I think for some (this was me) training for a purpose is very helpful for sticking to the plan. My first go at one of @alpha’s programs was also leading up to the first strongman competition I did. Fortunately this was also the winter time, and in 3 months I packed on about 15lbs to weigh in at an all time high body weight day of comp.
I’ve lost a good portion of that since, but my body now compared to three months prior to that comp is quite different.
I weighed 100lbs as a 4ft 5ish 3rd grader. All the other girls were twigs. But, I was pretty strong and word got around that I could beat ppl up so no one bothered me about my weight. I lost the weight in 5th grade
That’s what I’m afraid of and I’ve yet to experience what actual hard training feels like
Seeing your conditioning workouts, I’m sure you know how to train hard
I’d gain more than someone training without drugs (https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejm199607043350101).
And you said doesn’t change biology, now you’re changing terms. I was only being facetious so don’t take me too seriously, but the reality is steroids do change your biology (bmr, protein synthesis, CNS activity, gene expression and plenty of other things).
Yeah yeah, I’m aware of this study. Seen several videos about it. Used DEXA scan, so it could be just water retention. And what if some of these guys have intense physical jobs?
You really believe, that without training, you would gain more than someone training naturally? Then how comes we have hordes of people in the pharma session complaining about having shitty gains or even nothing, despite sometimes taking astronomical dosage?
I love the conversation, but could you guys take the steroid debate into another thread 
Sorry Anna! I’ll (briefly) move over to Aldebaran’s log.
Week 8: Day 4
1 arm pushup: 3x(4/side+ 10 lever pushups/side+20 knee tuck crunch)-90sec rests
3x(6plyo pushups+12 archer pushups+12 wide pushups)-90sec rests
27min fitness blender kickboxing HIIT
Or vice versa.
Have you figured out why your knees are always sore?
Might also be good to include more rowing/pulling in your training. It’s almost non-existent compared to the constant pushup variations and burpees.
no. I just live with it. Florida sun seems to be doing wonders though. I get why it’s such a popular place for snowbirds
good suggestion. I’ll start doing rows on both upper body days
My hypothesis would be that it’s a combination of having a finite recovery ability regardless of caloric intake (which, as it is currently distributed, is inadequate on most days) and to go with that also doing 27k+ steps per day as baseline activity on top of which conditioning and weightlifting is added.
20min jog
4x(20sec kbs-25lbs+20sec high knees+20sec rest)+4x( 20sec kickboxing combo/side+20sec rest)
4x(20sec kB press -25lbs+20sec high knees+20sec rest)+4x( 20sec kickboxing combo/side+20sec rest)
4x(20sec kb step up-25lbs+20sec high knees+20sec rest)+4x( 20sec kickboxing combo/side+20sec rest)
8x(20sec row/side-25lb kb+20sec jumping jacks)-90sec rest
8x(20sec close pushups+20sec plank hip drops+20sec jumping jacks)-90sec rest
8x(20sec curls-25lb kb+40sec jumping jacks)-90sec rest
8x(20sec kb carry/arm-45lbs+20sec rest)
Week 9: Day 1
Pistols: 4x(2+3 shrimp squats/side-45lbs+6jump squats-25lbs)
Sprints: 5x(5jump squats-25lbs+10high skips+45m sprint)
Single leg RDL: 2x(8/side-45lbs+20 frog pumps+20flutter kicks)-90sec rest, 1x8/side-45lbs, couldn’t be bothered to fininsh the giant set
@dagill2 I find doing giant sets for everything is quite stressful.
Yes.
Stressful isn’t the word I’d use for myself, but I am starting to move away from it for the whole workout. What do you mean by stressful?
I feel pressured, like when I have to complete a large project with a short timeline
At what point do you feel pressured?
Just to clarify, I’m just trying to see if our experiences match, not being deliberately obtuse.
The entire way through, even on the first set and accessorysets that aren’t physically that hard
