Dude you look unreal!
Look who’s talking! Thanks though, definitely means something coming from you.
Sets of 20 is hell. I’ll stick to me sub 5s lel
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Week 3 day 1 - oh crap there’s 3 more weeks of this, what have I done?!
Simultaneously harder and easier than than the first Monday. Easier because I added half my chin ups to the cardio which made lifting a bit easier, and harder because 155kg 5x5 isn’t that easy surprisingly (well for me anyway).
Conditioning:
7mph run stop every 2 mins, do 10 chin ups carry on! (No resting as such but after the second set I rest paused briefly on chins).
Giant set 1:
Chins - 5 X 5
kB swing - 24kg X 3 X 5 sets
Squats - 60, 80, 100, 120, 140kg X 5
Chins - 5 X 5
Giant set 2:
kB swing - 24kg X 3 X 5 sets
Squats - 155kg X 5 X 5 sets
Ab rolls - 5 X 5 sets
Giant set 3:
Press - 47.5, 55, 60kg X 5, 47.5kg X 10
Dips - 25 X 4
Banded face pulls - 25 X 4 (red)
I seriously didn’t want to train today, massive act of willpower just to “turn up” … Mondays suck. Squats sucked the life out of me, I thought from first set through I’m not sure I can do this, not sure I’ve got it in me, just kept going to the bar and doing the work though, screw that voice in my head, same happened at 55kg ohp I really thought I might fail 60kg, almost skipped dips on 55kg to give extra recovery but then realised I had plenty left in me and my head can just shut up. Got it done.
I had 153.42kg as my top set for squat - but rounded up rather than down (actually put 152.5kg on bar then had words with myself and changed it), might have been a mistake, 160kg 5 X 5 in 3 weeks time sounds unpleasant.
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But did you die though?
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Mondays do suck. They don’t get any easier. Just 3 more to go!
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I was glad Mondays were on Mondays, because it was the ONE big hurdle each week you had to get over. Once it was done, it was done.
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Only mentally (a very small part of me briefly considered that injury might be nice to avoid the rest of this program).
Yup, definitely getting that in my head now, I won’t be in a hurry to repeat this program.
I’m holding on to this.
@T3hPwnisher yes definitely appreciating this but the 20 rep squat and 10 sets of press (cleaned each set, why did I listen to you?!) on Friday aren’t a walk park - but it all seems delightful in comparison to Mondays at least!
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I once read a strongman program and really liked the instructions on intensity for farmer’s walks: " there should be no drops but you should wish to blow out a knee so you can call it a day". Sounds like it’s up your alley!
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Dying is not an excuse to quit!
Seriously though you’re doing well. Keep it up. Nothing worth while was easy.
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Haha, yes sounds like my type of program! Although I’m thinking after this something a little less intense after BtM, but then again I’m wanting to try high rep deadlifts so who knows?!
Masochist!
A young fire fighter I knew had terminal cancer, found very late given a month to live, survived 18 months in the end and watched him work as hard if, not harder than anyone else during those months right up until the last month when he couldn’t leave the hospice bed.
Reminds me that my excuses are a steaming pile, and even dying isn’t an excuse!
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Absolute inspiration.
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Yeap - I learnt this a long time back. Forgot it and then I relearnt it recently over lock down. I mean I didn’t get really sick or anything. But its easy to find a reason not to. You got to find a reason why!
PS - condolence mate. Never pleasant seeing someone pass. And when they are younger its twice as hard.
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I love having squats on a Monday. I always feel like if I can get through that session the rest of the week will be a breeze. That looked like a serious squat session mate. Very nice work.
Yea life doesn’t care about your excuses, your job doesn’t care about your excuses, the mortgage doesn’t care about your excuses, your health doesn’t care about your excuses, it doesn’t matter how genuine they are they basically mean you’ve not done what you set out to do, so grow a pair and get on with it.
Yup, young with family, really harrowing, death sucks.
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Thanks Simo, it was indeed a massive session, I love low volume work, so 5x5 is beyond my comfort, but improvements aren’t made by being comfortable.
That being said - update on spinning my wheels my weight has dropped back to 208 so I’m wasting my time by eating badly (changed peanut butter on toast for peanut butter in a shake cos it’s easier, thrown chocolate in the evenings instead of more real food because it’s easier. That stops today, going months on end and staying/looking the same despite giving 100% in training is not acceptable, my primary goal might be strength based but even that isn’t moving at a satisfactory rate and gaining mass will solve that. Today all excuses end - hard work in the kitchen and the gym, every single day, no rest, I will finish this program at minimum 210 (as a steady everyday weight), if it’s more and it’s fat then so be it.
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How long left?
Love the mentality. Convienice kills when it comes to nutrition in all regards (fat loss, muscle gain, health, etc). Recognizing that is key, and then acting to correct. I suppose I’m stealing that from a 12 steps program, but if it works, it works.
You’ve shown you’re smart enough to know how to make this work, so please don’t take any offense when I offer you tips as though you don’t already know this, but google “elitefts mountain dog diet bulking” for a great article on convenient bulking foods that are still semi healthy. Quick summary is instant oatmeal in protein shakes, processed cereal post workout, honey, high fat meats, fruit and coconut flakes.
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