CO Lifting Plans

Current thoughts:

November - move back to CO.
Week of 11th - just get acclimated, lift a few times, do some easy cardio
Week of 18th - some cardio, maybe a bit of lifting at home if time permits
Week of 25th - begin Shelby rotation.  Six weeks, should end Jan 5th
Week of Jan 6th - begin Catanzano Variable Training (details below) - http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_variable_recovery_training_system

With a 4-day per week lifting average, this should take about 15 weeks (end of November - mid-March)

Shelby Rotation - 24 sessions

Exercises

• Day 1 - Pulldowns, Dips, hammer curls, smith machine calves
• Day 2 - OHP, Squats, Rope Overheads, ab wheel
• Day 3 - Yates rows, floor press, BB curls, seated calves
• Day 4 - Seated DBOH, RDL, Skull crusher||JM press, reverse crunch

Schema

• Week 1 - 120s rest
  Day 1 & 2 - 3x10-12
  Day 3 & 4 - 3x8-10

• Week 2 - 90s rest
  Day 1 & 2 - 4x10-12
  Day 3 & 4 - 4x8-10

• Week 3 - 90s rest
  Day 1 & 2 - 5x10-12
  Day 3 & 4 - 5x8-10

• Week 4,5,6 - 180s rest
  Day 1 & 2 - 3x8-10
  Day 3 & 4 - 3x5-7

Progression

• Weeks 1,2,3:  constant weight.  Try to hit more reps per set on weeks 2 & 3 (along with more sets)
• Weeks 4,5,6:  increase weight.

Loading Parameters

• X RM for the first set of each exercise on Week 1, 4, 5, 6
• Aim for the top of the rep range.  If you drop to the bottom of the range, reduce weight for the next set. 
  

Variable Training - 36 sessions

Cycles (will be longer than one week)
Keep exercises the same throughout the 3-cycle rotation (can change for second rotation)

  Rest

• Main exercise - 90s
• Accessories - 60s

  DAY 1

• Main - Vertical pull
• Accessories - biceps x2, standing calves

  DAY 2

• Main - Vertical push
• Accessories - triceps x2, seated calves

  DAY 3

• Main - Squats
• Accessories - quads, hams, abs

  DAY 4

• Main - horizontal pull
• Accessories - biceps x2, standing calves

  DAY 5

• Main - horizontal push
• Accessories - triceps x2, seated calves

  DAY 6

• Main - deadlifts
• Accessories - quads, hams, abs

Main Lift progression:

• Cycle 1:  10x10
• Cycle 2:  8x8
• Cycle 3:  6x6
  ...increase weight...
• Cycle 4:  10x10
• Cycle 5:  8x8
• Cycle 6:  6x6

Accessory progression

• Cycle 1:  3x12-15
• Cycle 2:  3x10-12
• Cycle 3:  3x8-10
  ...increase weight...
• Cycle 4:  3x12-15
• Cycle 5:  3x10-12
• Cycle 6:  3x8-10
  
• Calves - Catanzano recommends one set.  Use a 20RM, then rest-pause up to 50 total reps.  Reduce number of pauses to get to 50 reps

Loading Parameters

• Main lift - choose X RM (ex: 10RM on 10x10 day).  Use for 2 sets (will drop 1-2 reps on second set).  Drop weight a bit for next 2 sets, repeat.  If more than 3 reps are dropped between sets, stop the exercise
  
• Accessories - Start at top of range.  If reps drop below range, lower weight for next set

Regulation

• If you do a lower number of repetitions with the same weight used previously for that particular set/rep scheme or if a slight increase in load results in a significant decrease in reps (below the prescribed rep number), then you haven't sufficiently recovered and should not perform that exercise that day.  If it happens right off the bat with the main exercise, then don't work out. Skip the training session altogether.  However, if it happens on any of the accessory exercises, just skip that exercise for the day.

2012-10-14 Check in [213.3 @ 36.75]

Mass:  213.3 (+0.6)
waist:  36.75 (+0.25)
arm:  16.75 (--)
Thigh:  25.125 (--)
calf:  15.25 (--)

Not happy, but not surprising either.  My diet has been non-existent.  I was in CA for a couple of days, so travel killed me again.  And the week preceding the trip I ate a lot of junk.

I am going to attempt to follow the Carb-Nite (yes, "nite" rather than "night" annoys me too), rather than Carb-Backloading way of eating for a while.  at least until my waist gets back under 36.0".  Same concept, but only one day of carb refeeding, rather than on every lifting day.

Conceptually, this is very similar to Joel Marion's original "Cheater's Diet" that I was a guinea pig for several years ago.  Low carb throughout the week, then a heavy shot of carbs to reset leptin levels and shock your body.  I just need to ensure that I actually eat a sufficient amount throughout the week so I am just going low carb, not starvation levels of food.

2012-10-06 Check in [212.7 @ 36.5]

Mass:  212.7 (+0.7)
Waist:  36.5 (+0.625)
Arm:  16.75 (+0.125)
Thigh:  25.125 (+0.125)
Calf:  15.25 (+0.125)

Not much of a change.  The waist increase I will attribute to bloat from dinner on Friday night (went out with Alicia and Sean).  This is including a 2-week span of not eating correctly (went to CO), and not lifting enough.  So, not too bad.  Probably need to increase my intake a bit.