to cut them too much. They are already pretty low IMO. I'll also try to do more cardio. But I think my cut is nearing the end. 

*Weight:* 177.4

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2324
*Macros:* 196p/268c/55f

*Workout #20 (weight in lbs):*

OHP = 117.5 x5 x5 x6
Chins - BW+15 x8 x7
Deadlift - 270 x8
Hammer Curls - 25 x12 x12 x11
Good workout today. OHP is consistent and I'm still killing it on the deadlifts. 

Thank you for reading!


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## Bomb10shell (Nov 24, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> I'll try to lower my calories a little but I have no desire to cut them too much


My last cut this would happen occasionally when you hit a set point in your body. I found that taking a week at maintenance or just adding in an untracked "intuitive eating " meal (aka not a cheat meal but a reasonable off plan one) made all the difference and the weight started moving again afterwards. Think of it or a "diet deload". But, I know others who have done the same but couldn't reel it back in after the week off.


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## Cornholio (Nov 24, 2022)

Bomb10shell said:


> My last cut this would happen occasionally when you hit a set point in your body. I found that taking a week at maintenance or just adding in an untracked "intuitive eating " meal (aka not a cheat meal but a reasonable off plan one) made all the difference and the weight started moving again afterwards. Think of it or a "diet deload". But, I know others who have done the same but couldn't reel it back in after the week off.


Thank you. Yes, I was thinking yesterday "this must be what a set point is." 

No better day than today for intuitive eating. My intuition likes pumpkin pie.


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## Cornholio (Nov 24, 2022)

Mobility and rotator cuff exercises today.

*Weight:* 176.4

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2318
*Macros: *206p/230c/62f

Happy Thanksgiving! I give thanks for this board and for everybody who has helped me out or read my journal these past 6 weeks.


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## Bomb10shell (Nov 25, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Thank you. Yes, I was thinking yesterday "this must be what a set point is."
> 
> No better day than today for intuitive eating. My intuition likes pumpkin pie.


🤣🤣


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## Cornholio (Nov 25, 2022)

I did not track calories or macros yesterday since it was Thanksgiving. I was mostly good though. 

*Weight:* 177

*Workout #21 (weight in lbs.):*

BB Bench Press - 150 x5 x5 x7
DB Rows - 50 x12 x11
Squats - 250 x5 x5 x5
CG BP - 65 x15 x15
Been working on my BP form and already it is looking better. Got one more rep than I expected. Switched from Skullcrushers to close grip BP because it was getting risky to get the bar in position with that much weight. Last thing I need is another freaking injury.

I wasn't sure if I would hit all my reps on the squats coming in today but they felt good. Tried for a 6th rep on the last set. I thought I could get it but failed about a quarter of the way up. Bummer.


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## Cornholio (Nov 26, 2022)

Mobility and rotator cuff exercises plus core work today. 

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2551
*Macros: *211p/228c/81f


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## Cornholio (Nov 27, 2022)

More mobility and rotator cuff exercises today.

*Weight: *176

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2720
*Macros: *224p/276c/92f


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## Cornholio (Nov 28, 2022)

Targeting 2700 calories a day for now. Slowly bringing the calories up as I approach the deload phase. 
Got a phone tripod on a Black Friday sale so I'm going to start recording my lifts to check my form. 

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2749
*Macros: *211p/289c/91f

*Workout #22 (weight in lbs.):*

OHP - 120 x5 x5 x5
Chins - BW+15 x8 x8
Squats - 255 x5 x5 x5
Hammer Curls - 26 x10 x9
Brutal workout. I'm now getting near my max on OHPs. Tried to get a 6th rep on the last set but could not get the bar above my head.

Somehow got all my reps on squats. Wasn't sure I would get all 5 reps on the first two work sets of squats. Then I noticed that I was compromising my form on some of the reps. Focused on my form on the last set and hit it. Still hard as hell but it felt better. Didn't try for a 6th rep on squats. I knew that wasn't happening.


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## IronSoul (Nov 28, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> Targeting 2700 calories a day for now. Slowly bringing the calories up as I approach the deload phase.
> Got a phone tripod on a Black Friday sale so I'm going to start recording my lifts to check my form.
> 
> *Weight: *177
> ...



Good idea on recording your lifts. It will help you critique and correct things a lot. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cornholio (Nov 29, 2022)

More mobility and rotator cuff exercises today.

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2708
*Macros: *228p/238c/101f


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## Bomb10shell (Nov 29, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> More mobility and rotator cuff exercises today.
> 
> *Weight: *177
> 
> ...


Which ones are you doing?


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## Cornholio (Nov 29, 2022)

Bomb10shell said:


> Which ones are you doing?


For mobility, here is what I do:















For rotator cuff I do all of the first video exercises except I don't do Dr. Aaron's version of the last exercise. I like Ryan Humiston's version.


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## Bomb10shell (Nov 29, 2022)

Cornholio said:


> For mobility, here is what I do:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks! I'll check em out and probably add them to my routine too


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## Cornholio (Nov 30, 2022)

Yesterday's diet is almost exactly what I have been shooting for. The calorie count and macros are on target.

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2696
*Macros: *228p/320c/68f

*Workout #23 (weight in lbs.):*

Bench Press - 152.5 x5 x5 x7
DB Rows - 50 x12 x14
Deadlift - 275 x9
CG BP - 70 x15 x17
Another solid workout. Although I am getting close to deload on OHP and squat, I have a ways to go yet on BP and DL. Still working on my BP form. It is getting better and am already noticing the difference.

BTW, I love deadlifts! I have to be careful because I can push myself too hard on them. I really wanted to go for that 10th rep but I knew it was too risky.


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## Cornholio (Dec 1, 2022)

Rest day today.

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2814
*Macros: *210p/305c/79f


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## Cornholio (Dec 2, 2022)

Weight actually went down even after bumping up my calories slightly. Not exactly what I want as I'm slowly transitioning to gaining. 

*Weight: *176

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2575
*Macros: *191p/287c/83f

*Workout #24 (weight in lbs.):*

OHP - 122.5 x5 x5 x6
Chins - BW+17.5 x8 x7
Squats - 260 x5 x5 x5
Hammer Curls - 26 x11 x10 x8
I decided to really push myself today and leave nothing in the tank. Surprised myself by getting a 6th rep on OHP. Got about 2/3 of the way on that 6th rep and was not sure I could lock it out. But I inched it up little by little and finally got it. Similar story with the last rep on the squats. Wasn't sure I'd get it but I powered through somehow. Although to be honest, I'm not 100% sure I went below parallel on that last rep. I'm going to count it anyway.


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## Cornholio (Dec 3, 2022)

Today I start Saturday Supplemental workouts. Three accessory lifts and curls for the girls (well, just one girl actually). These lifts may change as I identify my weak spots in the major lifts.

*Weight: *176

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2794
*Macros: *220p/269c/91f

*Workout #25 (weight in lbs.):*

Front Squat - 105 x12 x12 x12
SLDL - 105 x12 x12 x12
1 Board Press - 95 x12 x12 x12
EZ Bar Curls - 50 x10 x10 x10
Shooting for 3x8-12 on all of them. Since I have not done these lifts in a long time I took it nice and easy today. The only one that was remotely difficult was the curls. It was fun to do something a little different.


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## Cornholio (Dec 4, 2022)

Mobility and rotator cuff exercises today. 

*Weight: *176

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *2943
*Macros: *223p/273c/101f


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## Cornholio (Dec 5, 2022)

Today is Day 2 of my bulk. Will keep the calories at 3000 minimum and will monitor. I'm not opposed to going higher. Will also try to get 1.25g x BW of protein as well. May bump that up to 1.5g. Would like to gain around 1/2 lb. a week.

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3002
*Macros: *257p/275c/103f

*Workout #26 (weight in lbs.):*

Bench - 155 x5 x4 x5
DB Rows - 52.5 x10 x11
Squats - 265 x5 x3
CG BP - 72.5 x15 x15
Well, it was inevitable. After over 7 weeks of great workouts, I was overdue for a dud. Actually, it wasn't that bad as I have learned from my failures.

First of all, I don't know what happened on that second set of bench press. My left bicep just gave out on that 5th rep. Chalking this up as a fluke and will repeat this weight next time. I'm sure I'll get it.

Now concerning the squats. I filmed my work sets and discovered that I'm going just to parallel. On some of them, it is hard to judge and I may be cheating them. I noticed this on the first set, so for the second set I tried to go just below parallel and failed spectacularly. I'm not ready for 265. I should have deloaded at 260. Gonna deload now and work on going lower. So, after 7 1/2 weeks, I've hit my first deload. Yay?


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## Cornholio (Dec 6, 2022)

Rest day today.

*Weight: *176

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3226
*Macros: *221p/320c/106f


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## Cornholio (Dec 7, 2022)

Diet is going well. I'm enjoying getting to eat more now.

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3047
*Macros: *233p/371c/86f

*Workout #27 (weight in lbs.):*

OHP - 125 x5 x4 x3
Chins - BW + 17.5 x8 x8
Deadlift - 280 x7
Hammer Curls - 26 x11 x12
I don't know what happened on the OHP. I did not expect to do so poorly. I'm going to give this weight one more shot before I deload. I still think I have a decent chance of getting it.

Deadlifts are going well. Was going to try for an 8th rep but I felt a little strain on my right shoulder so I called it early. Still happy with the result.


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## Cornholio (Dec 8, 2022)

Rest day today. Getting bloodwork done today as well. It's been almost 6 months so I am due. 

*Weight: *178

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3019
*Macros: *228p/281c/98f


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## Cornholio (Dec 9, 2022)

Diet was good yesterday. 

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3010
*Macros: *242p/344c/81f

*Workout #28 (weight in lbs.):*

Bench Press - 157.5 x5 x5 x6
DB Rows - 52.5 x12 x13
Squats - 230 x5 x5 x8
CG BP - 75 x15 x15 x16
So, I realized after the fact that I was supposed to redo BP at 155 lbs. because I failed to get all my reps last time. But I forgot and went ahead and raised the weight. And then got one extra rep, lol. I tried for a 7th rep but it wasn't happening.

Not sure what to call these squats. I'm using a box as a depth guide but not resting on it. Not really pausing either. More like touch and go squats. Whatever they are, I think they are helping me get a good feel for how deep I need to go. I'm realizing now that I've been cheating a lot of my squats. Time to swallow my pride and rework my squat.


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## Cornholio (Dec 11, 2022)

I had pizza for dinner last night. It messed up my macros but it was totally worth it.

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3140
*Macros: *246p/260c/117f

*Workout #29 (weight in lbs.):*

Box Squats - 115 x10 x10 x10
SLDL - 115 x10 x10 x12
1 Board Press - 105 x10 x10 x12
EZ Bar Curls - 52.5 x10 x10 x10
Did Box Squats for the first time ever. I definitely see the benefit of doing them. I need more practice with this. Need to work on tensing the body and forcing the knees out. I think these will help in the long run.


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## Cornholio (Dec 11, 2022)

Mobility and rotator cuff exercises today.

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3218
*Macros: *226p/365c/94f


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## Cornholio (Dec 12, 2022)

Weight is slowly going up now. Still waiting on bloodwork results.

*Weight: *178

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3211
*Macros: *231p/376c/85f

*Workout #30 (weight in lbs.):*

OHP - 110 x5 x5 x7
Chins - BW+20 x8 x6
Squats - 235 x5 x5 x8
Hammer Curls - 27.5 x9 x7
Good workout. Working my way back up on OHP and squats. Still using the box to gauge depth on squats and retrain my mental cue. I'm also working on taking a slightly wider stance to see how that works for me.


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## Cornholio (Dec 14, 2022)

Weight has not budged in 3 days so I'm going to bump up the daily calories just a little bit one more time. Currently, looking to hit 3200 calories daily. 

*Weight: *178

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3102
*Macros: *244p/304c/115f

*Week 9 of Greyskull LP
Workout #31 (weight in lbs.):*

Bench Press - 157.5 x5 x5 x6
DB Rows - 55 x10 x9
Deadlift - 285 x7
CG BP - 80 x15 x16
I did not plan on repeating 157.5 on the BP. I thought I had 160 on the bar. Was all proud of myself for nailing it then, when I went to unrack, I noticed that I forgot to put a 2.5 lb. weight on one side. Well, shit. The rest of the workout went fine though.


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## IronSoul (Dec 15, 2022)

Keep putting in the work man. They weight will come. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cornholio (Dec 15, 2022)

Rest day today. 

*Weight: *177

*Previous Day's Diet:
Calories: *3319
*Macros: *238p/318c/111f


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