Atlas13 Burning the Boats

[atlas13]

03Feb26:
AM:

Conditioned: Glycotic Intervals
300 m row, 60second rest, 6 rounds

Bulletproofing:

Abductor machine: 3x50x15
Adductor Machine: 3x40x15
Hip flexor: 2x25x15
Glute flex: 2x55x15

PM:

Agile: 10 min mobility + Pullup skill work

Pullup skill work: Gx6x3, scap Pullup 2x6

Bench: 45x10, 135x5, 165x3, 185x5, 195x5, 200x5, 200x5, 200x5

Chest support DB row: 50x10, 55x10, 55x10, 55x10

Seated DB press: 35x10, 55x9, 55x9, 55x10

Lat Pulldown: 110x10, 140x5, 170x10, 170x10,

Superset;
Fat Bar Curl; 55x10, 55x10, 55x13
Straight Bar Pushdown: 60x12, 60x12, 60x19

Notes:

• rowing intervals just suck. You feel so good for about 30 seconds, then it’s all just downhill lol. I do think I’ll increase my rest times next week, this was just a bit too short to feel like I was recovered.
• Did a little hip health work. I get some hip pain after long rucks or runs, AI is telling me that it’s likely a weak glute medius. Regardless, I don’t do much dedicated hip work, and figure it will help me. This is all “rehab” levels of work. I’m not straining any reps, every rep is paused for 1-2 seconds at peak flexion, just getting some blood flow and targeted work to it. Think I’ll start doing this on my upper body days just as some “prefab”
• On a related note, my work is now requiring us to PT every day at around lunch, which is fine by me. It’s just self PT in the gym, so I’m just using it as a dedicated conditioning/weak points time. Kinda nice tbh, as long as they don’t start making us work more outside those times, all this policy change does is protect my lunch workouts lol.
• Bench did not feel great. My left shoulder felt weird. Not bad, just weird not sure if I slept on it wrong or something. Weight still moved alright, just didn’t “feel” great.
• Accessories all moved fantastic. Happy with rows and press especially, then got a good pump after.
• Ya know, feeling good in general right now. I’m being crazy disciplined in so many ways, but that almost makes it easier? I’m sticking very strictly to the keto diet, tracking everything. Working out 9 sessions a week with great planning and solid sessions, on a pretty regimented study plan for grad school apps, deleted social media off my phone and only have it on my iPad so it’s usage is more intentional (I’d delete entirely, but I’ve got old friends that I almost only reach out to over socials). The Mrs has as lot of similar life goals and events coming up, so she is doing almost the exact same, and all in all it just feels like wins compounding wins, and the entire process of being committed to one thing becomes easier when it’s just part of a bigger, more deliberate life, if that makes any sense.

[SvenG]

@atlas13

I’m being crazy disciplined in so many ways, but that almost makes it easier?

I need you to talk to my kids!

Nice work—it’s always great to read when someone is feeling good.

[atlas13]

04Feb26
Agile: 10 min mobility

Powerful:
Hang power clean: 135x2, 135x2, 145x2, 145x2, 155x2, 155x2, 165x2,

Strong:
Hi bar squat: 45x6, 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 255x3, 285x5, 285x5, 285x5, 285x5, 285x5

Built:

RDL: 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 245x6, 245x6, 245x6, 245x6

BSS: 40x8, 40x8, 40x8

Weighted Sit-up: 35x10,

Notes:

• no lunchtime workout due to an active shooter drill. Sad. Even a fake active shooter can ruin the day.
• Squats felt pretty good. I took some video, and my thighs are parallel, but I think my hip grease is just about 1/2 inch above knee. I then spent some time with the mirror just adjusting squat stance (no bar) and seeing depth, and god damn my leverages really are awful for this lol. Deadlift my friend, but with my femurs? I either have my stance so wide I almost look like a multi-ply guy, or I get so bent over that my torso angle damn neat matches my thighs. Keeping the stance closer may keep me just a hair high, but it seems like a much better answer, especially since I’m not doing powerlifting. I feel for Layne Norton
• Accessories felt good.
• I am officially down 0.4lbs this past week. I did also just start up on creatine 9 days ago, so idk if that’s affecting weight. Still, that’s less of a drop than I was hoping for, but I’m gonna give it one more week at these calories before I drop any.
• @T3hPwnisher in other Keto notes, after 11 days of keto i feel… fine? lol, it seems a bit anticlimactic. I did start taking more electrolytes, and that definitely helped A TON with soreness and headaches. But other than those few days, I honestly can’t tell a difference. I mean sure I’m eating different foods, but my lifts feel about the same, my conditioning feels about the same, I don’t feel bloated which is nice, but I wasn’t normally too bloated before anyway. I do notice I’m drinking a lot more water on keto, even with the electrolytes I just really gotta slam drinks. But, aside from some thirst? Nothing. So, 10.5 more weeks in this experiment, so we will see how keto affects me over time, but it’s just interesting to me that so far the effects are rather minimal.

@SvenG

need you to talk to my kids!

So as a rule I hate any book written by any type of SOF guy, because the guys who choose to write books generally should be hated. (Huge exception for the book about Adam Brown, but that also wasn’t written by him.) BUT, I do like Jocko Willink. Haven’t kept up with much of his stuff, but used to listen to his podcast and got to roll with him once at his gym in San Diego 5 or so years back. Ik he wrote some children’s books, which I can’t vouch for, but may be worth checking out in regards to the whole “discipline makes life easy” idea

[SvenG]

@atlas13

he wrote some children’s books

Thanks for the recommendation, but as it happens, I’m way ahead of you there, actually—just waiting for the right time to introduce it, to my son, in particular. My daughter already kinda gets it, for a 15 year-old. And, for better or worse, she’s more like me by nature than he is.

It’s funny, though, because I know I’ve not always been the way I am now, but I’m not 100% sure when “me now” became me.

That’s one thing I really miss now that my mom is gone: Who’s gonna tell me about me, ya know?

(Whoa, sorry: I just took your thoughtful book recommendation a whole lot of places you didn’t expect, and I did that in your log. I’ll see myself out now.)

[BethB]

@SvenG

I just took your thoughtful book recommendation a whole lot of places you didn’t expect, and I did that in your log.

I do this all the time! To everyone!

[atlas13]

@SvenG

and I did that in your log.

Man, always feel free. I’ve said before, this stopped being a lifting log years ago and is practically a journal at this point, all thoughts are welcome.

@SvenG

It’s funny, though, because I know I’ve not always been the way I am now

This sounds a bit dramatic, but I’ve always felt that the idea of “me” is a very transient one. I remember being very young reading some history books and finding the quote from Augustus upon his death bed “have I played my part well?” And honestly, I think there’s a lot to that. In different phases of life, we have different parts to play, and I think who we are can depend on the part we are playing.

Let’s say high school. I wanted to do the best high school experience I could. So I did. I was a jock, I was popular, I got straight A’s and was on student council. I also hooked up with half the cheerleaders, did my damnedest to give myself alcohol poisoning, and liked jumping motorcycles over bonfires as a party trick. Hardworking? Without a doubt. Thrill chasing to the point of recklessness? Certainly. But I played the part well.

Then I go to college, and things change again. I’m at a military school. I’m still hardworking. But now I’m a bit less reckless. I’m a bit more studious. I start studying some philosophy and questioning life, I dream big and idealistic, I envision a future where my name is spoken of with the great heroes and leaders of our age. Was I hardworking, studious, intellectual? Certainly. Was I also a pretentious and naive? Yup. But I played the part well.

Onto the military. Leading sailors, driving warships, commanding watch teams while forward deployed. And I change again. Sure, still hardworking. And sure, I still have ideals. But I also have requirements. I have responsibilities. And I have the harsh realities of accomplishing difficult tasks. So the effort is there. But the idealism is tempered by harsh realities. Naivety has turned into biting cynicism, that is shared in a sense of forged camaraderie. Recklessness at this point is a foreign concept, because it’s not my skin I’m risking, it’s my sailors. I am strict. Kind, but harsh. Self sacrificing to the point of detriment to my health. I burnt myself out pretty hard for years there. But played my part well.

And now I’m at an office job. Still military, but no longer in an operational role. Still working hard, which seems to be my one constant. But my hairs a bit longer. My tempo is more relaxed. I make more jokes. I am more selfish with my time. More willing to prioritize myself over work. Maybe I am a little less strict than I was before. Hell, maybe I’m a little softer than I was before. But I’m also happier than before. My relationships are doing better than before. My future benefiting from the work I am doing now. And maybe the me I am today is not the me I need to be in 5 or 10 years. But for now, I’m playing the part well.

@SvenG

daughter already kinda gets it, for a 15 year-old. And, for better or worse, she’s more like me by nature than he is.

You know, I will say this. I had a pretty rough relationship with my dad for a long time. Parents had an ugly divorce, it’s a long story, but teenage me was a real prick sometimes, and we’d but heads. I remember my mother used to say to me “you’re just like your father” and I’d take it as such a grave insult. As I’ve gotten older, and grown into a man instead of that rowdy kid, that same line has become one of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten.

From everything I’ve seen, being like you is nothing but a good thing for any kid

[SvenG]

So much gold there—thanks for entertaining the discussion!

@atlas13

From everything I’ve seen, being like you is nothing but a good thing for any kid

That’s high praise, my dude—I’m humbled. (And simultaneously a bit proud, if I’m honest: Like everyone else, Imma tryin’.)

[T3hPwnisher]

in other Keto notes, after 11 days of keto i feel… fine? lol, it seems a bit anticlimactic. I did start taking more electrolytes, and that definitely helped A TON with soreness and headaches. But other than those few days, I honestly can’t tell a difference. I mean sure I’m eating different foods, but my lifts feel about the same, my conditioning feels about the same, I don’t feel bloated which is nice, but I wasn’t normally too bloated before anyway. I do notice I’m drinking a lot more water on keto, even with the electrolytes I just really gotta slam drinks. But, aside from some thirst? Nothing. So, 10.5 more weeks in this experiment, so we will see how keto affects me over time, but it’s just interesting to me that so far the effects are rather minimal.

I’m not too shocked to hear this. Glad the electrolytes helped. The “keto flu” tends to be the result of three things, one being the electrolyte issue. The second is undereating fat, because when you take away carbs as a fuel source you need SOMETHING, and if you’re not taking in enough fats, you’re just going to be underfueled and feel like crap. But the OTHER element of it is that a lot of people come to keto from obesity. They want keto as a fat loss diet. However, as discussed, keto switches our fuel source from carbs to fat. This means from glycogen stores to fat stores. That’s cool, because the body stores WAY more fat than glycogen, so you have like unlimited fuel now…BUT…

Fat is where our bodies store the toxins that the liver processes. It’s why we tend to see less Omega 3s in grainfed cattle vs grassfed, and more Omega 6s in soyfed chickens compared to wild ones. Well if you’re coming to keto from a place of obesity, you have a lot of toxic fat on your body from all the junk you’ve been taking in over the years…and now your body is running off THAT fuel. And basically, you gotta burn off all that toxic fuel before you can get to “the good stuff”.

You AREN’T coming from that place. You’ve stayed fit your whole life and eat well. You approached this whole thing well, came from a place of good health, had your electrolytes ready, and got in some good fat sources.

What I think would be interesting for you to observe now is hunger and satiety signaling along with energy levels. As I’m approaching multiple years carnivore, I’m opening myself up to more food options, as I feel I’ve reset my system well and could most likely tolerate clean carb sources like potatoes, fruit and honey, but the reason I’m still hesitant is I just plain like how I feel in a state of ketosis. My energy is stable, rather than up and down with blood sugar spikes/crashes, and hunger is never really present for me. Curious to see how you deal. But, if nothing else, this experiment has most likely improved your metabolic flexibility, which is awesome.

[jdm135]

Glad I stopped by. There was a lot of good stuff the last few pages.

Unrelatedly to all that, but on the pullup skill training front.
You had some elbow tendonitis recently, didn’t you? Did the rubber bar thingy help? It’s just something to watch out for and stay ahead of.
You’re doing scap pullups too - that’s excellent.
Another thing to consider adding: Bar hangs for time (working up to a minute) and single-arm bar hangs.
I do this drill where I hang from one hand, and touch my hip with the free hand. Then swing up and grab with that hand, touching my hip with the other. Back and forth a few times. Elbows stay straight-ish so there’s no burden on any tendonitis issues.

Great work, as always, in so many ways. You’re killing it.

[atlas13]

@T3hPwnisher

They want keto as a fat loss diet

In full transparency, I am in this group. I purposely planned this experiment for AFTER my wedding, Xmas, and the honeymoon exactly because I knew i was going to put on a few lol.

@T3hPwnisher

you to observe now is hunger and satiety signaling along with energy levels.

I have noticed a few trends with this. With hunger, it’s almost as if the entire concepts gone. I don’t really feel much hunger, but I also don’t feel “full” from my meals. Everytime I’m done eating, I could definitely keep eating, and I think would naturally keep eating if I didn’t have my portions measured out, but not as a result of being “hungry” more just “that wasn’t a lot of food I just ate.”

In terms of energy, I think initial impressions are that it is more even. I don’t have big “slumps” throughout the day, which is particularly nice when I’m trying to be productive in the afternoon hours. Although, I also don’t have the bumps in energy either. A banana and some honey would have me feeling great prior to a workout, now I’m just moving around at a moderate baseline all day. Although to be fair, my caffeine intake has drastically dropped since beginning of December, which could also be a factor.

@T3hPwnisher

tolerate clean carb sources like potatoes, fruit and honey

When I DO start eating carbs again (I’m all for this experiment, but I already know it’s just an experiment, because I generally just don’t agree with long term elimination diets of any sort), I do plan to focus heavily on these. Rather than jump off the train with pizza and breadsticks, I think swapping out butter and olive oil for berrys and sweet potatoes, while still keeping in the healthy fats and proteins, is probably the route that will give me the best results.

@jdm135

You had some elbow tendonitis recently, didn’t you? Did the rubber bar thingy help?

Oh yeah. My coworkers all made some wildly homoerotic comments about me playing with the rubber bar at my desk… lol. But I did it pretty religiously while cutting out pull-ups, and it seemed to help, then the few weeks off for the honeymoon seemed to get rid of it altogether. My big goal now is to just progress slow enough that it doesn’t come back.

@jdm135

Bar hangs for time (working up to a minute) and single-arm bar hangs

I should start doing more of these. I generally do about a minute of bar hangs at the start of every workout, twisting my trunk side to side, really more for shoulder and back mobility than anything else, nice little way to open the back before lifting. Switching to some one arm could be useful, I’ll have to give it a go!

[BethB]

@atlas13

My coworkers all made some wildly homoerotic comments about me playing with the rubber bar at my desk

If I remember correctly, you were warned.

[T3hPwnisher]

Caution: bloviating ahead

@atlas13

In full transparency, I am in this group. I purposely planned this experiment for AFTER my wedding, Xmas, and the honeymoon exactly because I knew i was going to put on a few lol.

“Compliance is the science”, per Stan Efferding, and honestly that’s the “magic” of keto insofar as it relates to fat loss. For some, it’s a VERY easy diet to comply with, and the outcome is fat loss, because honestly ANY nutritional intervention will result in fat loss, simply because our food environment is so toxic that existing in it without a plan makes you fat. This is why the Twinkie Diet “works”: you can eat all the terrible foods, but as long as you eat less of them, you engaged in SOME sort of intervention. You could make a “blue foods only” diet to a similar effect.

That said, interventions specifically like keto and carnivore have a first order effect which facilitates fat loss as a follow on: it improves insulin sensitivity in those that are chronically insensitive due to a life of overconsuming hyperprocessed carbs. It’s an EXTREME intervention, but that’s to correct an extreme problem. It’s why low carb/keto diets tend to work ON men who appear endomorphic and estrogenic: they’re displaying symptoms of someone who is poorly able to metabolize carbohydrates, yet is STILL consuming them en mass. Those guys that can eat 800g of carbs a day and have an 8 pack clearly show capability with using carbs as a fuel source.

Which gets back to that whole “metabolic flexibility” piece from earlier, which seems to be a good standard for being “metabolically healthy”. If you can use BOTH fuel sources well, your body is in good health. If you struggle with one, something needs improvement. I feel like that’s what we’re seeing in the carnivore community with people displaying elevated fasting glucose: they’ve overcorrected to the point that they lost their ability to utilize carbs as a fuel source.

Which ties into this

@atlas13

Although, I also don’t have the bumps in energy either. A banana and some honey would have me feeling great prior to a workout, now I’m just moving around at a moderate baseline all day.

If you ever decide to extend the experiment, or take occasional forays back to keto to improve insulin sensitivity, you could engage in a “Targeted Ketogenic Diet”, wherein carbs are specifically employed around the training window for energy. This is EXACTLY what metabolic flexibility looks like: running off fats when there’s no need for high/short energy, and being able to take in carbs when the time arrives to put out max effort.

@atlas13

I could definitely keep eating, and I think would naturally keep eating if I didn’t have my portions measured out

This is a struggle as a natural big eater (I completely relate). But the plus side is, if you ever try to go on a keto bulk, it’s like having a super power, because so many in the keto crowd just CAN’T eat enough to gain.

I love that you’re experimenting. I wish more people would.

[atlas13]

@T3hPwnisher

it improves insulin sensitivity

So THIS was actually why I wanted to do keto rather than just go on a normal cut. I can cut if I need to, that’s not an issue, but I’ve got a suspicion based off of how much of a “carb slump” I would get that my insulin sensitivity is pretty poor. My bigger years surely didn’t help me any there, and even when cutting I always maintained a pretty high/moderate amount of carbs in my diet. An intervention protocol seemed like it might make me just operate better once I DID start using carbs again.

@T3hPwnisher

you ever decide to extend the experiment

I think there’s almost no shot of this, for purely social reasons. I accept that’s me putting social reasons above fitness, but it’s also just truthful. I can grind out strict for a few months, but eventually the lifestyle I enjoy includes being able to take my wife out to cool restaurants in the city, or go camping over a weekend without trying to figure out what dehydrated foods are keto. The fact that even my “cheat meals” have to be planned so I don’t fall out of keto is a level of discipline that’s frankly just slightly more than I want to give. (I say slightly because I don’t mind it all during the week.)

@T3hPwnisher

you ever try to go on a keto bulk,

Brother, I was born for the bulk lol. Seriously, I will never understand guys who say they can’t eat their calories. Even if it’s clean. If you asked me to eat 5,000 calories a day but it could only be ground beef and rice, I’d weep tears of joy at the opportunity lol. On Keto? Man, I CANT keto bulk. I’d do way too much damage hahaha

@T3hPwnisher

love that you’re experimenting. I wish more people would.

Gym bros will hop programs every 17 days but stick to the same nutrition advice their high school football coach told them at 15. I never understand how training ya gotta try all sorts of things, but nutritions just a one stop shop

Work for today:
06Feb26:
Agile: 10 min mobility+ Pullup progression:

Pullup progression: 6xGx3, scap x2x6

Strong:
30 Incline bench: 45x10, 135x5, 150x3, 165x7, 165x7, 165x7, 165x8

Built:

20 inc db bench: 45x8, 65x8, 65x8, 65x8

Wide grip Lat Pulldown: 110x10, 150x11, 150x10, 150x10, 150x10

EZ Bar reverse curl: 55x15, 55x15, 55x15,

Superset:
Db lat raise: 25x12, 25x12, 25x12
Rear delt raise: 10x15, 10x15, 10x15

@BethB I know I know…

[atlas13]

07feb26
Agile: 10 min mobility

Powerful:
Hang Power Snatch: 45x5, 95x3, 95x3, 95x3, 100x3, 100x3, 105x3, 105x3

Squat: 45x10, 135x5, 185x3

Okay. I am sick. Tried to push through, was not happening lol. Rest and fluids

[atlas13]

Holy shit I just realized deviled eggs are keto

[BethB]

Oh buddy. I know how you feel about deviled eggs…

[T3hPwnisher]

This is one of the other reasons I like keto/carnivore. I’ll be deep into a fugue of meat and deviled eggs and go “Holy sh*t: this is a diet?!”

[BethB]

You should make your own mayo if you don’t already. Store bought is basically just vegetable oil. Not overly keto. Lol.

[atlas13]

@T3hPwnisher @BethB

Behold Sunday brunch

[BethB]

Now… How many deviled eggs have you eaten?