Lately, I have been really admiring my body. I’m pretty happy with it. After seeing some other aesthetic mofos over time on YouTube, I have noticed varieties of four-packs, undefined arms, and things I’ve noticed in my own body, and they’re claiming peak condition! They might have 20 more pounds of muscle than me, but that’s not the point. I feel like I’m at a really good place physique wise.
I want to keep things casual, and it’ll be difficult to get leaner or stronger without deliberate effort. I don’t really want to focus too much on training and training is already harder on less calories. I think I’d have an easier and more enjoyable time eating a surplus. I’ve set some radical goals, like the marathon in Iceland. If athletes eat 4000-6000 calories a day, what am I doing thinking I’m going to get there eating 1800-2400 calories? It’s time to eat and set some goals!
March Goals
Powerlifting
Now that I’m deliberately gaining mass, I can finally have some reasonable goals. I couldn’t figure out my bench for the life of me. Sometimes I’d bench 3x5x190 or sometimes 3x5x200. This week though, I hit a PR that I made in October when things were going really well. The annoying part is that not much has changed in my body, but at least I maintained it and I think I lost a little bit of fat.
Bench Goal – 3x5x210-lbs -> 3x5x220-lbs
TWO PLATES! This would be such a big deal. It’d be historical. My one-rep max at the APF powerlifting meet years ago was 241 or something. I would be surpassed that. I also weigh a whopping 15-lbs less.
Squat Goal – 3x5x155-lbs ->3x5x180-lbs
I’ve been rehabbing my squat for a lifetime. I find my hips shift in one direction coming down and sometimes I’m uneven when I drive out from the bottom. I also butt-wink when I come down. I’m hoping with extra calories and more mobility work that I can level up my squat faster without sacrificing form. I did 165 not to long ago either, so 180 feels realistic.
Deadlift Goal – 5×220-lbs -> 3x5x250-lbs
I passed out during a deadlift session not to long ago. It was due to how I held my breathe for the lift. I don’t want to feel like I have to strain that much for a lift, so I’m focusing on volume. My last best was 5×220. Didn’t even bother with more sets.
That’s a 650 total, 830 adjusted for one-rep maxes. That’s pretty low compared to my APF total. I’m not thinking long-term right now, so I don’t want to try to make a year-long goal. I still feel like these are strength gains within my muscle’s capabilities, so I’m also hoping to not break above 150~155.
Running
I’m not a running nerd, so this is going to be brief.
5K Time – 33m5s -> 30m00s
This should be very obtainable. I walked in the beginning, I stopped to send a few text messages, and stopped running a few times. If I’m consistent, I should be able to hit this.
Running Distance – 3.1-mi -> 6.2-mi
This is the most important metric for me because running is a huge insecurity of mine and I want to try and run a marathon, which is all about endurance. I should be able to double my distance. If I can’t, I may need to reconsider the Iceland thing.
Biking Distance – 34.4-mi -> 36-mi
Wow, last time I didn’t even make it. I got stuck and had to call an Uber. It’s an interesting story, so I’m a little terrified of even suggesting a goal, but with the extra energy and gradual progression, I should be able to surpass it.