Alex_uk: 40 years in the making

Training Training Logs
5248

Great post.

I agree with the political part. The camp mentality is inherently human trait, and in politics some turn this to 11. The consequences are not usually great.

Here it is not so bad, with the multi party system and all, but it’s still noticeable. Some people are so trenched in behind of one party that it seems almost like a religion.

And I 100% agree with modern tech. We can easily show the benefits AI, smart technology and social media have, but I feel the cons overweight the pros with quite large margin. The effects on attention span, intelligence, mental health, relationships and societies are quite awful.

Less I use any of things mentioned before, better I feel. Real meaning of life comes from simple things and people around you. One way to think of it is, that if you would be dying now and reel back your memories, I quess the time spent scrolling would not be the thing you would remember.

I also have 5/3/1 Forever. I started lifting with 5/3/1 before I started all of this powerlifting -nonsense. I think the basic idea of conjugated balance of conditioning/strength/speed/agility is something we should all search. I can tell I’m way too unbalanced with that mix currently. :grin: But that’s something I aim for in the long run.

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5249

Just want to pile on that 5/3/1 Forever is a fantastic book. I remember when it first came out, I was SHOCKED it was not $100. It lives up to it’s name: it gives you the tools to train forever. And yeah: Jim does that awful thing where his programming is reasonable and sustainable, haha.

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5250

Based on observable evidence and my own experience, the problem with this is the amount of time we put into getting bigger muscles and improved strength. We kill ourselves at the start to chase progress. If we’re lucky enough to start young, then we don’t need to worry about mobility and conditioning because we’re fresh out of school where we played regularly. I played basketball frequently throughout college without problem. Now it crushes me for a week.

I feel like it’s hard to give in order to get. I struggle to sacrifice time from the weights to spend time on mobility. I could spend more time getting my body back into running shape, but that would take away from strength training again. It seems that the barbell just has too much of a hold on me to really balance things out.

It’s still a worthy goal, but tough to fit everything together. I bet there’s a 5/3/1 template that would help…

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5251

And this exact realisation is why i made my training goal last year “do 15 531 cycles”. When i made the action the goal, rather than an outcome, it helped massively avoiding “full retard” as you eloquently called it.

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5252

You basically described me here. Hahah.

It might be a personality thing, but I like to focus more on 1-2 things at a time. Usually strength training of some kind takes the biggest chunk, but I have phases where I lift lighter and focus more on running etc.

The strength focus starts to show though, I’m well on my way to a “fat powerlifter”. I’m already waiting for the summer when I can give heavier weights a break and lose some weight.

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5253

This is wonderful. And I think it’s something for me to think on for a bit. Might be time for a change of my own.

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5254

CT wrote about four seasons of training where you prioritize one thing at a time while maintaining the rest. That’s a tough thing to do. It seems like weight training always wins out for me because it addresses two goals - how I look and performance. But I think I let the performance get a bit one dimensional. I feel like if strength is good, then I’ll be capable in the real world. But the reality is that it’s not preparing me to run, jump, or change directions quickly - just lift heavy things.

I’m at parent/teacher conferences all day today just waiting for parents to come see me. We’ve been here from 3:30-7:00pm the last two nights and I’ve met with the parents of seven people (which is a lot for me). I think I’ll have plenty of time to read up on some things. I just found CT’s blog on his ThibArmy page about the four seasons of training and it seems he’s written multiple parts. There are also bits and pieces on T-Nation.

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5255

I’ll check that out, it’s always good tp learn more.

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5256

Parent - Teacher conferences, what a joke. When I was in inner city I had two parents in four hours, then an hour commute home and back to work the next day. In better schools where I taught, the only parents that showed up did not need to be there - their kids were awesome.

In the district my kids attended, they invited parents that needed to show up first, if there were any times left, other parents could sign up. It was a good system.

My last district, we had parent - teacher night where the parents followed their kids schedule for ten minute “classes” and that worked well. We would do a short presentation about the class and the goals, show off technology, and let them get a look at us. For the parents, understanding their kids’ movement throughout the day was eye opening. We had a ten period day, 41 minute periods. They got an idea of why their kids were so stressed.

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5257

13/02/26 - 208 (all you can eat Indian with the station last night, salt oil city - bloat baby!)

LWIWWIW

Row: 10 mins super casual pace

DB RDLs:
25kg x 8 x 4 sets

Front squats:
60, 70, 80, 90, 100kg x 5
65kg x 10 x 3 sets

OHP:
40, 50, 60, 70kg x 3
50kg x 8 x 3 sets

Ez curls: 18kg x 20, 20, 15, 16
Superset
Ab rollout: bw x 10 x 4 sets

I’ve decided anything above 3 reps is vile and should be banned. This is my presidential campaign central issue, if I’m successful, they shall be outlawed immediately with death penalty for punishment, execution method front squat reps till heart gives out. My base shall be a small but mighty group of very fat powerlifters.

RDL was just me swirling around Jim’s desire for balance alongside some nasty hammy DOMs(?) from side kicks at karate, I’m stiff and almost certainly weak in my hammies, RDLs fit the bill of helping both of those issues, light and working into a deeper stretch throughout.

Front squats, just took the reps at the working weight up a little from last session, still a movement I’m rusty at, and sticking to Jim’s start light principle. Reps were vile.

OHP felt a little harder than expected, but checking my log, bench was 2 days ago, pressed the day before that, apparently I didn’t eat enough Indian, or I should have gone for a more anabolic substance, Chinese.

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5258

16/02/26 - 205.75

Weight and waist like trending upwards, quite sure that my bulking strategy of eating 50% of my cals from sugar is hurting my waistline.

I find self control harder on a bulk than a cut, so much easier to justify bad decisions when you have no limit on the amount of food you eat and don’t track, well anything at all. I realise this alone would improve what I eat, I’m just not that worried at present, that’s a future me problem for June - August, I’ll work on the (probably incorrect) assumption that it’s only a few months so won’t do too much damage.

LWIWWIW

LH TBDL:
68, 108kg x 5
148kg x 3
168, 188kg x 1 (technically a PR by virtue of never really using the low handles)
148kg x 10

Bench:
60kg x 5
80kg x 3
90, 100, 110, 120kg x 1
100kg x 12

Single arm DB Scott curl:
10kg x 15 x 4 sets
S/s
Hanging leg raises:
10 x 4 sets

Didn’t feel like it today, but had time and don’t have any tomorrow, so today it is. I forced my hand into training by necking a pre-workout: now if I don’t I’m going to have a slight tingle and maybe some energy, the psychology works even if the consequences are nil.

Went nearer the top end of stuff today, just because I’m very loosely following 531-esk progression, that and low reps are so much easier to do mentally. I’d say I had a bit more to give on the LH TBDL, I thought it turned into a full squat, but video isn’t quite as damning as I thought it might be. It’d definitely above what I’d set for my TM though.

Bench was buttery smooth (excuse the increasingly evident corpulence), was tempted to go 130, but took the smart choice to finish on a decent, non grinder.

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5259

I’ve really been appreciating Stan Efferding and Dan John in this regard that restriction doesn’t work but inclusion does. It might be helpful to approach it in this regard. Instead of “I can’t eat this”, it’s “I can definitely eat this: I just have to get in my 2lbs of meat, 2 sweet potatoes and 4 cups of rice first”

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5260

You could also trythe Zig Zag method for gaining. Where you eat to gain 5 days a week, then have 2 stricter days where you eat responsibly so you don’t get too fat and sloppy.

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5261

23/02/26 - 202

Impromptu deload (had to go to London for an appointment with way too many kids babies and luggage in tow, on public transport - never again).

Despite eating a fair amount and a fair bit of junk I still lost some weight, would have had a good step count if I counted such things.

Back to it.

LWIWWIW

DB RDL: 25kg x 10 x 4 sets
S/s
HLR: 10 x 4 sets

Front squats:
60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110kg x 3
70kg x 15

Song for top set - chokehold, seemed apropos.

Cut it short by 1 rep to keep it under 60 secs for copyright and still looks like they might have pulled it.

OHP:
40, 40, 50, 60kg x 3
70, 75kg x 1 > 50kg x 15

Ez curls: 23kg x 12 x 4 sets
S/s
Ab roll out: 10 x 4 sets

Top set of front squats was challenging but good, back off set I had 20 in mind for an amrap, but I lost brace on rep 11 and things were getting wonky position wise from then out, probably should have called it at 12, but went to 15 without incident, I absolutely could do 20, but fight another day!

OHP was a bit messed up numbering wise, but considering I’m not actually on a program, it is what I want it to be. Although I really need to finish forever and get on a program.

Wasn’t looking forward to today, I had initially thought it was bench and deads, which is much nicer, but went well considering.

Routines

I’ve successfully implemented several routines since last year, my favourite and most important is getting up at 0630 every school day with my son, and praying, going through some scripture, and then reading something that I think will help with being moulded into a good man (have done rich dad poor dad, on the hobbit now, trying to mix practical, moralistic allegories and wisdom, lined up several years of books!).

I’ve also been successful with an oral and skin routine which has helped clear up a long-standing skin issue (and oral hygiene is just mega important for health).

I’m now looking to build upon this success and add soft tissue and mobility and walking to the routines.

I realised after doing both this morning before the walk the key to my previous successes is going to be key again. Make these things simple and or short, relatively painless and as enjoyable as possible, basically everything experts have told us for decades. When trying to build new routines I always try and bite off more than I can chew or make it something masochistic, turns out smaller and easier is more likely to stick, whodathunkit.

Mobility and soft tissue will be focusing on hips, hammies and elbows for the time being, some rolling around the floor and some stretching then some movement, probably not more than 10 mins a day. Walking will be daily, but I’m not tracking distance or anything at all, just building a habit, if it’s short one day or even 10 days so be it, just start and see what happens.

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5262

This is awesome, my man. So glad to read you’ve kept this up.

My son turns 13 in just over 2 weeks, and I’m still trying to figure out his initiation. I don’t have many close friends anymore, but there are a few dudes whom I trust and want to be a part of it—just trying to figure out how to explain it to them, but I’m starting with getting them each a copy of the book.

Anyway, I don’t want to clog up your log with that, but I want to say I’m so glad to read you’ve kept that up with your son: Maybe there’s some hope for me!

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5263

haven’t been round much but just catching up, looks like you are still working hard. Seeing some nice bench numbers in here too. How’s the body feeling ?

5264

Just circling back to this, I feel like a previous analogy you used fits me quite well, I’m not someone who can moderate, I’m an abstainer. I could eat really well and very high volume of food and still manage to fit in a stupid amount of sugar. The moment I start it’s like opening Pandora’s box, whereas if I just put the box off limits and become someone who doesn’t eat sugar it becomes much easier.

This isn’t a bad idea, but I think cutting sugar will probably have me where I want to be, I’m not worried about fat gain particularly, it’s more BG levels and an unhealthy mindset in gaining phases that I need to watch out for.

What I need to remember is that the sugary stuff isn’t actually that satisfying from a pleasure perspective, the first few mouthfuls might be, but then compulsion drives overconsumption. I had a great breakfast this morning (4 eggs, 4 bacon, tin of baked beans and 2 slices of seeded wholemeal toast), it was reasonable in terms of macros and BG would be fine and it was pleasurable, at the end of it I felt satisfied - I didn’t feel compelled to cook more. That’s real eating and needs to be my every meal.

It really is, massive thanks to you for putting me on to the book, I’ve got it on my shelf to re-read again (probably in the next week or two) to refresh myself and keep focussed on it. Got the morning routine and the karate (although need to be more diligence about getting to at least 1 class per week) those two things alone are great, but I want to keep things intentional as well.

That’s exciting! I didn’t do anything specific for an initiation (he was already 13 when I started), which is a shame but not a deal breaker. I’ve yet to get the community aspect of it going, but I like your idea of giving the book to those who you’re intending to do it with. I don’t have many men around me who have boys the same age unfortunately. My thoughts are around getting friends to assist who don’t necessarily have the kids but have the skills I don’t (practical skills mainly).

Feel free to keep the discussion going, never worry about clogging my log, it’s more a meandering through midlife than a training journal (maybe I need to start each entry “dear diary”).

Yup, the consistency is still lacking but the effort isn’t, once I get the consistency right I’ll be flying!

Like a stiff old man haha, I was doing a warm up drill in karate the other day, laughing to myself about how stiff I am, like an old man. I’m taking steps to address that! Funny how lifting makes you stronger and bigger, but that’s really about all, definitely got to make an effort to balance it with mobility and conditioning!

On that note:

24/02/26 - 204

Morning mobility work - check!
Morning walk - check!

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5265

This is for me the hardest part. Back when I was doing burpees 3 days a week as well as strongman and gym, I was probably the strongest and most mobile I have been. I am super consistent with gym and my food but it seems like he conditioning always falls away. Note to self - Get better

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5266

Yea I’m with you here (without being as consistent in the kitchen and gym!).

I’m working on getting the walking and mobility cemented into routine, then I’ll tackle conditioning. Routines and habits, very powerful things, so easy to pick up bad habits, so much harder to build good routines.

On that note: 25/02/26 - 206

Mobility - check
Walk - check

Walk was about 4.5 miles split over my commute (walk to the train, walk to work from the train, walk back to train, walk from train home).

Mobility is roughly - band pull aparts, Tyler twists and reverse Tyler twists, foam roll legs hips, glutes and upper back, stretches around those areas then some more active stretches/movements.

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5267

I’m to the point where I’m struggling to add more and need to figure out how to substitute. I’ve really leaned into the sled work and tell myself it also doubles as my single-leg work. The write-up of Krypteia Redux by Matt Rhodes on Wendler’s blog talks about a day where they skip single-leg work to run sprints on a hill. I’ve let that trickle into my 5/3/1 even thought Jim never talked about it in his books.

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