Good choice!
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No way, you were crushing it when you were underway. Iām trying my best to get 1% daily. Weāll see if it pays off when I step on that pier on RTHP.
1 Like
Gym 20jun24
Floor press: 185x3, 205x3, 215x3, 225x3, 235x3, 245x3, 255x1, 260x1
Incline bench: 135x8, 155x8, 165x8, 175x8, 185x7, 135x11
Seated cable row: 115x12, 115x12, 115x13
Lat pulldown: 145x10, 145x10, 145x10
V bar pushdown: 80x15, 100x15, 120x15, 135x12, 150x9
Lying y raise: 10x15, 10x15, 10x15
Preacher curl: 45x12, 55x12, 65x10, 65x7
Conditioning: 20 min bike
Notes:
- floor press went well. Early sets had me worried, bar was moving slow. Figured out it was just me learning the movement again, and then it felt good. 245x3 actually moved solidly, was debating going for a heavier triple but wanted to leave at least some room for growth.
- Screw pre-workout, nothing makes me work harder in the gym than a group of my sailors talking shit while I lift lol.
- On that note, I hit up smelling salts today for the first time in years. Totally unnecessary, but some of my sailors had a bottle that they were all messing around with, and they talked me into it. Did I use that for the floor press? Nope. Incline? Nope. Did I hit smelling salts prior to preacher curls? Absolutely haha
- Went lighter with my cable rows, used a MAG grip, loved it. Great lat pump.
- Hit a hard wall after that. Running on 4 days with less than 4 hours of sleep a night, just feeling beat down. Should be able to sleep a solid 8 hours tonight, and I am very excited lol.
- Long workout today. Honestly, largely because I had some free time, and works been stressful, so I wanted a little undisturbed time. On the plus side, maybe the first time preacher curls have ever felt good, I like the angle of the bench at our gym.
11 Likes
Gym22jun24
Squat stance good morning: 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 255x3, 275x3, 290x3, 305x3 (PR), 320x1, 340x1 (PR)
Front squat: 135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 185x5, 185x5, 205x5
Leg curl: 90x15, 110x12, 110x10
Leg extension: 100x15, 120x12, 130x12, 145x12
Ab wheel: 15, 15, 15
20 minutes in the sauna
Notes:
- back on land, got home late last night.
- Caught a cold, very minor, only real effect is the pressure buildup in my head feels absolutely nuts when Iām straining. Feels like my top toe of teeth are about to just shoot out.
- Good mornings felt strong af, but I definitely spent myself on these. Feeling absolutely dead after, and the power bar just tore apart my upper back.
- Front squats feeling pretty decent, especially since no knee sleeves, and doing these after maxing out good mornings.
- I like pairing good mornings and front squats, as I feel like are opposite approaches for me to build my squat. Iām definitely hip dominant, weak quads. So the good morning is going āfuck those tiny quads, weāre gonna make your posterior chain so juicy that quads donāt matterā, while front squats go āhey, if the quads are the weak point of your squat, how about we actually give you some quads?ā
- Meal prepping today, and Iām so damn excited to get away from ship food lol. Especially this last underway, the food was a disaster. Nothing like medium rare chicken breast. IFYKYK
- No conditioning today, pushing the gym enough with all this congestion. Hit the sauna to try a get a little sweat going on
12 Likes
I got frozen āfriedā chicken yesterday so that was cool. I canāt wait to fire up the grill and rice cooker when I get home.
2 Likes
I take it the macros are slightly different if theyāve been fried? Little bit of fat added? Iām not a fan of frozen chicken breasts but may give pre-fried ones a go if I can find some local!
@atlas13 Iām with you on the posterior/anterior strength thing. I once got to the point I was lifting 500lb off the floor, and low bar squatting ~330lbs x 5 but struggled with front squats even just 165lbs. My quads are still junk compared to my posterior but Iām doing more high-bar now after an extended lay-off.
2 Likes
Oh yeah these are precooked breaded and āfriedā bone in chicken breasts. Which are baked due to our ships not having fryers on them. (Fire hazards)
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Speak for yourself! We actually still have deep fryers onboard, evidently they are the last ones in the Navy. Makes for some extra tasty, and extra I unhealthy food.
They are being taken out next yard period though
1 Like
LUCKY!!
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Gym 23jun24
Bench: 140x10, 150x10, 160x10, 160x10, 170x10
Db Inc bench: 55x8, 65x8, 70x8, 80x9
Assisted Pullup: 112x10, 112x10, 103x10, 95x10, 86x10, 78x10, 61x6, 112x16
Incline rolling db tricep extension: 30x12, 35x12, 40x12
Incline db curl: 15x15, 15x15, 15x15
Seated db clean: 20x20, 20x15, 20x13
Conditioning: 20 min bike
Notes:
- bench moved well. Going to keep alternating between adding weight on the latter sets vs the earlier ones. Not trying to hit a 10RM here, but rather increase total tonnage across all sets over time. I figure if I go from ramping to 170x10, to just straight 5x10x170, then Iāve definitely gotten stronger. This is all definitely still submax work though, not saying itās easy but I could have eaked out a few more reps at 170 if really digging into the tank. This style worked great for me doing juggernautai, so hopefully combining this volume day with my ME day earlier in the week will lead to some good gains.
- Time for me to swap out good mornings. Been a month doing them, and Iāve definitely gotten a ton stronger on the movement, but my spine takes a beating. Not my erectors, I swear my actual spine. Popping and cracking like crazy, needs a break. I do think Iāll keep some good mornings on my squat day, but Iāll do those lighter and beltless. Thinking high bar trap bar pulls for my ME movement for the next few weeks.
- The lat pulldown was taken, so I did some assisted pull-ups. Not sure how I feel about these. I can still do regular pull-ups easily enough, but Iām trying to focus more on squeezing my back exercises. You have to stay annoying vertical on this machine, which is different for me than usual pull-ups where I have a small amount of rowing motion to it. That being said, lats absolutely lit up. Iām honestly not sure how I feel about it. Not sure if itās helping me get a good training stimulus, or if Iām just flexing my back a lot without really taxing the muscles as much. Maybe something to play with.
10 Likes
Gym 26JUN24
Squat: 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 285x3, 285x3, 285x3, 285x3, 285x3, 285x3, 285x3, 285x3, 285x3, 285x6
Beltless Straight leg deadlift: 225x8, 250x8, 275x8, 295x6
Leverage squat: bwx13, 30x12, 60x7
Cable crunch: 50x20, 65x15, 65x15, 72x15
Conditioning: 15 min elliptical.
Notes:
- squats moved great. Form was tight, reps were fast. Did a few extra on the last set. Nothing close to failure, cut the set as soon as I noticed any bar slowing at all, which is saying something given how fast my earlier sets were moving. If I was grinding out, definitely had a ton of reps in the tank. Happy with the submax work on my squat at the moment.
- Never tried to move weight on straight leg deadlifts before, I think this is my third time ever trying them at all. Also wearing squat shoes for some extra challenge. I like the movement. I am MUCH less explosive this way, but I feel an amazing contraction in my erectors, especially mid back, which seems the point. Hamstrings on fire as well.
- Iām kind of sick, slight fever and a wicked cough. I have been sick more in the last year than in any time in my life. Iāve also never slept as little as I have in the past year. The two are related. My body just doesnāt fight off anything anymore, a far cry from my perfect attendance days through both high school and college.
- On that note, I was pretty shot after the deadlifts. Mucus running down my throat, hacking like a smoker, lungs shot. The leverage squats were mainly limited by my breathing to be honest.
- Conditioning felt like death. Sick enough that Iām winded walking up a flight of stairs, so output wasnāt great here, but I wanted to do something to get my heart going even if just for a little while.
@cdep89 dude, I totally wrote a response earlier, but I guess the reception at sea never sent it through. My bad. But I totally relate. Iām actually in a similar spot now, probably good for around 500 off the floor, can hit 350x5 low bar, but front squats are just an absolute nightmare for me. If I push it, I can front squat not entirely pathetic numbers, but watching the lift, I pitch forward and basically have the mechanics of a back squat while just holding the bar to my neck for dear life lol. Not sure if a bicep pump from front squats itās considered idealā¦
Fun random tidbit. We got a new supply officer onboard my ship a few weeks back. I found out after, overnight, the snack line switched from granola bars and pop tarts to fruit, tuna, and beef jerky. I liked the guy already. Well I actually met him yesterday, and he is a MONSTER of a man. Just yoked to the damn gills, competitive bodybuilder. I looked him up on Instagram and the first post I saw was of him 4 months ago pulling an 800lb deadlift. Eight. Hundred. Pounds.
The dude is an absolute tank, and I aspire to that lol.
13 Likes
A few more ramblings.
- I really enjoy this style of training. Iām excited to hit the gym. The ME days have me slightlyā¦. I donāt want to say anxious, because thatās not the right word, but more of in a slightly heightened state of excitement and readiness. Similar feeling to prior to a wrestling, though admittedly no where near as intense. The volume upper body day feels like a tonic, and the pump is fun without taking too much out of me, while the DE squats are letting me just hammer reps and sets while tuning my form. Now, does this approach work well for me? No idea yet. But itās fun, thatās for sure.
- I also feel like doing this as written ALA Dave Tates guide on elitefts, ends up absolutely hammering the posterior chain while almost completely ignoring quads, which makes complete sense if you consider the background of west side and geared lifting. Iām definitely already noticing the extra work, but I do need to make sure I hammer my quads a bit too since Iām not in the suit.
- Stress and Sleep are both hitting some pretty rough points. Iām handling it fine, I do a pretty good job compartmentalizing it all, so itās not a āconcernā of mine as in āam I alright?ā But rather itās more āI have these objective factors that are hindering recovery and general health.ā The end is in sight, so nothing to do but grit the teeth and keep moving, but I am excited for a chance to live something closer to a normal work life.
- I know Iāve joked about making an āinappropriate lifting musicā instagram before where I post my lifts with whatever random song I have playing in the background during that time, but todays really takes the cake and I wanted to share the background to my squats
https://youtu.be/PSxpL_UG8I4?si=zB94aKuQEIx-utlB
A staple with my Irish grandmother lol, I remember singing this song as a kid having absolutely zero context.
8 Likes
I noticed the same thing with conjugate for me. ME days Iām thinking and visualizing the lift all day before I get to the gym. DE stuff Iām ready to explode with each rep. All the bodybuilding stuff gets me in shape and gets me a pump while letting me keep off old injuries
Greg panora does raw conjugate coaching stuff. He has a train for a week free thing on instagram. Itās worth it to see how he sets stuff up. Also you can get conjugate club free for a week to see how westside styles stuff now. Thereās more quad work lol
2 Likes
Heh. Same here. I havenāt front squatted in a long time but as soon as I would start getting to the important reps my posterior would want to take overā¦ which of course meant not being as upright as needed and turning it into a horrible attempt using my delt and biceps to stop it from rolling forward.
1 Like
Figuring this out in 2008 after trying to train EXACTLY like āDave Tate and those Westside Guysā was like the kind of gut punch I felt as a kid when I realized that pro-wrestling was staged, haha.
1 Like
Gym 27jun24
Floor press: 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 205x3, 220x3, 230x3, 240x3, 250x2
Incline bench: 155x8, 165x8, 175x8, 185x8, 195x4, 135x16
Cable row: 120x12, 120x12, 120x12, 120x15
Lat pulldown: 130x8, 100x15, 100x15
Lat raise: 20x15, 20x15, 20x15, 20xburnoit
Tricep pushdown: 42.5x20, 50x15, 50x15, 50x15
Alt db curl: 20x12, 25x12, 30x12, 35x8
Notes:
- floor press moved pretty well. Failed 250x3, but it was close, and I think I may have had it if I didnāt go for 240x3 first. Happy over all, didnāt hit any new weights, but the sets working up were consistently heavier, and moved well.
- Incline felt good. Happy with 185x8
- Idk what was up with this lat pulldown, but gravity is extra strong. 130x8 was a damn max, and felt like it was lifting me out of the seat at the bottom. Weird.
- Realizing I get nothing out of pushing weight on pushdowns, but if I go slow and light I get a contraction so hard that I end up unable to straighten my arm due to cramping. I feel like thatās probably a better hypertrophy stimulus.
@freshyfresh that captures my thoughts on it exactly. Iāll have to check our Panoras stuff, see if I can steal some new ideas.
@cdep89 lol, you know exactly the style Iām talking.
I will not accept this kind of unsubstantiated libel in my log!
9 Likes
Gym 29jun24
High hand trap bar deadlift: 155x10, 245x5, 295x3, 335x3, 385x3, 425x3, 475x3, 505x3, 520x3, 540x1 (PR), 550x1 (better PR)
Leg press: 5ppsx15, 5ppsx15, 5ppsx15, 5pps x15
Seated leg curl: 115x12, 115x12, 115x10
Ab wheel: 20, 20, 20
Leg extension: 100x15, 120x15, 145x13, 155x13
Notes:
- major struggle just holding onto the bar. This trap bar has the fatter handles, and I didnāt bring chalk. For whatever reason I was finding it tough to strap in, kept feeling like I was going to lose the bar.
- You want proof deadlifts are full body? My damn pec started to cramp after that 540 set lol
- I love the open trap bars, if for no other reason than they are just so much better to load.
- 550x1 was harder than hell, if the goal is āstrain,ā then I definitely checked the box with this one
- When I get off this ship for good and actually have consistent gym access, I am going all in on leg press. Looking back, my squat never grows half as well as when Iām consistently hitting this. I think itās a prime mover of squat strength for me, and easy as hell to progress on. Iāll use it when I have access for now, but definitely coming back to this in the future.
- This day always takes me a while. ME upper doesnāt, but thatās probably due to how much stronger my lower body is, so it takes me more time to get up to my working weights, and more rest between sets. Still, this is the only day that takes me more than 50ish minutes
- (Temporarily) robbed a Walmart today. Went to the self checkout. Scanned all my items, bagged em, and then just walked out without paying for a thing. Got all the way to my car before I realized I was forgetting a step. Ran back in and had a very awkward conversation about how I accidentally stole, and would like to now pay. Teenage Walmart worker said āI canāt believe you came back. I wouldnāt come back. Hell, I donāt think weād even notice to be honest.ā I still paid lol
13 Likes
This is because you are a good human.
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Iām sure thereās an evil version of you in another dimension named Atlooter.
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@tlgains @QuadQueen on principle, I will never steal anything less than $500,000.
Now over that? I feel like we move from the category of āstealingā to āheist,ā and if you pull off a heist, you really did put in an honest amount of work for the payoff, so itās really just a high risk investment strategy. Bonus points if the heist also involves the Declaration of Independence
6 Likes