June 1 Sunday
2x rotational med ball throws each side w/35lb med ball
5RM Seated OHP . . worked up to 185
5RM Chin-ups . . worked up to BW + 60lbs
Volume - 2 rounds
2x rotational med ball throws
10x Seated OHP w/145
10x Chin-ups w/BW + 25lbs
6x3 EMOM banded Bench press w/225lbs + blue rogue band
Assistance - 2 rounds
10x Dips w/BW + 90lbs
15x Lateral raises w/25lb Dbs
15x Rear delt flyes w/20s
100ft Waiters walk w/70lb KB each side
June 3 Tuesday
2RM Snatch grip high pull . . worked up to 245
4x consecutive broad jumps
8x weighted hanging knee raises
75ft single arm farmers carry w/185lbs
6 total sets
Volume - 2 rounds
6x SGHP w/185lbs
4x broad jumps
8x weighted hanging knee raises
75ft single arm farmers carry w/same weight
8x3 EMOM speed squats w/225lbs . . forgot my bands at home 
what a way to start the day . . sipped on a protein shake during the workout and am now having a 5 egg omelette, a half a slice of local country cured ham, 4 strips of local country cured bacon, a homemade sourdough bagel with peanut butter and a locally made yogurt drink sweetened with maple syrup
June 5 Thursday
1RM Close grip bench press . . worked up to 325
5x Single arm DB rows (each side) . . worked up to 130s
20x bicycle crunches
7 total sets
Volume - 2 rounds
5x CGBP w/255
10x Single arm DB rows (each side) w/105s
6x explosive banded med ball rotations each side
8x3 EMOM
3x OHP w/115lbs + red rogue bands
5x wide grip BW pull-ups
no assistance today . . real happy with that top close grip bench and just the total amount of work . . right elbow is just a little cranky lately and the Mrs and I are going to West Virginia this weekend so I think I’ll take the next 3 days off and treat it as a mini deload as I have 3 more weeks left in the program
June 8 Sunday . . back at er tonight, couldn’t wait til tomorrow
3x 30” box jumps
3RM SSB box squat (JUST above parallel) . . worked up to 430
10x standing banded crunches
7 total sets
Volume - 2 rounds
3x box jumps
8x SSB box squats w/340
10x standing banded crunches
Assistance - 4 rounds
8x KB walking lunges (each side) w/70lb KB
5x SSB step-ups (20” step) w/110lbs (each side)
5x med ball box jumps w/24” box and 30lb med ball
dripping sweat after that assistance work
video is of 390lbs
That’s a great sign! Killer work on the CGBP!
thank you, appreciate it
June 9 Monday
12x band pull-aparts
1RM Log bar jerk/push press . . worked up to 230lbs
8x neutral grip pull-ups . . worked up to 8 w/55lbs
4x KB upppercuts each side w/24kg KB
7 total sets
Volume - 2 rounds
12x band pull-aparts
5x Log bar strict presses w/165lbs
15x neutral grip pull-ups w/BW
8x3 EMOM banded bench press w/185lbs + red rogue band
10x bicycle crunches
Assistance - 8 minute running clock
3x grenade pull-ups
5x high incline DB presses w/70s
10x BW Dips
got 6 total rounds done . . what a way to finish an upper body workout
feel really dialed in lately . . this program really makes you push yourself which is apparently what I needed . . got 3 weeks left (not going to do PR testing) and then I think I’m going to run Andy Bakers Conjugate for Strongman template
June 11 Wednesday
4x consecutive broad jumps
3RM Trap bar DL . . worked up to 455
:30 sec plank
6 total sets
Volume - 2 rounds
4x broad jumps
8x Trap bar pull w/365
:30 sec plank
6x3 EMOM Banded squats w/ 185 + red rogue bands
2x box jumps
Assistance/Strongman Medley - 2 rounds
100ft Zercher log bar carry w/160lbs
50ft arm over arm sled drag w/approx 250lbs
75ft Single arm farmers carry each side w/205lbs
wow, was sucking air hard after the 2nd round of that medley, had like a pressure in my one eye for a minute . . good stuff
forgot to add that I sipped on a protien shake during the workout and then for breakfast I had a local t-bone steak, a local bone-in rib steak, 4 eggs from my backyard and a locally made yogurt drink made with A2A2 milk and sweetened with maple syrup . . I was really struggling to get the last few bites down but it was worth it
June 13 Friday
not a good day/session . . everything has been so dialed in and moving well and I kind of feel like I hit a wall today . . haven’t slept well the last couple nights, elbows were cranky today, a weight I worked up to for 5 a couple weeks ago, I could only get for 3 today . . I’ve read about this happening with this program
anyways . . .
3RM Reverse band incline bench press . . worked up to 295 (got 295 for 5 a couple weeks ago)
6x Incline bench DB rows . . last 2 sets were with 100s
6x rotating med ball slams
6 total sets
Volume - 2 sets
8x Reverse band incline press w/245
6x Incline bench DB rows w/100s
6x rotating med ball slams
8x3 EMOM Banded OHP w/95 + red rogue bands
3x wide neutral grip pull-ups
what do you think fellas, should I scrap it and start a different program that doesn’t have max effort work every session?
should I scrap it and start a different program that doesn’t have max effort work every session?
Aren’t you already planning on doing this? how much longer do you have left w/ darkhorse
I’m 6 weeks in of a 9 week program . . really like to keep going but don’t want to drive my CNS into oblivion . . 36 y/o with two kids in sports, FT job and horses here to tend to daily . . maybe a 6 week Meadows program then back to conjugate? I’ll sleep on it and see how I feel tomorrow . . just pretty upset with this session today
so I scrapped the Darkhorse halfway through week 7 but not after some good strength gains . . I definitely have some program ADHD but was also feeling run down so good time to shift . . I’ve just done some bodybuilding-style workouts the last two weeks and just yesterday wrote myself a plan for the next 6 weeks focusing on improving my squat
Day 1 - Squat layers
Day 2 - rest
Day 3 - pullups + strongman medley rotating between:
4 rounds of
3x 13" DLs
100ft Trap bar carry
50ft backwards explosive sled row
&
4 rounds
100ft Zercher log bar carry
100ft trap bar carry
50ft arm over arm sled drag/pull
Day 4: Squat - 6x3 @80% + RDLs, split squats & sled sprints
Day 5: rest
Day 6: back - bodybuilding style ala Meadows
Day 7: chest/shoulders - bodybuilding style ala Meadows
Squat layer workout today
work up to a training 3RM - worked up to a very conservative 325 focusing on perfect form
4/3/2 wave w/295lbs and :20sec rest between sets . . completed 2 rounds of this (strength building layer)
3x3 w/165lbs + red mini bands focusing on explosion
5/4/3/2/1 wave w/195lbs and :15sec rest between sets . . did 2 rounds of this (hypertrophy focus layer)
also completed some 36" box jumps in between sets randomly . . reviewed the videos after completion with my friend and one thing I need to fix is keeping my elbows tight as opposed to letting them drift backwards on the ascent
Saturday 6/28 - Back ala Meadows
bunch of overhead/behind med ball throws and high-legged skips to warm up
Half-kneeling Single arm pulldowns:
3x10 each side working up to a top set
Pendlay rows: 5x5 w/225lbs
Chest-supported rows (neutral grip): 4x8 w/170lbs added
Neutral grip pull-ups w/a 2 sec pause at the bottom of each rep: 3x8 w/BW + 25lbs
Ez bar curl mechanical drop set:
leaning backwards x6
standing straight up x6
leaning forward x6
2 rounds of this w/50lb ez bar
biceps and lats are so pumped at this point
Decline bench leg raises: 2x10
came home and ate a half a smoked chicken, a 12oz grilled NY strip steak, about a dozen mini potatoes from the garden and a bowl of watermelon
Sunday 6/29
Squats: 5x3 w/275lbs really focusing on form . . these felt good, strong
2x 30" + bumper plate box jumps between each set
RDLs: 3x8 w/225lbs . . slow eccentric & a brief pause at the bottom
4 rounds
10x standing banded crunches
3x 24" box jump w/30lb med ball
no rest between rounds
70 in July and still training hard. 34? While you still can…you have decades of training ahead of you if you do it right. Been paying for my training stupidity for years now. lol
Tuesday July 1
Wide grip pull-ups:
12x BW
2x8 w/BW + 25lbs
Strongman medley:
75ft famers carry w/185lbs each hand
3x 13" Deadlifts w/385lbs
75ft farmers carry w/185lbs each hand
3x 35lb med ball overhead/behind throw
4 total rounds
KB curl mechanical drop set:
6x leaning back
6x standing straight
6x leaning forward
2 rounds w/32kg KB
Wednesday July 2
OHP Layers
work up to 3RM OHP from pins (neck level) . . 195lbs
12x band pull aparts between each set
Clusters w/175lbs (:20 sec rest between reps)
2 rounds . . 6 reps first round & 5 reps second round
5/4/3/2/1 w/135lbs (:15 sec rest between mini sets)
2 rounds
3 rounds -
15x Db lateral raises w/20s
supersetted w/
:30 sec snatch grip overhead march w/135lbs
delts were fully engorged after this one . . program ADHD is really getting the better of me right now . . I was reading old Thibadeau threads for awhile yesterday and found Built for Battle which I have run before with good results . . I’m going to commence a 4-6 week run of that program this weekend but instead of running all 5 lifts in a circuit (not very simple in a commercial gym) I’m going to run the first 3 in a circuit and then another 3 in a circuit after that . . I’m picking the Power Look lifts from that program which include the muscle snatch, zercher squat, snatch grip high pull, bench press and pendlay row but I’m also going to add weighted pull-ups to the circuit with the bench press and pendlay row
there’s alot of solid info/programming advice in some of CTs old threads . . the layer system, superhero complexes, olympic lift complexes, a good thread on full body high frequency routines . . I got lost in reading on here for hours yesterday at work
July 5 Saturday
first day of my run of Built for Battle
work up to 3RM of:
Clean & Press - 185lbs
Zercher squat - 295lbs
SGHP (from blocks) - 205lbs
2nd circuit, work up to 3RM of:
Pendlay row - 265lbs
Bench press - 295lbs
Neutral grip pull-up - BW + 90lbs
this took a little longer than I expected but I had a blast . . no one in the gym this morning except me