@alex_uk I agree. I have listened to previous heavyweights talk about how they would beat him, and some would, but I think the most interesting match up would have been Usyk vs Holyfield.
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Hit my usual Thursday night session, but a bit more cardio a bit less lifting (group of us and I’m the only lifter so it makes sense).
Circuits
Farmers: 50kg per hand x pick, up drop, turn, pick, back X 20m
Battle ropes X burn
Sled push X some
Box thing (20m spaced cones in a box, jog it all, sprint the first leg jog 3 legs, sprint 2 legs jog 2 legs, sprint 3 legs jog 1, sprint the whole thing) - this was the timer for all other stations - we all did the rest until this station finished.
Stairs, run up and down jog to the other stair case and do the same.
That was the circuit three times through.
Then sprint relay X quite a lot (I have good recovery for sprints apparently - hit some baby seal Burpees afterwards just for @ChongLordUno /the flex).
Finished with another up and back on the farmers.
Good session. Need to do some actual lifting tomorrow.
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I don’t doubt there would be a few that would, but I do think he’s greatly underestimated, in beating Fury he beat a guy multiple weight classes above himself with a really substantial reach and height difference, a guy who was incredibly experienced and a really good boxer himself. You’d think the weight and height alone would have stuffed him royally, but he handled it like a champ twice, he’s never once ducked a fight, legitimately top of this era of boxing.
There’s always going to be interesting hypotheticals but in terms of what’s on the table today, I can’t see any real challenges, Parker is the obvious choice, but I can’t see that being anything challenging for Usyk, I wonder if we won’t end up with a Fury trilogy?
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25/07/25
Bowing to the machine overlords (using AI for sessions whilst I figure things out):
A1: Inc bench: 60, 70, 80kg x 8, 90kg x 7, 80kg x 8, 7
A2: NG chins: 6 x 6 sets
B1: Seated chest supported machine row: 80kg x 10 x 3
B2: DB shoulder press: 20kg x 10 x 3 sets
C1: spider curls: 10kg X 10 X 1
C2: oh tri rope ext: 40kg x 12 x 1
Emom finisher 6 mins:
Even: Push-ups – AMRAP
Odd: Inverted Rows – AMRAP
(3 rounds each)
Bench was good, the chins were super controlled but the combo probably wasn’t ideal for my elbow. I’m really quite tired/fatigued and in a deficit, so not entirely surprised at not getting 8 at the top set and last set, also it’s freaking hot here, airless black top garage, sweat pouring!
That standing DB press took me by surprise, I was going for 20 as my warm up and by the end of the that set I was thinking, this is the working weight! Bit disappointed but that means plenty more room to grow. Rows were good.
The curls and ext just hurt my elbow and shoulders, called them at a single set, cost to benefit ratio was not worth it.
Finisher was challenging reps dropped steeply each set.
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26/07/25
Bowing to the machine overlords
SSB: 60, 80, 100kg x 6, 120kg x 6 x 4 sets
Landmine Split squat: 20kg x 8, 30kg x 8 x 3 sets
Single leg DB RDL: 15kg x 10 x 3 sets
GHR (front elevated): 8 x 3 sets
Sandbag carry: 90kg x 30 sec x 3 sets, 90 secs rest timed.
Alright that was pretty good considering the fact I’m feeling fatigued, got streaming nose and sore throat.
Tried to make the work snappy rather than grindy, didn’t push the weights but rather the intent. Sandbags were a little slow but that’s part design (hill and uneven terrain) and part end of session tiredness.
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I like this.
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Those sandbag carries have to be effective. Very impressive!
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I’m in! Sorry for the delay. I’ve been at the lake and picked up some extra shifts at my police job prior to that. When do you go on your trip? I’m headed back to the lake for our Labor Day weekend (August 29th - Sept 1st). Perhaps I can make some progress before then.
And the kitchen looks great!
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Thanks, after reading some discussions here and @T3hPwnisher latest blog (and with @Koestrizer comments from a while back about not really managing my training properly and the benefits of a coach). I had a bit of a lightbulb moment, particularly when fatigue and stress are high, good choices need to be made, a session can be something other than driving yourself into the ground… apparently.
Thanks Shane, love the sandbags, such a low frills, but versatile piece of kit, love the sort of brute force and ignorance feels of them
Got the 110kg bag that I need to work up to bossing, once the 90kg gets snappy and I can handle it like the 75kg bag then it’s time to go bigger.
Hope that was a relaxing and memorable family time?
I’m away the last week of August and first week of September (and camping at a Christian festival the end of this week).
It’s definitely enough time to make a visual difference!
Thanks - completed (nearly) it just in time, had about 25 people round last early afternoon into the night.
It was after mother in laws funeral. Precious service and day, lovely to have the family all together and both mourn the loss and celebrate her life. Nice as well to have point to do that and move forward, a sense of closure for the family.
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Honestly that is a huge learning that will drive success more than anything in the long run.
That sounds lovely. I am glad your family got to experience this as a positive act.
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Glad the blog entry was helpful! I’m learning as I go as well. It’s honestly pretty funny: I started that blog as an advocate for abbreviated training, went full off the deep end with pushing volume as high as possible, and here I am back to the beginning. Everything in cycles.
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This reminds me of Dan John discussing Park Bench vs. Bus Bench programs. @T3hPwnisher brought it up in my log specifically in reference to Tactical Barbell, but having a go-to program to run year-round and then allowing for those “Bus Bench” programs a few times a year (building the monolith, etc.) is definitely the way to go.
I’ve tried the killing myself with every session strategy (to no success in terms of gains) and always ended up hurt, quickly.
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And allow me to piggyback in with a great Dan John article on that very subject! The thesis of it can be boiled down to this quote, but the whole article is worthwhile and not too long a read.
“It shouldn’t be a shock that I suggest reasonable diets and reasonable workouts for most of your year and life.”
https://danjohnuniversity.com/essays/the-quadrants-of-diet-and-exercise
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Thanks for the replies, will circle back round to them.
29/07/25 - AI overload.
TBDL: 68, 108, 148kg x 5, 168kg x 5 x 5 sets
The ai overload had more planned for me, but I’ve got a personal matter that I need to address, and it’s yet more emotion and stress so training is minimal today.
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I think it’s also valuable to make this experience and almost an inevitable part of the journey that I am inclined to say you SHOULD make.
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Oh most absolutely! We can’t possibly know where the bumpers are until we actually bump into them. And it gives us appreciation for just how far we really can go in EITHER direction without consequence.
Like, along with a period of pushing to the limit into the red as hard as we can, times spent doing as little as possible and seeing how HARD it is to lose the results of all that hard work allow us to be a little less full of anxiety when we have to take a few weeks off due to life.
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Wholeheartedly agree, mate.
In general, and I know I have said this before in some capacity, but a lot of things you were talking about years ago, that I found hard to believe or even reckless back then, I now revisit and find myself agreeing with. Not only because I am older and so much more experienced now but funnily enough even from a professional stand point as a (hardcore evidence based) health care provider (physio) and exercise science graduate.
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30/07/25
AI overlords
A1) OHP: 20, 40, 50, 60, 65kg x 5, 55kg x 8 x 2 sets
A2) Angled grip chins: 5 x 6 sets + 15 (amrap on the last set)
B1) Inc DB press: 25, 30kg x 10, 30kg x 8
B2) seated cable row: 80, 90, 100kg x 10
C1) DB lat raises: 7.5kg x 15 x 3
C2) straight arm pulldown: 40kg x 15 x 3
Done first thing, fasted. I don’t love training full stop, I like it even less when it’s in the morning, but schedule dictates today.
AI programmed some curls and pulldowns but my elbow said no.
Morning weight 192.5 - apparently I’m down 7.5lbs in 9 days, that’s the easy weight lost anyway, the harder part now, but:
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Rhodes, impressive.
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Who needs 'em? I’m fatter than I’d like but my arms are as big as ever based on my measurements and I never do direct arm work anymore. I’d say I hit arms about once every 6 to 8 weeks. I hear they say chins activate the biceps better than curls anyway.
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