Intellectually, I know this is true, and accept it. In practice, I get extremely irate over every ounce of strength lost and blame myself for not lifting harder. Do I know that’s dumb? Yes. Do I do it anyway? Also yes
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Meh, half of them are by default since I just haven’t played around with the weight before, but I guess it still counts. Honestly still just not happy with any of my pressing there.
I guess I earned the poundstone curl one though haha
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I feel you there. But don’t sell yourself short—I’d say they count!
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4 horseman wave 1 week 2 day 1
Conditioning:
290lbs farmers walk, as many 50ft runs as possible in 10 minutes
Finished 14 runs
Build: 12 min to work up to 405 deadlift
Deadlift: 135x5, 225x3, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405x1
Strength giant sets: 18 minutes
8 kb swings: 56lbs, 56, 56
Deadlift: 355x10, 330x11, 305x11 (All PRs by default, though the 355 one felt earned lol)
Burpee lateral jumps: 5, 5, 5
Hanging leg rainbows: 4, 4, 4
Finisher:
5 rounds:
20 seconds sumo deadlift 155
10 second burpee lateral jumps
20 second RDL 155
10 second burpee lateral jumps
Then
5 rounds
20 seconds 56lb kb row left side
10 sec rest
20 seconds kb row right side
10 sec rest
Notes:
- high rep deadlifts are awesome, and murder. Good combo, really tests your grit after rep 8 or so. Hit all the numbers I was going for. Brian called for 7+, 9+, and 11+. Blew it away the first two sets, was pretty fried after that but still got the 3rd set.
- finisher was murder. Not too difficult, but I was just dead. Puked halfway through, which was fun. Ending up only doing a few reps and 1 or 2 burpees each round, but damn was I getting work in.
- looping back to the beginning, the farmers carries went well. 290 felt good, actually measured out 50 ft, was shorter than I thought. Foot speed seemed good. Definitely gets my upper back a little toasty before deadlifts, but doesn’t seem any worse for wear.
- need to toughen up my hands. Tore two calluses today, didn’t notice until I was cleaning up and saws little blood (like two drops; nothing dramatic lol) on the floor. Guess I wasn’t really paying attention. Neither tears too deep, not too painful, but an office job had given me dainty fairy hands, which I need to fix ASAP
- AM weight: 238.8. First time seeing under 240 in I don’t know how long. Feeling good, not happy with where I’m at, but happy with where I’m going
5 Likes
Work for today:
4 horseman wave 1 week 2 day 2
Conditioning: 10 min EMOM
2 single arm 53lb kb clean and press each arm
Hollow rocks for remainder of minute
Build: 10 minutes:
Press: 45x10, 95x3, 115x1, 135x1, 155x1
Strength giant sets: 20 min
Weighted pull-ups: 20x3 (Comeback PR), 20x3
Z press: 100x14, 95x14, 85x (all PRs by default)
Lying windshield wiper: 5,5,5
30 seconds jump rope
Assistance finisher: EMOM 115 press: (notes on this)
10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
Barbell curls: 45x10, 65x8, 75x8, 80x6, 55x14
15 min HIIT cycling class: 221 calories
Notes:
- pretty pumped to be doing weighted pull-ups. 2 months ago, I don’t think I could do 3 body weight pull-ups. Progress is crazy.
- apparently compared to other lifts, I can rep out Z press. Really feel like I can go until my core gives and I start to fall backwards, shoulders have the strength to go all day.
- the finisher was brutal. Brian called me the presses to be strict, there was no chance of that happening. Thought it would be easier than it was. Ended up doing as many reps as I could strict, then relying on some leg drive to finished the reps. By the second set of 10, leg drive was pretty much every rep. This was sneaky difficult, I didn’t suspect my shoulders to be as shot as they were after the z presses
- taped up my hands, didn’t bother me in the slightest. Neat.
- added curls because I’m a vain bastard, and you probably are too so no judging
- AM weight: 239.6
3 Likes
I’ve done that one and had the same experience. Strict for the first rounds, but leg drive had to come in for the later ones.
I think it’s better done that way than using a weight light enough to be strict throughout.
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Glad I’m not the only one. I kind of realized during my first set of 8 “there’s absolutely no way strict is happening”, and then had a 13 second consideration on if I should strip the weight really quickly and go lighter, or add legs. Then the timer hit, I didn’t have time to switch, so just went with the leg drive lol
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Work For Today
4 horseman wave 1 week 2 day 3
Conditioning: 5 rounds
30 seconds burpee pullups
30 seconds box jumps
30 seconds pushups
30 seconds rest
Build: 15 min to work up to 265lb squat
Squat: 45x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 245x1, 265x1
Strength Giant Sets: 15 min
Straddle Walk: greens 50ft, blue.50ft, blues 50ft
Squat: 290x3, 305x2, 325x4 (Ugly as sin comeback PR)
5 full contact twists: 25lb, 25, 25
Burpee Pullups: 5,5, 5
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXzIgToBpOM/
Notes:
- right quad was hurting like hell from the get go. This happens every now and then, I get some sort of tightness in my upper thigh that just screams at me from the get to. Not an injury or anything, but I feel like im pulling my leg apart whenever I go beyond about 45 degrees of knee bench. Definitely was screwing with my squats a bit today, problem got worse as the day went on. Ended up calling the day after my strength giant sets, skipping the accessory. Quad was just cramping up bad enough that my balance was gone.
- hit a squat PR, and again am pissed at my form. I need to figure something out to bring up my quads. Right now, my back is just so much stronger that I end up using all posterior chain the moment I start to struggle. Wish I had a leg press, seems like that could be helpful at targeting the quads. Going to brainstorm what I could do in the garage to help. Front squats seem like a possible answer
- am Weight: 238.1, new low
3 Likes
I find Bulgarians (rear foot elevated split squats) are great for targeting the quads, especially if you don’t fully lock out at the top. They suck major balls but they do work.
2 Likes
Work for today:
30 min LISS bike ride: 418 calories
Daily work: (playing around with this, going to troubleshoot a bit before coming up with a strict plan)
10 min mobility work
50 band pull aparts
10 pull-ups: 4, 3, 3
10 chin-ups: 4, 3, 3
10 35lbs goblet squats
Notes:
- keeping it very easy with chins and pulls, never struggling or losing speed on any rep, just trying to keep the movement in rotation
- family in town until the 28th. They say you can’t outwork a bad diet…. Well, I’m about to try. We have planned out the weak to eat at home as much as possible, cooking lots of healthy but tasty meals for the family (taco bowls, salmon, white bean chicken chili, I’m kinda pumped lol), but my mom always cooks a pretty elaborate Xmas spread, and we come from cattle country, so tonight is a fancy steakhouse in downtown. Going to eat lots of meat, stick with veggies for the side, cardio like crazy in the mornings before anyone gets up. Not sure if I can keep dropping this next week, but hopefully not gain any.
- really, I would just say “to hell with it, it’s one week,” except I haven’t hit my goal weight yet for this month. Very close, great progress overall, but still, not down to miss it 2 months in a row.
- AMweight: 237.7 (new low)
2 Likes
Work for today;
4 horseman wave 1 week 2 day 4
Build: 15 min to work to 255lb bench
Bench: 45x10, 135x5, 185x2, 225x1, 255x1
Strength giant sets:
Meadows row: 8x60, 8x65, 8x79
Bench: 225x7 (Comeback PR),210x8, 195x9
Side bends: 53lbx5, 5, 5
Burpees:8, 8, 8
Conditioning; 5 rounds
20 seconds dips
20 seconds push-ups
20 seconds hollow rocks
1 min rest
Finisher: 3 rounds
30second meadows row 60lbs left
30 second meadows row 60lbs right
1 min rest
60 sec incline bench: 135lbs
1 min rest
60 sec plate push-ups
1 min rest
Notes:
- I love my family, but it is time for them to go. God damn. Miss my routine
- bench went okay. Hit the goals Brian layed out, but was hoping for 225x8 on bench. Rushing this workout, think that I may have had it if I took things a little smoother
- realizing I much prefer chasing a weight vs chasing reps. For some reason, work up to a heavy set of 5 jives with my head way better than go for as many reps as possible with X weight. Shouldn’t matter, and in practice doesn’t, but my brain is definitely wired one way over the other
3 Likes
My grandfather had a great quote: “Fish and relatives: they both smell after 3 days”
Good on you for still getting yours dude.
2 Likes
Forgot to post this. I don’t have an adjustable bench, so this was my jerry rigged incline
Not the steepest incline, but definitely enough to change what muscle fibers I was hitting, worked pretty well
2 Likes
Work for today:
4 horseman wave 1 week 3 day 1
Conditioning:
10 min plate pinch walk, so 3 broad jumps every time you drop the plates
Strength:
Axle deadlift: EMOM with 280lbs. 2, then 4, 6, 8, until the clock beats you
Made it to 4 minutes, ran out of time on the 5th minute. Axle deadlifts are a different beast compared to straight bar, for some reason my left elbow did not like it. Grip was the weak link here, wasting time having to drop the bar and re grip
Strongman:
EMOM for 10 minutes
3 axle zercher squats: 115
10 35lb goblet squats: 25
Notes:
- truthfully, just not really feeling this program I’m on. Doing the work, but I feel all over the place. So many movement variations that I feel like I’m not really hitting anything consistently, the times accessory work has me rushing reps and not really feeling like I’m getting quality work in. This feels a lot more variable than I’m used to, not necessarily In a good way. Really thought about just dropping this program today and hopping into 531. Still somewhat debating it to be honest. I love Brian and his work, done a lot of his stuff that really helped me, but parts of this program are just not clicking with me. Some really is. I like the conditioning, the weighted carries, core work, that’s all awesome. But I feel like some of this variety is just for varieties sake, and that I would be better off just putting in the work on a couple key lifts and getting out of there.
3 Likes
Alrighty, ditching this program.
I just flat out dont like it. % work is cool, but with all the variation, my head isnt in it. Next week has dimmel deadlifts and waiters walks. While good exercises, this really just isnt how i was looking to train. Risk ya run when buying a program without seeing it. Read through my copy of 531 forever, and came away with the conclusion that I want to run a bastard program.
I love bastard programs lol. The linear program I have been doing for the last 5 months was just a bastardized neversate linear program. Key things I am going for in a program:
- focus on key lifts. Not looking for a ton of variety, just putting in work on a few key lifts to progress.
- Go for weight, not reps. 100% a mental thing here, but it just jives a lot better with how my head works.
- Variable loads. I dont want to be doing 5 heavy sets of 5 each week, was going a bit stagnant on that.
- jumps and throw. Really liking the jumps and conditioning work from the 4 horseman program, want to keep that in.
- Weighted carries. Never taken them seriously before, but I think they are awesome. Want to do these at least 2x monthly.
- Giant sets for accessory work. More efficient, good for the heart.
- Bike at least 3x weekly. May not be sexy, but I seriously believe it works.
With that in mind, here is my own little bastard 4 day program.
Day 1: Press
Jumps and throws (5-10 min)
Press: Work up to a heavy set of 8, 5, or 3 (rotating weekly)
Backoff work: 5 sets of 5 at around 75% of max working weight
Superset with Pullups
Supplemental:
Row: (kb, barbell, meadows, ring):50 total
Some type of Press: (floor, axle, dips, incline) 50 total
Some type of core: ( situps, leg raise, other) 50 total
Vanity Giant Set:
Pushdowns
Curls
Lat raises
Day 2: Squat
jumps and throws (5-10min)
Squat: Work up to heavy set of 8, 5, 3
Backoff work: 5x5 at around 75% of max working weight
Supplemental:
Hinge: Good Morning, RDL, KB Swing: 50ish reps
Single Leg: Lunges, Bulgarians, step up: 50ish reps
Ab wheel: 50ish reps
Day 3: Bench
jumps and throws (5-10min)
bench: Work up to heavy set of 8, 5, 3
Backoff work: 5x5 at around 75% of max working weight
superset with pullups
Supplemental:
rows: 50 reps
Press: 50 reps
core: 50 reps
Vanity Giant Set:
Curls
Pushdowns
lat raises
Day 4: Deadlift:
Jumps and throws (5-10 min)
deadlift; work up to heavy set of 8, 5, 3
Backoff work: 5x5 at around 75% of max working weight
Supplemental:
squat: Box Squat, front squat
Core: Ab wheel
Finisher: Farmers Walks
I like writing my own programming, and honestly my best gains have always come when doing so. I think I train to my bodies strengths, and can a little better attack weak points. Keeping it pretty strict on the main work here, while allowing flexibility with my assistance. Excited to see how this goes. Day 1 starts tomorrow.
2 Likes
Work for today:
Press: 45x10, 95x5, 115x2, 135x1, 155x1, 165x1, 155x8 (Comeback PR). 135x5, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5
Chins in between: 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
Giant set:
Barbell row: 135x6, 155x6, 165x6, 175x6
Axle floor press: 165x6, 185x6, 205x6, 215x6
Hanging leg raise: 5, 5, 5, 5
Giant set:
Axle curl: 55x12, 55x12, 55x12
Band pushdown: GBx12, 12, 12
Lat raise: 15x15, 15x15, 15x15
Conditioning: 20 min cycling ride, 337 calories
Notes:
- first day on my own programming, liking it a lot. Feels good really hammering in most of my work on the main movement.
- happy with press. PR went well, and the back off sets were moving quickly.
- alternating between pull-ups and chin-ups, just going back and forth between the two between sets. Wish I had some neutral grip options, may be a gym upgrade for the future. Low reps, just piling in the volume over lots of sets. May hit a couple higher sets on off days
- triceps always are my weak point on bench/press. Thought floor press would be a good fix, and by god was I right lol. Great movement, definitely keeping in rotation.
- belt loop 15. No idea how, honestly have eaten like crap the last two days, but it happened lol. Body feeling strong, feels good to have some splurge calories after so much time on a deficit
2 Likes
I’ve started employing a phasic approach to training where doing what “feels” right is alternated with something rigid that has stuff I don’t care for. Feels like a good balance. Might be a way to slot in some of the more structured programs on occasion.
Excited to see where this takes you.
1 Like
100% agreed. I have quite a few programs that I think would be great, but not for my current goals.
I really want to run BBB, building the monolith, and deep water. All 3 programs sound brutal In the best possible way, but also pretty far outside my wheelhouse. I generally lean away from higher reps on compound lifts, so these would really force my outside my comfort zone.
That being said, I’m not going to do any of these for a good while. My #1 priority is dropping fat while building strength, with fat loss really being what I need to chase. Not necessarily a fun goal, but a necessary one. Once I’m down to 200 or so and have held that for a few months, I’d love to do some good muscle building programs, but until I am willing to eat the way I need to in order to support that kind of training, I don’t want to spin my wheels doing that kind of program.
I also don’t find many routines that I think are solid in terms of just strength while focusing on fat loss. 531 would probably be solid, which is really what I’m just ripping off with my own program anyway. So much “fat loss” programs are just glorified cardio. I just want to lift heavy, lift quick, then go do my cardio and eat my sad small meals until the fat goes away lol.
Work for today:
Jumps: lot of box jumps, worked up to 30inches for sets of 3
Squat: 45x10, 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 255x2, 275x8 (Comeback PR), 235x5, 235x5, 235x5, 235x5, 235x5
Superset:
Good mornings: 135x8, 135x8, 135x8, 155x8
Ab wheel: 10, 10, 10, 10
Front squat: 135x8, 135x8, 135x10
Conditioning: 20 min cycling ride, 316 calories
Notes:
- going to give low bar a good honest run. Been doing high bar, and I just can’t help but pitch forward. I think lowbar may help with that a bit. Feels weird, but the top set moved alright, and I didn’t feel myself falling forward as much.
- good mornings are staying in the rotation. If my squat can’t be pretty, then by hell I will have a strong as fuck ugly good morning squat
- broken toe was not feeling lunges, so a no no on single leg work today. Threw in some light front squats at the end to help hammer the quads. Close stance, really trying to isolate the legs as much as possible. Definitely cuts down on the weight I can use, but also definitely is working on what I need a lot more. Happy with these.
3 Likes