I recently found out that my bar is 40 pounds, not 45. I’m still not over that.
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Holy crap Moses Itauma - absolute star.
30/03/26 - 205
Mobility and walk 
Supposed to train, but had a lot of stress over the weekend and carrying on into today, felt a sense of general malaise, so didn’t force myself, got a clearish week so have enough room to manoeuvre.
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04/04/26 - 204
Apparently I didn’t manoeuvre, plenty of good reasons why, but the fact remains I didn’t train at all this week. That’s poor.
The primary reason has to be really, prioritisation, I didn’t prioritise training. I have a comp in exactly 10 weeks - it’s not good enough to be taking a whole week off at this stage.
I think a big issue is still not enjoying training, it’s hard to prioritise things you don’t like, I’m going to do some work on my attitude towards training. I’m going to start by switching out programs, as much as I’ve appreciated 531 forever as a book (good info and reminders and plenty of good stuff for the future) I can’t say I’m fully bought into it right now and I’m getting the itch to change.
I’m going to run 45 Masters again, with the intention of hitting all 5 sessions each week, so that I’m done within 9 weeks, giving time for a deload (if I feel it necessary) before the comp.
In order to make the 9 weeks work I’m going to have to stop making excuses and start making it work, if that means training at times when I don’t normally train so be it. The primary goal of the next 10 weeks is finishing 45 Masters, nothing else just that, everything else will just be icing on the cake.
Is it the perfect prep plan? Probably not, but an average plan perfectly executed beats a perfect plan poorly executed. The goal is to make sure it isn’t an average plan, poorly executed.
(Edited to add, I just bought Jamie Lewis’ ebook bundle, I’m thinking that Juggeryoke might be after the comp, inspired by @BrandonCrawford)
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Excited to see you tackle this! Get it done!!
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Right there with you, mate—misery loves company.
You’re gonna kill it!
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.
You two are helping nudge me towards taking a walk today. It’s Easter Sunday and I’m bloated from all the delicious food.
Read this and had a thought…
And then you said it yourself. I give BSS or RFESS credit for what little glutes I have. I think I was born with that Hank Hill rear discussed above, but using a barbell and working up to 225 lbs on these did the trick. Not fun, but effective.
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06/04/26 - 203.
No more excuses.
45M wave 1, block 1, day 1
Deadlifts:
60kg x 5
100, 120, 140, 160kg x 3
180kg x 2
Ab rollout: 5 x 5 sets (superset)
20 mins start to finish, immediately into:
Deadlifts
145kg x 2 x 10 sets - EMOM
Brief moment to breath and record this.
Finisher:
Gorilla rows: kg x 5 e/s
Rev lunges: kg x 10 e/s
Long lever plank X 20 secs, 20 secs, 35 secs
Maximum rounds in 10 mins - 3 rounds with liberal, but necessary breathing between rounds.
Good start to the program, top set of deads, first rep got very slightly out in front, but pulled it regardless, second rep wasn’t too bad, but learning from maturity (i.e. previous stupidity) and thinking about Jim’s focus on clean reps and bar speed (and Brian’s actually when you listen to various things from him, perfect practice makes perfect, you’re either ingraining good reps or bad reps, choose good ones etc) I chose not to fight for the 3rd, the program actually says 2-3 reps, so still on point.
Volume I kept on the lighter end (80-85% range I got 81%) and kept the reps on the lower range just to ensure really good reps and no back issues. Solid work that felt like I was getting better each set, been a while since I did a conventional deadlift.
Finisher - typical Brian torture. I tweaked the movement so rev lunges instead of stepping lunges (for my knees sake) and used the same DBs for rows as I did lunges, I could easily row more but it’s just simpler, maybe next time I’ll switch them up, or just get better lungs and leg endurance!
Good session overall.
Mobility was done, walk will be done after lunch.
Lets keep this up for 10 more weeks (and beyond), no more excuses.
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no more excuses.
This is such an excellent name for a training block.
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Thanks, appreciate the support, God willing and with everything inside my control I’m going to do this program, and I’m going smash it out of the park and I’m going to tell myself that I’m enjoying it the whole through, like McDonald’s, I’m loving it!
That can be my entire through to marathon (October) training block!
Need to get nutrition in check as well
Yea for sure, I’ve felt this before BSS give me butt DOMs, even the reverse lunges today were felt in glutes and hams.
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No excuses - 07/04/26 - 206 (bump from Indian Takeaway last night).
Mobility and walk
45M W1 B1 D2
Axle OHP (Clean first rep of every set)
28, 48, 58, 68kg x 4 reps
S/s
DB uppercut: 10kg x 5 e/s x 4 sets
Just under 10 mins
Axle OHP (Clean first rep of every set)
48kg x 4 x 10 sets EMOM
Finisher
DB presses: 10kg DBs x 30 seconds
Waiter walks: 10kg x 30 secs (15 e/s)
Cable facepulls: 20kg x 30 secs
30 secs rest
Repeat x 5
All done within the time limits, and even under it on the main movement.
I’m taking the axle from the floor from this run through because that’s in my comp (and watching @simo74’s vids, I suddenly realised I have no idea how to continental, might be useful, or if I can just clean and press, I think my comp weight is 80kg, so I’ll be ok, but practice, will probably go push press on the heavy pressing day, this is “medium”).
The EMOM was good, I have an appreciation for EMOMs for getting a lot of work done in a short period of time, but a dislike of them for always going into a set fatigued. But I’m enjoying the change of pace of this program already, short sharp sessions are good.
The finisher is straight up nasty, I remember it from my last run through, so I went light on the DBs, it makes no odds you still end up destroyed after the first round then finding yourself a slave to the timer until you finish another 4 rounds. I didn’t count anything in round 1 & 2, by rounds 3-5 I’d basically done micro rest pauses in sets, so I’d hit 5 reps of OHP or face pulls, break for a few mouthfuls if air and go again, got 15 reps for each of the last 3, so counting managed to stop any further decline from the previous sets.
It’s sunny, warm even, I’ve ticked off another session - I’m loving it!
No excuses.
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If you can easily clean the weight then there is nothing saying you have to use continental clean. I switched to it for a comp last year after talking with @T3hPwnisher. In my comp it was a rising axle so each rep got heavier, the switch to continental was to allow me to save energy from the clean and use it in the press.
What axle press event do you have in comp ?
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It’s a max reps 80kg floor to overhead (you can do 60kg, but won’t even bother with that), need to take the axle outside so I can check out 80kg axle cleans (can’t use 20kg plates inside the garage haven’t got the clearance). I did 90kg on a barbell a few months back no problems and 68kg today, so I’m hopeful that it’ll be fine to get into position.
Also booking opened for the marathon I was intending to do this morning, so that’s signed up for now as well, I hate running with a passion…but no excuses!
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So do you need to clean rep ? If you do then the grip for the clean may be an issue in later reps. If you are going to continental clean also check the rules around whether belt cleans are allowed or not. Some comps like you to have the bar above the belt when you transition the continental clean, others don’t care.
Event description:
Not clearly stated in the rules RE the belt, I’ll give it a practice run soon and see how the fatigue is with cleaning and if that fails before pressing then I’ll try continental.
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08/04/26 - 206
Mobility and walk
DOMs is apparent in glutes and hams (and upper/mid back), which is positive, definitely got some work on those neglected areas, but yea it’s lower body DOMs so sitting on the toilet is a challenge.
I’ve been eating big (and for extra encouragement to @BethB I’ve strung two good days of eating together).
I got philosophical on this mornings walk, it’s sunny, warm and just a delight to be out in, I get to walk by a little stream with birds singing overhead (I am incredibly blessed).
But it got me thinking about how all of this is viewed via narrative in my own head, and actually I just need to stop letting circumstances dictate the narrative and really just consistently tell a positive narrative.
My walk followed on from my mobility, which I do whilst listening to worship music, this morning a song came on which I hadn’t heard in ages, but knew the story behind (Worship Together | Miracles - Song Story) it’s a song born out of tragedy and yet if you didn’t know the story it wouldn’t be obvious that is the case. I think this fed into the whole narrative thought process. In more trite words, life is what you make of it.
No excuses and in tribute and response to @BethB today is a good day!
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There is no doubt that there are times that circumstances can be overwhelming. However, I’ve always been amazed at how much you can change how you feel based on your perspective.
How very lovely.
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I love a good walk picture. It’s crazy how years ago “walking” used to be a chore or something I just had to do “for the dogs”. Now the partner and I try and spend all our free time discovering cool bits of nature to explore and admire.
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Yup, I’m not without my fair share of grumpy or negative moments but I can actually choose to not be, sometimes I’m grumpy or frustrated and that’s appropriate, but must keep in mind it’s a choice either way (on the whole) very few things in life are really that bad, personally speaking.
Indeed!
That’s awesome! Fresh air, quality time, nature and vitality!
I decided to take the train to the office today, squeezed in an extra 2 miles getting to the station and back, vitamin d, steps and saved money!
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09/04/26 - weight no idea
0600 alarm, 0615 out the door and running a mile to the prayer meeting, pray, drink a litre of black coffee, 0735 running a mile back.
Wasn’t sure how this was going to go, in karate yesterday there was a warm up exercise, that’s heels together atg squat up and push back into a GM/RDL position, the squat did something nasty to my knee and I was hobbling yesterday evening. The run was fine, hoping it won’t cause any issues for training later - I’ll find a way even if it’s being a little bitch, no excuses.
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