29Apr25:
AM:
20 min jog, 5.3 mph
Daily work 8 rounds
5 banded pull-ups
6 pushups
6 slant board squats
6 Likes
29APR25
DE bench:
165x5
165x5
165x5
165x5
165x5
165x5
Seated DB press:
70x8 RPE 8
70x7 RPE 8
Dip:
+25x6 RPE 8
+25x6 RPE 8
Incline Tate press:
45x10 RPE 8
45x8 RPE 8
Face Pull:
65x12 RPE 9
65x12 RPE 9
Banded pushdown:
25+rr x 35ish
25+rr x 30ish
EZ bar curl:
75x13 RPE 9
75x10 RPE 9
Standing crunch:
70x15 RPE 8
70x15 RPE 8
Notes:
- bench felt good. Controlled the decent, tried to feel like a rubber band stretching tension to just explode back up
- Db press moved well, 70s definitely feeling heavier.
- Tate press felt heavy. Tried to control the bounce off the chest more. I feel like the weight I can lower with NO bounce on my chest is likeā¦25lbs, which seems to light to get the effect from this movement. I can control it pretty well until about 1-2cm off the chest, but once my hands left perpendicular to my chest, itās coming down.
10 Likes
01may25
Paused squat:
255x2
255x2
255x2
255x2
255x2
Deadlifts
135x5
225x3
315x1
365x1
405x1
455x1 RPE 8
Notes:
- squats felt good, focused on a longer pause, felt like I stayed pretty tight in here.
- Deads moved alright. Going for a top single, called it at 455. Definitely had some weight in the tank, but this was a good push. Kinda surprising to me how much heavier these feels on a power bar.
- Called it here. Had some dental work done with morning, spit out a mouthful of blood after the 455 deadlift, figured I should probably cool it before I give myself a dry socket lol.
11 Likes
03may25:
Pause bench:
135x5
135x5
185x3
205x1
225x1
240x1
250x1 (most Iāve done with a pause, but not really a PR, just a new form)
250x1
Incline JM press:
155x10 RPE 9
165x8 RPE 9
NG Db Floor Press:
80sx10 RPE 9
80sx19 RPE 9
Incline scap plane front raise:
15x20 RPE 9
15x17 RPE 9
Rear delt fly:
15x12
15x12
Incline DB curl:
25x15 RPE 9
25x14 RPE 9
Lying cable hip flexor raise:
25x15
25x15
Notes:
- bench felt good. Wasnāt sure what to expect with a pause, but strength really wasnāt that affected. Both sets at 250 seemed around RPE 8
- JM press felt decent, wrists donāt hurt but get a little janky
- Iām now limited by my DBs on floor press. Was supposed to hit the 6-8 reps, but just had more in the tank. Need to grab some heavier DBsā¦. Rep has adjustable up to 125ā¦.
13 Likes
05may25:
Squat:
360x2 RPE 6
360x2 RPE 7
360x2 RPE 7
DE sumo deadlift:
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
275x1
Supported BSS:
53lbx12 RPE 7
53lbx12 RPE 7
GHR
12
12
Deadlift row:
225x8 RPE 8
225x8 RPE 8
Superset:
Seated cable row: 135x12, 135x12
GHD sit-up: 15, 15
Notes:
- squats felt alright. First set felt the worst technique wise, think I maybe should have done another warmup set before jumping to 360. The next two sets felt better. Never done multiple sets above 350 before, so thatās neat. (Then again hardly ever done doubles, so itās not entirely a fair comparison)
- Sumos felt good. Basing the sumo off a 1rm of 455. I have no idea if I can actually pull that sumo, but the weight feels around what Iād assume 60% to feel like, so itās a working estimate.
- Holy hell, externally supported BSS is a game changer. Seriously, not having to focus on balance just makes this exercise feel 10x better. I AM going to run into an issue with loading before too long, but Iāll burn that bridge when I get to it.
- GHR felt great, I think I finally found the right setting on this machine to fit me. FWIW, it works well, but god setting up an actual GHD is a lot easier lol.
11 Likes
Do you have an SSB? I just started playing with these on my event days
3 Likes
07may25:
DE bench:
140x3
140x3
140x3
140x3
140x3
140x3
140x3
140x3
Press:
150x8 RPE 8
150x8 RPE 8
Deficit push-ups
15 RPE 8
15 RPE 8
Rolling DB ext:
45x12 RPE 8
45x11 RPE 9
Tricep pushdown:
70x12 RPE 7.5
80x12 RPE 9
Face pull:
60x15 RPE 9
60x13 RPE 9
Axle curl:
65x13 RPE 9
65x13 RPE 9
Standing abs:
80x14 RPE9
80x12 RPE 9
Notes:
- bench felt good, felt fast, felt strong.
- First time doing barbell press sinceā¦ idk when. Deployment maybe? Pretty happy to hit 2 sets of 150, had a few in the tank, particularly on the first set.
- Holy hell deficit push-ups were harder than expected. I do pushups all the time, knocking out 50+ is nothing to me. But slowing down the tempo, and going that extra stretch past parallel? I was struggling at 10 reps.
- No idea if Iām doing rolling DB extensions right. Felt like it was impossible to āextendā these, but the āpressā part wasnāt 100% either. Weird blend.
- Dang I forgot how much tougher it was to curl an axle. Wrist wasnāt entirely happy with me, but forearms were pleased.
@freshyfresh thatās a great idea, and probably where Iāll be headed once I run out of db room to grow
Two things
- I am still doing an awful job logging my morning conditioningā¦. So just remember it happened lol. BUT, on that note, i fell into old habits and went WAY to intense on running WAY to quickly and got some INTENSE shin splints in almost no timeā¦ so, new plan. I need to get my conditioning better, but I donāt actually have any running event soon, so for at least the next month, no running while I let my shins recover. Going to do 3x a week incline treadmill rucks for zone 2 work, and then use my rower and sled for more intense conditioning sessions. Trying to still train my aerobic base so when my shins are a bit better, I can get back to running without struggle.
- I have a semi formal event on Friday. Deal up in DC, meeting a few congressman, couple flag level guys, dinner and a cocktail hour. I got invited in a civilian capacity, but was told I need to wear a jacket and tie. I donāt actually own a blazer, my entire adult life Iāve had to wear a uniform to any formal event, and the few weddings Iāve gone to that didnāt have me in uniform were all outdoor gigs where I didnāt wear a jacket. So, today, I began the quest to find a blazer. It. Was. Painful. I am a 46 chest. Most of the time. Some jackets didnāt fit around the waist, were too baggy with the 46 chest. But the real issue was the arms. My arms were busting out of the sleeves, the jackets all looked ridiculous, and to get a jacket that actually fit my arms, I had to go up to a 50 chest, which at that point was so baggy around the chest and waist that I looked like a kid wearing his dads jacket. I went to macys, nordstroms, and then finally some local suit place where I finally had some tailor tell me āsir, these suits were made for normal people. Your arms are an abnormal size. Itās just not going to work, you need to get something custom tailored.ā So, on the one hand, the best fitting jacket I could find still looks kind of absurd, which sucks, but at least Iāll be in dress code attire. On the other hand, my ego has never been better haha.
14 Likes
08Mar25:
AM work:
8 rounds
6 banded pull-ups
7 slow pushups
7 slant board squat
Notes:
- making an effort to actually log my morning sessions, just so I can remember what I did.
- Slowly adding reps to the bodyweight circuit Iām doing, keeping it super submax, feels best.
8 Likes
Winning!
1 Like
08mar25:
AM work:
45 minute incline treadmill walk. 3.3 mph, 5inc, 50lb pack
PM:
DE pause squat:
225x2
225x2
225x2
225x2
225x2
Deadlift:
410x3 RPE 6
410x3 RPE 6
410x3 RPE 6
Deficit straight leg deadlift: 1 paver
285x10 RPE 8
285x8 RPE 8
Front squats:
185x6 RPE 6
195x6 RPE 7
Cossack squat:
15
15
Chin grip pulldown:
150x15 RPE 9
150x12 RPE 9
Spread eagle sirup:
15
15
Notes:
- first day trying to log my morning stuff, and I forgot the main part of my morning lol
- still not loving dead stop deadlifts lol. Just so used to touch and go.
- For some reason, straight leg deadlifts feel better with a deficit. Not saying easier, but the whole āstraight legā part of it feels more intuitive.
- Also. Squats, deadlift, deficit straight leg deadlift, into front squatsā¦ holy hell.
- First time front squatting in at least 18 months, and even then it was a rare thing. Felt good. Moving fast, staying a lot more upright than I have in the past. Definitely could move more weight, but these reps felt clean.
10 Likes
10may25:
Paused bench:
225x4 RPE 8
225x4 RPE 8
225x4 RPE 8.5
JM press:
135x14 RPE 9
145x11 RPE 9
Flared Dumbbell Press:
60x12 RPE 9
60x11 RPE 9
Cable front raise:
15x14 RPE 9
15x12 RPE 9
Bench grip straight arm pulldown:
55x20 RPE 9
55x15 RPE 9
Reverse fly
15x20
15x20
Alt DB curl:
30x15
Lying cable hip flexor:
30x15
30x14
Notes:
- overshot RPE a bit on bench. Figured If 215x6 was about an 8, 225x4 would be about a 7.
- JM press felt good
- Cable front raises are something I havenāt touched since high school following bodybuilding routines lol. Felt nice, great pump.
- Holy lat cramp, these straight arm pulldowns are no joke. Lats were feeling juicy. Also got a decent tricep pump out of it, which felt weird, but Iām not complaining
10 Likes
12may25
Squat:
370x3 RPE 8
370x3 RPE 8
DE sumo deadlift:
295x1
295x1
295x1
295x1
295x1
295x1
295x1
295x1
Supported BSS:
65x10 RPE 8
65x10 RPE 8
GHR:
+10x10 RPE 8
+10x10 RPE 9
Deadlift row:
235x8
235x6
Superset:
Seated cable row: 140x13, 140x13
GHD sit-up: +10x15,+10x15
Notes:
- Not entirely sure how I feel about squats. The first set felt pretty rough, but watching the vid, the bar moved a lot faster than I thought it did. Think maybe I just wasnāt as warmed up as I should have been? The second set felt better. Pretty happy with the weight moved overall, 5lbs off my all time PR AND I got it for 2 sets, all with submax RPE.
- Sumo feeling great.
- BSS felt fantastic. Used a db instead of the kb, stretched the ROM until my supporting legs knee kissed the ground. Crazy pump, strong contractions, never had a single leg movement I enjoyed this much.
11 Likes
Work for today
13may25
DE pause bench:
9x150x3
Standing press:
165x6 RPE 9 (ties PR)
155x6 RPE 8
Deficit Push-up
ROx12 RPE 8
ROx12 RPE 8
Rolling tricep extension
55x10 RPE 9
55x8 RPE 9
Tricep pushdown
80x13 RPE 9
80x10 RPE 9
Face pull:
65x10 RPE 8
65x11 RPE 9
Axle curl:
65x14 RPE 9
65x10 RPE 9
Standing abs
80x12
80x12
Notes:
- Bench flew. Felt tight, felt strong.
- Very happy with press. 165x6 was an old PR, and I hit this at a lower RPE, and with probably an additional 2 inches ROM. Focused on going lower on the bottom, definitely made the lift tougher but strength was still there. Pretty good for basically cutting out any standing press for the last 7 months.
- Deficit push-ups felt good, though the band isnāt my favorite. Kept sliding up my back. Think some chains would work better.
- Was feeling a bit fried near the end. Not bad, but second sets definitely felt weaker, think the cuts making itself known at this point.
A video to prove Iām still real lol
12 Likes
Work for today:
1.5 mile run: 11:44
Notes:
- have a PRT in a few weeks, and havenāt done any fast runs in a while, so I thought Iād see where Iām at. This felt good. Some pacing issues at first, started way too slow thinking it would be harder, which led to me basically sprinting the last half mile because I wanted under 12 minutes. Still, not a bad run for being 237.
10 Likes
15mar25
Paused Squat:
5x235x2
Dead stop deadlift:
435x3 RPE 8
Deficit 1 paver straight leg deadlift:
295x10 RPE 8
295x9 RPE 8
Front squat
215x4 RPE 7
215x4 RPE 7
215x4 RPE 7
Cossack squat:
15
15
Chin grip pulldown:
160x15 RPE 9
160x10 RPE 9
Spread eagle situp
15
15
Notes:
- deads felt pretty good. My best triple is 455, but that was an RPE 10, touch and to, with straps on a deadlift bar. So 435 with some weight in the tank, dead stop, no straps, power bar, I feel itās somewhat comparable.
- Tried to be more deliberate on the bottom position of front squats, which accidently ended up turning this almost into some pause reps. Still, felt pretty decent. Front rack needs work, but god I hate the arms crossed BS.
- Getting warmer in the DMV, and the humidity is nuts. Sweating bullets
9 Likes
16may25:
Pause bench:
230x4 RPE 9
230x4 RPE 9
JM press:
155x10 RPE 9
155x10 RPE 9
Flared DB press
65x10 RPE 9
65x8 RPE 9
Cable front raise:
20x10 (too heavy)
15x13 (better)
Straight arm pulldown:
65x15 RPE 8
65x13 RPE 9
Rear delt fly:
20x15
20x12
Alt db curl:
30x16 RPE 9
30x13 RPe 9
Lying hip flexor:
Gx20
Gx20
Notes:
- early AM lift due to life constraints. Hopping in the gym fasted before the sun rises is no bueno, didnāt feel as strong as usual. Not a huge difference, but noticeable
- Bench felt alright. Tried pausing at the top instead of sinking on the last rep of the second set. Hell. No. Felt all sorts of wrong lol.
- Brought me grip in an inch on JM presses, pattern felt a little better
- Flared db pressing is an ass kicker after the other work
- Pump city from there
11 Likes
@alex_uk - You know what Iām gonna sayā¦
2 Likes
Hey man I saw this event that I thought might pique your interest. Iām pretty sure youāre somewhere in MD and I know youāre Navy. If it wasnāt the same day as my strongman comp Iād consider doing it as one of these has been on my bucket list for awhile and itās not far from me.
3 Likes
Dude! One, thatās legitimately 15 minutes from my house lol. I havenāt done a goruck in years, last time was in college, but I thought they were a blast. Iām gonna have to take a look at that. I was hoping to do a competition sometime around then, so timing may not be perfect, but itās worth a flex.
Speaking of competitions, what strongman show are you doing?
3 Likes