Improvised BBS Session + Assisted Pistols on Remedial Knee

Location: My New House
Date: 30th December

My gym was closed AGAIN yesterday, so I again improvised (previous session here) with some free weights at home instead of doing the normal BBS workout.

Dumbbell Bench Press - 20kg / dumbbell - 127 seconds to failure (exactly the same as last week)
Dumbbell Bent Over Row - 20kg/side - 128 (R) and 118 (L) seconds to failure
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (seated) - 15kg / dumbbell - 85 seconds to failure (exactly the same as last week)
Romanian Deadlift with dumbbells - 37.5kg (82.5 lbs) / dumbbell - 98 seconds to failure (6 seconds more than last week)

Random squats with 15kg dumbbells for about 2 minutes - some normal reps and some super-slow reps without locking out.

Assisted pistols on remedial (left) leg (right hand on weights bench to steady myself)

Total workout time: 21 minutes

Post-workout nutrition: this, 15 minutes later.

This time I did single-arm dumbbell bent over rows instead of using the barbell. Turns out this is much better for getting the squeeze with superslow. It also requires less back stabilisation, which was preventing me working my lats to failure last week when using the barbell.

I got spookily identical times for the pressing exercises, but I guess I should be grateful for the consistency given the amount of sleep I am getting at the moment.

The quad work was good - Mrs M had deflated the Swiss ball, so I had to do the squats free-standing (instead of these) - but it felt fine, suggesting my knee is getting stronger. Unfortunately my lower back was so tired after the deadlift that I could not take the quads to failure with the squatting, instead resting it at various points by locking out.

I was especially pleased with the pistols, as I was able to do them on the knee that was operated on in November, supported, from a point where the thigh was parallel to ground. This implies I am getting close to former strength. Now I just need stability. ... Read more

Squats and Hill Run Mark New Knee Progress

Date: 25th December
Location: My Dad's Garage

Swiss ball squats with dumbbells @25kg per dumbbell, BBS-style - about 2 minutes.

Total time: 2 minutes

Post-workout nutrition: this, 20 minutes later.

In fact my Dad did not have an inflated Swiss ball available, but since the struts on the power rack in my Dad's garage are smooth, I was able to slide my back up and down that to give the same kind of support.

Date: 26th December
Location: Shuttlisloe

60 minute hike

...during which two semi-sprints up steep sections (30 seconds each.)

Post workout nutrition: none - fasted that day.

The knee is getting better and stronger. I'll post a comparative photo between the left and right quads again soon (their sizes are converging) and compare it to the one I took 3 weeks after the surgery.

The knee was a bit delicate after the superslow session: this is the first weighted squats it has done, but I was happy with the way it coped - the delicacy was the right kind.

I am able to do full squats, but my patella is a little irritated from the sudden onslaught of exercise the leg has had in recent weeks, and half squats enable me to really push the quad without affecting the patella too much.

I reckon in a couple of weeks time I will be able to re-introduce leg press to my BBS routine, albeit perhaps with the seat further away from the press plate initially.

Here is a good photo of the hiking outing - the snow had created a fine wintry scene.


Being able to hike (for the first time since the op) and also do a couple of bursts of uphill running was very pleasing (especially given the additional stability needed in those conditions.) I expect I'll be able to do a proper fell run by mid-January. This is one of the steep sections I ran up.

As an aside, I did this in my new Vibram Five Finger Treks, which gives you and idea of how effective the tread is. ... Read more

15-Minute Superslow Session with Free Weights

Location: My New House
Date: 23rd December

My gym was closed yesterday, so I improvised with some free weights at home instead of doing the normal BBS workout.

We've just moved house, where I now have a room semi-dedicated to training. Once set up, I'll add some pictures to the workout locations section.

For this session I used the BBS superslow protocol with free weights - something I've not tried before:

Dumbbell Bench Press - 20kg / dumbbell - 127 seconds to failure
Barbell Bent Over Row - 38kg - 108 seconds to failure (sort of)
Dumbbell Shoulder Press (seated) - 15kg / dumbbell - 85 seconds to failure
Romanian Deadlift with dumbbells - 37.5kg (82.5 lbs) / dumbbell - 92 seconds to failure

Total workout time: 14 minutes

Post-workout nutrition: scrambled egg, apple puree, cinnamon, 15 minutes later.

On the pushing exercises, the superslow felt natural... but for bent over rows it was awkward. First, because my back was not used to the exercise. It has become lazy with the machine version and I was not able to take my lats to failure because the stabilisation muscles gave up first. It is also difficult to get a squeeze in the same way as you can with the machine. The temptation is to jerk the bar, which of course you cannot do with superslow.

Romanian deadlift with dumbbells is the one exercise I was able to replicate at home, and I managed to increase the weight to 82.5 lbs from 74.8 and just get into the 90-120 sweet spot. ... Read more

Significant Knee Progress and BBS Session 24

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 17th December

24th BBS Big 5 session: for weight and times details, see the Body by Science Experiment page.

Post Workout Nutrition: this, 25 mins later.

Total Workout Time: 13 minutes.

Calorie Change - No Effect So Far

There was no magic effect from the increase in calories of the last week. I had changed the weight on chest press, so there was an expected increase in load time, but at least I am now in the sweet spot.

I have pulled back a little of the previous losses on pull down, easily beating last week's bizarrely low 1:20 on 150lbs - but this still falls short of previous bests with 155 lbs. My theory that last week's especially poor performance on this exercise was to do with the crutches may have some truth in it, since this time I drove.

I am still making progress on the Romanian deadlifts, but this is to be expected, as a new exercise, to which I am becoming more accustomed to the intensity.

I felt closer to a fourth rep on shoulder press than I have for a while so perhaps next week I will make the progress on this exercise which has so far eluded me.

Post Workout Meal Timing

As well as the calorie increase (away from deficit) I have started trying to eat my breakfast sooner after the workout. This is tricky because I walk to the train station afterwards, then eat the food on the train. This typically takes me 45 minutes minimum. I may have to create liquid forms of the food to bolt straight afterwards.

I know Doug McGuff, Art Devany and others advocate allowing the body to continue producing growth hormone after a session and that food inhibits that effect... but my understanding is that it's the insulin which causes this; and my post workout meals are generally not very insulinogenic.

Either way, right now I am looking to change up my eating, since other variables such as rest time have not broken my plateau. For the BBS approach, this is last chance saloon in my book. I realise there are other variables like forced reps, static holds and using machines (like Nautilus) that prevent sticking points, but I am not sure I enjoy this approach enough to go to those lengths. I'd rather make no progress with exercises I enjoy.

My next session will be in 6 days, since I will be visiting the folks for Christmas after than, where I will not have access to the familiar machines. So there will be an unavoidable shift in the rest period variable this time.

Knee Physio and Hamstring Hell

After the session I had some physio on the knee. The involved various squat-type exercises, on which I am making good progress. I can now move the knee through well over 90 degrees, and do one-leg squats with the support of the Swiss ball. I can also:

- run up the stairs, one at a time
- walk up the stairs, two at a time, with a little pain
- sleep without waking up yelping because it was in a funny position
- walk normally

My physiotherapist is great, but has a habit of apparently ignoring the significance of the weight training. This time I said

Please don't give me any hamstring or glute work today - I have just taken them to failure with deadlift.

He didn't really respond, and three exercises later had me doing these :-@
... Read more

BBS Session 23: Calorie Switch Begins, as does Learning to Walk Again

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 8th December

23rd BBS Big 5 session:

Session 24

*Session 23*

Session 22

Session 21

Session 20

Session 19

Session 18

Session 17

Session 16

Session 15

Session 14

Session 13

Session 12

Session 11

Session 10

Session 9

Session 8

Session 7

Session 6

Session 5

Session 4

Session 3

Session 2

Session 1

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Pull Down

150

150

1:20

150

1:37

Pull Down

155

1:40

155

1:41

155

1:42

155

1:50

155

1:43

155

1:45

155

1:48

155

-

155

1:55

155

1:51

155

1:49

150

2:13

150

1:51

Seated Row

120

1:44

120

1:42

115

2:02

115

1:56

115

1:31

110

2:02

100

2:15

80

3:08

Overhead Press

60

60

1:37

60

1:24

Overhead Press

60

1:32

60

1:32

60

1:35

60

1:39

60

1:32

60

1:43

60

1:50

60

-

60

1:36

60

1:44

60

1:48

60

1:38

60

1:36

Chest Press

95

1:37

95

1:52

95

1:39

90

2:01

90

1:39

100

1:11

100

1:17

90

1:28

Seated Row

105

105

1:53

105

1:32

Seated Row

105

1:33

105

1:40

105

1:46

105

1:30

105

1:26

105

1:42

105

1:48

105

-

105

1:48

105

1:39

105

1:38

110

1:29

120

1:04

Pull Down

145

1:56

145

1:46

140

2:09

135

2:11

130

2:15

130

1:56

125

2:15

110

2:26

Chest Press

80

85

1:17

85

1:22

Chest Press

85

1:20

85

1:19

85

1:21

85

1:15

85

1:24

85

1:19

85

1:20

85

-

85

1:32 *

85

1:14

85

(1:10)

90

1:13

95

1:03

Overhead Press

60

1:33

60

1:28

60

1:37

60

1:49

60

1:37

60

1:38

60

1:44

80, 70

0:35, 0:25

Romanian Deadlift (dumbbells)

74.8

70.4

2:28

70.4

1:55

Leg Press

-

-

-

-

340

2:15

340

0:55

340

1:33

-

-

330

2:19

330

1:42

330

-

330

-

330

1:33

320

2:14

320

-

Leg Press

310

2:30

300

2:01

290

3:24

280

2:12

260

-

250

3:02

230, 270

4.31

200

2:57

Total Time

14 mins

14 mins

Total Time

9 mins

8 mins

12 mins

10 mins

11 mins

9 mins

11 mins

3 mins

8 mins

8 mins

11 mins

14 mins

10 mins

25 mins

14 mins

25 mins

25 mins

22 mins

28 mins

27 mins

Rest period

7 days

11 days

Rest period

8 days

9 days

11 days

7 days

9 days

13 days

14 days (8 for legs)

20 days (for legs)

7 days

7 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

9 days

11 days

6 days

8 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

Notes

Something weird with pulldowns. Right arm weak. Crutching-related? Day 2 of calorie switch so maybe next week effects will be felt. And I will drive to the gym.

Pulldown machine broken so forced to do 150 lbs. Suffering cumulative effects of 'crutch-cardio' & lack of calories.Doing deadlift until knee ready for leg press again.

Notes

Times amazingly similar to last session. Truly, this is maintenance. Leg still in brace so no leg press.

Almost no change at all.Had knee surgery 6 days previously but having to keep one leg straight not really a problem for upper body exercises.

Rope climbing may have affected pull downs, leg press improvement may be limked to back rest position. Still in calorie deficit.

Low sleep & low calorie week & only seven days rest. Yet no other exercise between. Leg press first rep burned me out: maybe seat position wrong.

Running at the weekend, swimming on Tuesday and bad sleep may have eroded benefits of longer, 9-day rest. Could have done more on legs but demoralisation set in.

No leg due to recent fell face and another on saturday. snagnation across the board. Fatigue from race? Rest period too long? Calorie deficit?

In spite of alcoholic weekend, some good progress. Could legs have benefited from the weekend laziness? Chest is blue because it's the best time on the correct machine.

Leg press only this week due to recently skipping it - but no upper body because seeking longer rest period overall. Full session next week.

No leg press because recovering from race. *Chest press not on ususal machine so may have affected time. Still feel like stagnation rules.

No leg press because race on Sat. Stagnation on all exercises suggests 7 days rest no enough. Or not enough calories?

Finally got that 4th rep with OH press. Because the chest press was in use, did leg press before chest and chest press on a different machine.

Lack of progress in pressing is mitigated by pulldown and leg success. Overhead felt better even tho TUL static

Less rest and a change in exercise order threw timings into disarray. Surprised by Overhead Press not being better

Baffling underperformance on chest and surprising improvement on legs, which may partly reflect increased intensity.

Finally finding the sweet spot for leg press. Much less rest, so not surprised by overhead press suffering.

Previous week's overhead press gains may have been due to slower reps.

First real signs of progress now that I have stability on the weights.

No leg press, hence shorter workout time. Was saving myself for fell race at the weekend.

Still finding it hard to judge the right weight for leg press.

Struggled to find right weight for leg press. Still finding the correct weight for all exercises.

Had to change weight with overhead because misjudged it.

"TUL" = Time Under Load
Red = worse than last week
Blue = best time ever on that weight
Black = no TUL change /weight changed / improvement not exceeded a previous best

Other Exercises:
- 3 minutes of Leg Press with just the leg with the recovering knee.
- 50 Swiss-Ball Squats
- 5 minutes on running machine at walking pace to recover my gait.

Post Workout Nutrition: 6 x scrambled organic + 3 tablespoons almond powder, apple puree & cinnamon powder, 50 mins later.

Total Workout Time: 30 minutes

Calorie Shift

This workout took place on Tuesday, the day after I switched out of fat-loss mode. I have been battling to return to 11% fat after various binges over the summer left me hovering around 13%. Finally, at the weekend, I had 4 consecutive readings of 11%, so the time was right for the switch.

I will change nothing else about my routine, to see whether the change in calorie consumption affects the stagnation of recent weeks.

I will continue to eat Paleo food, aiming to eat least satisfy my hunger. I will continue to fast on two days per week, but on the other days will eat to satisfaction, erring on the generous side. When normally I would have skipped breakfast, I will have breakfast. Where normally I would have had two tins of sardines with lunch, I will have 3.

I will do my best to avoid binges. These offer little benefit for the fat increase they engender, so the overall impact on body composition is not a good one.

Exercises and Weight Changes

Pull Down is proving to be a strange thing. I am suddenly weaker on this, and it appears to be my right arm that is flagging. I am going to drop the weight to 150 lbs. I am wondering whether this has anything to do with using the crutches: last week and this week I spent 20 minutes on the crutches to get to the gym. Next week (my final week of crutches) I will use the car.

I am also going to drop the weight on Chest Press to 80 lbs, since I am currently outside the 90 - 120 second sweet spot (and have been for a while.)

My improved time on the Seated Row may have been because of the sudden pulldown failure - so my lats did not get the usual amount of stress. Perhaps this suggests a bicep issue?

I did make progress on the Romanian Deadlift, but this is not surprising given it's a new addition. I expect to be back with Leg Press within a month once the knee has fully healed.

Knee Rehab

I also did some work on the knee. It coped well with one-legged Leg Press and the Swiss-Ball Squat.

The time on the running machine was designed to get me used to walking properly again. Having a leg brace forces you to swing the leg in an ungainly fashion and I am finding that even without the brace, I am doing the same thing. Walking on the running machine in front of the mirror is helping me to correct that. ... Read more

Dumbbell Stair Climbs and Swiss Ball Squats for Knee

Location: My Apartment
Date: 7th December

Swiss-Ball Squats - 30 reps (with good leg on tip-toes to emphasise the one that needs building)

Dumbbell Stair Climb - 22.5kg per dumbbell, 10 floors down then 10 floors up.

Total Time: 10 minutes.

Post-Workout Nutrition: none - fasting all day.

The knee is progressing well (for what's wrong with my knee, see the knee surgery post.)

Getting a little swelling when I do the exercises, but it feels like appropriate pain and the physio told me not to worry. I am exercising it daily, but obviously not going to failure - so in a sense it is a parallel and different protocol to the BBS one I am using for the rest of my body. ... Read more

Healing Knee Manages 45kg Dumbbell Stair Climbs

Location: My Apartment
Date: 6th December

Dumbbell Stair Climb - 22.5kg per dumbbell, 3 floors down then 3 floors up.

Swiss-Ball Squats - 50 reps

Total Time: 10 minutes.

Post-Workout Nutrition: none - fasting all day.

I am very pleased to be able to do dumbbell stair climbs at this point in my knee rehab. Since my physio told me on Thursday to be more aggressive with teaching my leg to bend and work again, I have progressed quickly.

I have less than two weeks before the brace can officially come off. I take it off around the apartment and to do these exercises, but must still wear it outside these controlled environments. I need to ensure the leg feels strong before I venture into the big bad world, where inconsiderate commuters could knock me off balance at any time... ... Read more

BBS Session 22 & Battling the Wasting Quad

Location: Woodcock Sports Centre, Aston University
Date: 1st December

22nd BBS Big 5 session:

Session 23

*Session 22*

Session 21

Session 20

Session 19

Session 18

Session 17

Session 16

Session 15

Session 14

Session 13

Session 12

Session 11

Session 10

Session 9

Session 8

Session 7

Session 6

Session 5

Session 4

Session 3

Session 2

Session 1

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Lbs

TUL

Pull Down

155

150

1:37

Pull Down

155

1:40

155

1:41

155

1:42

155

1:50

155

1:43

155

1:45

155

1:48

155

-

155

1:55

155

1:51

155

1:49

150

2:13

150

1:51

Seated Row

120

1:44

120

1:42

115

2:02

115

1:56

115

1:31

110

2:02

100

2:15

80

3:08

Overhead Press

60

60

1:24

Overhead Press

60

1:32

60

1:32

60

1:35

60

1:39

60

1:32

60

1:43

60

1:50

60

-

60

1:36

60

1:44

60

1:48

60

1:38

60

1:36

Chest Press

95

1:37

95

1:52

95

1:39

90

2:01

90

1:39

100

1:11

100

1:17

90

1:28

Seated Row

105

105

1:32

Seated Row

105

1:33

105

1:40

105

1:46

105

1:30

105

1:26

105

1:42

105

1:48

105

-

105

1:48

105

1:39

105

1:38

110

1:29

120

1:04

Pull Down

145

1:56

145

1:46

140

2:09

135

2:11

130

2:15

130

1:56

125

2:15

110

2:26

Chest Press

85

85

1:22

Chest Press

85

1:20

85

1:19

85

1:21

85

1:15

85

1:24

85

1:19

85

1:20

85

-

85

1:32 *

85

1:14

85

(1:10)

90

1:13

95

1:03

Overhead Press

60

1:33

60

1:28

60

1:37

60

1:49

60

1:37

60

1:38

60

1:44

80, 70

0:35, 0:25

Romanian Deadlift (dumbbells)

70.4

70.4

1:55

Leg Press

-

-

-

-

340

2:15

340

0:55

340

1:33

-

-

330

2:19

330

1:42

330

-

330

-

330

1:33

320

2:14

320

-

Leg Press

310

2:30

300

2:01

290

3:24

280

2:12

260

-

250

3:02

230, 270

4.31

200

2:57

Total Time

14 mins

Total Time

9 mins

8 mins

12 mins

10 mins

11 mins

9 mins

11 mins

3 mins

8 mins

8 mins

11 mins

14 mins

10 mins

25 mins

14 mins

25 mins

25 mins

22 mins

28 mins

27 mins

Rest period

11 days

Rest period

8 days

9 days

11 days

7 days

9 days

13 days

14 days (8 for legs)

20 days (for legs)

7 days

7 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

9 days

11 days

6 days

8 days

7 days

7 days

8 days

Notes

Pulldown machine broken so forced to do 150 lbs. Suffering cumulative effects of 'crutch-cardio' & lack of calories.Doing deadlift until knee ready for leg press again.

Notes

Times amazingly similar to last session. Truly, this is maintenance. Leg still in brace so no leg press.

Almost no change at all.Had knee surgery 6 days previously but having to keep one leg straight not really a problem for upper body exercises.

Rope climbing may have affected pull downs, leg press improvement may be limked to back rest position. Still in calorie deficit.

Low sleep & low calorie week & only seven days rest. Yet no other exercise between. Leg press first rep burned me out: maybe seat position wrong.

Running at the weekend, swimming on Tuesday and bad sleep may have eroded benefits of longer, 9-day rest. Could have done more on legs but demoralisation set in.

No leg due to recent fell face and another on saturday. snagnation across the board. Fatigue from race? Rest period too long? Calorie deficit?

In spite of alcoholic weekend, some good progress. Could legs have benefited from the weekend laziness? Chest is blue because it's the best time on the correct machine.

Leg press only this week due to recently skipping it - but no upper body because seeking longer rest period overall. Full session next week.

No leg press because recovering from race. *Chest press not on ususal machine so may have affected time. Still feel like stagnation rules.

No leg press because race on Sat. Stagnation on all exercises suggests 7 days rest no enough. Or not enough calories?

Finally got that 4th rep with OH press. Because the chest press was in use, did leg press before chest and chest press on a different machine.

Lack of progress in pressing is mitigated by pulldown and leg success. Overhead felt better even tho TUL static

Less rest and a change in exercise order threw timings into disarray. Surprised by Overhead Press not being better

Baffling underperformance on chest and surprising improvement on legs, which may partly reflect increased intensity.

Finally finding the sweet spot for leg press. Much less rest, so not surprised by overhead press suffering.

Previous week's overhead press gains may have been due to slower reps.

First real signs of progress now that I have stability on the weights.

No leg press, hence shorter workout time. Was saving myself for fell race at the weekend.

Still finding it hard to judge the right weight for leg press.

Struggled to find right weight for leg press. Still finding the correct weight for all exercises.

Had to change weight with overhead because misjudged it.

"TUL" = Time Under Load
Red = worse than last week
Blue = best time ever on that weight
Black = no TUL change /weight changed / improvement not exceeded a previous best

Post Workout Nutrition: 6 x scrambled organic + chopped apple & cinnamon powder, 50 mins later.

Crutching and Alcohol Tiredness

I was tired from a sleep-deprived and alcohol-sodden weekend, as well as physically weary from excessive and enforced crutch cardio. I am far to tight to pay for taxis between home or the office and the train stations, so my upper body is getting a fair hammering on a working day; and for this session I also had to crutch 25 minutes across the city to get to the gym because my partner was not there with his car.

So you can see some slippage on the TULs. The really odd number is Pull Downs. Due to a jammed machine, I was forced to drop the weight to 150 lbs - yet my TUL was significantly lower than the previous session on 155.

Switch to Deadlift

I am switching to Romanian Deadlift with dumbbells for lower body for the next few months while the knee heals. I have found the right weight for the sweet spot, which is 32kg per dumbbell, although for consistency I have converted this to lbs in the table.

More Aggressive Knee Rehab

I saw the physio on Thursday, who told me I should be more aggressive with bending and exercising the knee. This was annoying to hear, since my excessive caution has largely been borne of the impression he gave me at the previous session.

So now I am regularly taking the knee out of the brace and bending it through the allowed range of movement at this stage (90 degrees) as well as walking up the stairs with my weighted vest on and doing free standing squats with my heels on a thick book.

Hopefully this new work can arrest the progressive wasting of my left quad.

What I'd not realised is that the pain I was getting when I tried to bend or put weight on the leg was simply a result of the inactivity and weakness of the leg while it has been in the brace. I had assumed it was the internal surgery wounds and so was unwilling to push it for fear of rupturing something and undoing the good work. ... Read more