Haha well now you’ve run out of excuses…and since you’re lacking a sled for 531 - it seems the only logical choice!
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531 will be next year.
I’m losing weight right now so Deep Water is a hard pass. I might try and squeeze another challenge program in before the end of the year though, so Deep Water is a possibility.
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Thinking ahead I realise Brian calls for a deload and testing week but I’m not sure from his videos how these are set up, any smart folks on here got any thoughts?
Testing over two weeks assuming week 4 you run two lifts (deads Monday, ohp Saturday?) at 1rm of comp stance, deload and run the next wave and do the same testing week at the end with squat and bench?
Deload just keep same work pattern just keep it to 50/60%?
Also just found out my trap bar is 27kg not 25kg, I’m therefore 2kg stronger… This changes everything!!!
So I bought a personalised program from Brian and the deload was basically the speed/dynamic reps of Dark Horse (EMOM 10x3 @ 50% or so). This was one upper and one lower each day twice a week with an easy day of conditioning in the middle. So Monday DL/OHP, Weds light conditioning and Fri squat/bench for example.
The testing week was actually two weeks. So you do your upper body max attempt, then a few days later a lower body, then a few days later the second upper body and finally the second lower body. These maxes were followed by 3x5 @ 80% of new max with a single antagonist movement instead of a full giant set.
Not sure if that is how he would program for Dark Horse specifically, but there you go. TBH the fact that he doesn’t mention this in any program videos would indicate it isn’t super important. If you have your own usual deload and testing protocol then do that.
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Thanks @mattjp that’s super helpful, think I’ll run it wave 1 - deload, wave 2 - 2 weeks testing, deload. Running the tests the way you describe.
Was the deload literally just 10 min emom? (I’ll probably be grateful if that by the time deload week rolls around!)
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Yeah I’m pretty sure it was just the EMOM stuff. Maybe some small amount of conditioning as well.
Music to my ears!
Week 2 day 2:
Conditioning:
10 mins - 20 secs rower sprint, 10 secs rest 20 sec kB swing (double handed) 16kg, 10 sec rest - bum, hams and forearms got a pump off this, everything hurt a bit, lower back was a bit leery.
Gs1:
Pendlay row - 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 105kg X 3
Low Inc bench - 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 105 X 3
Hanging knee raises X 5 - 6 sets
Burpees X 5 - 6 sets
Gs2:
Pendlay - 82.5kg X 10, 8, 8
Low Inc bench - 82.5kg X 10, 8, 8
Hkr - 5 X 3
Burpees 5x3
Emom - ohp 30kg + blue bands 3 X 10
No accessories were worked on this day.
Wasn’t expecting this to be fantastic, got a call out between 2am and 5am this morning so a bit sleep deprived, plus a super stressful and busy day but worked out well.
Not sure if it’s conditioning improving, mental fortitude increasing or learning the pace of the program or a mixture of the three but today wasn’t horrific - don’t get me wrong I sweated through my t-shirt entirely and on the pendlay rows volume work I thought I might vomit on the bar, but time wise I kept 2 mins and under on rest until top set of three and even volume work was only 3 mins rest between sets. One day I might make it to the accessories!
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@Voxel Not much to tell, I’m a fire fighter (retained - so on call, 120 hours per week) which involves 2 hours training, usually running through drills/scenarios.
Week 2 day 3, squats
Before I start - this day can do one, it’s been a jerk to me! Started with 2 hours of sleep because my wife got taken to A&E with breathing difficulties (back home recovering nothing sinister) followed by a full day of work, running round after kids, I’d normally train around 4ish when I finish work, but due to wife being in bed had to sort kids dinner and get them to bed, got into gym and the flipping pager went off before top set… So my very truncated work for the day:
Conditioning:
Treadmill 7.5mins (was going to go for 10 but my shoe laces came undone and one I’d stopped I wasn’t going to go again, not for a treadmill) ran at 8mph for 5 mins.
Gs1 and only:
kB swings - 24kg X 6 X 5 sets
Front squat - 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 X 1
Ab roll 6 X 4 sets
Banded twisty things 6 X 4 sets
Pager went of just before I unracked the 120, so I shut it off and rushed the squat, stupid idea - paid the price it felt like absolute crap, but I knew my session ended there and despite my crappy day I was sort of looking forward to training.
I have never gone heavy on FS so no idea what I’m capable of I was kind of hoping 140/150, but not sure after that performance - but a lot of mitigating circumstances that make that a proper turd of a session. Frustrating because it’s a big day in the program 1rm and squats which are a fairly good lift for me.
Ah well life happens. Side note - for squats put sleeves on before cardio - couldn’t get them over calves when warm…
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Pwo ate half a pack of chocolate digestives in anger at the station. Now about to eat fajitas at 10pm.
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#cleaneating
Ah, cool. I’ve been planning to leave my desk job behind to become one.
Ah, nice how competitive is it to get in over there? (You in Denmark or am I getting that confused?)
Over here joining is crazy hard to do, sheer number of applications Vs positions available. Retained is normally slightly easier but still took me years!
Keep me posted on how you get on, it’s a great job!
Haha you know it! I am planning on cleaning up the diet - I don’t always eat like an unattended 5 year old, honest.
I don’t know. The city I live in is planning an additional two fire stations with one on the horizon so I think there’s a large need. We’ve also had unprecedented wildfires so they’re building capacity.
Sweden.
Really want to feel when I retire a lifetime from now I did something to be proud of.
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That’s really great, over here it’s been years of cutbacks, which I can’t ever see being reversed, so good on Sweden, and hopefully that significantly increases your chances.
It’s definitely an eventful career path and one I’m sure you wouldn’t regret (although there is some unpleasant sides to the job, and that can have knock on effects - PTSD is higher than average in Firefighters).
Is there anyway you can volunteer or go along to the station to get some exposure to their drills and training?
That’s such an admirable attitude.
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Those are some excellent suggestions. What I’ve been able to gather is they have interviews and selections in the fall and you get to intern during the summer. Training on the job. I’ll see if there are alternate paths.
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One of the biggest aspects of firefighting is the team mentality, assuming this is the same for Sweden, (can’t see any reason why not); it definitely helps over here to (with permission obviously) show up regularly and really get to know people and the bits of the job you can get hold of without leaving the station - there’s a huge range of kit on a fire appliance - and at 3am when you’ve been ripped from deep sleep and thrown into a life or death situation familiarity with the kits is massive.
Getting to know terminology, kit, general mentality will stand you in good stead in interviews - it’ll show you are more committed than others and have put the time in even without promise of a job.