Man, that sucks. I can only imagine how frustrating that must be. It certainly puts some things into a proper perspective for me.
Work for today:
Superset:
Various grip chins: 8, 8, 8, 7, 7
Axle press: 135x5, 145x5, 155x5, 145x4, 125x7
Superset;
CGBP: 135x8, 155x8, 165x8
BPA: 4xBx13
Superset;
BNP: 85x10, 85x8, 75x11
Fat grip hammer curl: 25x12, 25x9+3alt, 25x7+3alt
Lat raise: 3x15x15
Conditioning: 15 min cycling ride: 283 cal burned (PR)
Notes:
- AM Weight: 213.4
- press movedā¦ okay. Got a little ugly, but got it done. Chins moved well. CGBP moved very well.
- @simo74 has inspired me to do some BNP. Also, I have a bad habit of leaning back on my press, so I figure this should help correct that. 3 sets had me fried, the weight is humbling.
- felt good on the bike. Cardio just getting better and better
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Lots I want to mention that I just donāt have time for today, some bullet points for myself so I donāt forget
- rep form
- 190 plan
- deployment plan
- next 2.5 years plan
- competition avenues
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Yep they are a new kind of suck and the muscle soreness I get is lovely tooā¦not.
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Work for today;
SSB Front Squat: 150x3 paused, 200x5paused, 220x5 paused, 230x5, 255x5 (PR), 230x5
RDL: 135x8, 185x8, 225x8, 255x8, 275x8, 275x8
Superset:
Hatfield split squat: 60x8, 90x8, 110x8
Banded ab crunch: 3xGx20
Conditioning: 100 calorie sprint on bike
Notes:
- front squats went well. Focusing hard on form, I think 255 today had cleaner form than 250 last week, though both fairly ugly. Paused sets all felt pretty.
- RDLs feeling good, fairly confident Iām going to just continue stacking weight on this one.
- tried Hatfield split squats today, absolutely fan of the movement. Letās me do a lunge while really just focusing on moving weight instead of worrying about balance. Going to be in heavy rotation.
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Work for today;
Axle bench: 115x5, 165x3, 185x5, 210x5, 220x5, 210x5, 185x10 (PR)
Superset:
Db row: 100x10, 100x10, 100x12
Dips: +15x9, +15x9, BWx13
Giant Set:
Axle curl: 50x10, 55x10, 60x10, 60x
Band Pushdown: 4xGOx15
Rear delt raise: 4x15x12
Notes:
- bench moved well. 220 moved better than last week, added 5lbs to on of the earlier sets, second set of 210 was way easier, and hit a PR on 185 with more in the tank. Good day.
- rows felt strong, dips are still feeling a little odd. The added weight just tilts my balance a little bit, not enough to cause problems or anything, just enough that I have to think about it. Still pleased with how it went.
- I really hate curls. I just do. I want big arms as much as the next guy, but I truly feel nothing but ambivalence to any bicep movement lol.
- AM weight: 211, which kinda surprised me due to some pizza last night, I normally bloat at least 4kbs from any carb heavy meal
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dont let @TrainForPain hear you say that..LOL. I hear you mate, we should start a club.
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If you want some advice on curls for curl-haters, ping me after the challenge! I can at least give you something amusing that takes all of 6 minutes to blow your bis up.
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This is why I do Poundstones. 1 set, once a week. It appears that double KB cleans are magic there as well.
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Alrighty, time to catch up:
Rep Form
- One thing I have noticed consistently from top level strongman, powerlifters, and coaches is the idea of making every rep look the same. I donāt do that. Flat out, I donāt. I grind out my sets, moving the weight from point A to B using whatever damn form I need to in order to make the lift. Its worked for me okay, but I think I need to fix that to see any long term progress.
- My squat and my Overhead press are my worst offenders. Deadlift and bench are pretty consistent, as is most of my accessory lifts. Squat needs some solid work, as my hip shift gets worse and worse as the set continues. Press as well, look through any of my videos and you can see where my imbalances really shine through, left arm finishing the lift faster than my right, sometimes by 2-3 seconds. Part of this is going to require me working on form, others will be some long neglected mobility work, and some is going to be just some humility and dropping the weights down to something I can hit with clean form, not just moving A to B.
- that being said, I do believe that sometime grinding it out has value. On that note, I am okay with keeping my grindy SSB front squats. If I am using a straight bar, I think good form is key. SSB is just made for muscling the weight up, and im fine using it for that purpose. Same with log press. Pretty much anything else, I need to tighten up the form.
Plans moving forward
- I know that I only have a bit over a month left at my current command. That being said, I donāt know where I am going next. Possibly an operational ship stationed in the US, maybe meeting a ship on deployment, maybe going into a shipyard period. I should find out soon which it will beā¦ then again, I was supposed to find all of this out 2 weeks ago, so im not holding my breath. That being said, I have come up with a few plans moving forward.
Stateside 190 Plan
- If iām not going to be deployed right away (or ever), then this is the plan I am going to follow. I am going to continue this cut until my weight gets down to 190. I am really starting to lean out now, 211 this morning, and I can tell im close to where I need to be, but im not there yet. I need get my weight down to a solid level, maybe not vein splitting lean or anything, but certainly to the ānot overweightā category.
- Once I get to that point, its time to pack on some muscle. I have been in a caloric deficit for 12 months now, and its draining. Im definitely stronger than I was a year ago, but its a tough battle to chase strength gains while not eating enough to really fuel growth. I am very ready to fix that. I think a solid 6 month progression focused on gaining muscle and strength would really allow me to accelerate the growth, and fill out my frame a bit more. Still keeping a clean diet, not allowing the scale to get back any higher than 200-205ish, but eating at or slightly above maintenance for the first time in a long time.
- on that note, I am not completely sure what program I would run for this. Throwing some serious consideration into @T3hPwnisher 's 6 month weight gaining plan he wrote up, seems like it would be a pretty good route. Also considering doing a more āpowerbuildingā approach, using some machines to get a new stimulus I havent had. Feel like a leg press and some dumbbell work would really do me well. (sadly, my garage gym will be staying here as my wifeās job is going to keep her at our current location, but I have already scouted out some absolutely awesome strongman/powerlifting gyms at all my possible duty stations). Whatever program I do, I am going to maintain some type of conditioning at least 3x a week, keeping up with my current plan of just slowly building a gradually larger and larger cardio base over time.
Deployment Plan
- There is an also decent chance I am going to be deploying right away. If so, that throws a wrench into training a bit. I donāt know the capabilities of the gyms ship i am going to, but if nothing else, the motion of the seas will mess up heavy free weight stuff. That being said, there should certainly be some machines, some pullup bars, and a ton of cardio equipment.
- If I deploy, the goal is muscle stimulation and endurance. Building my run to something dangerous, I think a good goal for a full deployment would be getting down to 5 miles in 40 min. Big focus on knocking out pullups and dips, and then just using machines to isolate and blast my muscles and much as possible. Probably much more bodybuilding style work, but i think thats just more feasible than keeping up with heavy barbell work. That being said, definitely keeping up at least once a week hitting squats and deadlifts, maybe not max weight work but enough to stress myself and stay strong on the movements. Will have to evaluate more once I get to the ship, but right now im thinking 3 longer cardio days, then 3 days a week of lifting with HIIT cardio afterwards. Would probably come back from this a bit weaker than I would like, but should build a damn good cardio base and be in a great spot to gain after deployments over.
2.75 year plan
- over this whole period, I will be coming up to my final commitment to the Navy. Not staying in the service in my current position. Op tempo is just too rough for family life, and my wifes career is taking off to the point where I canāt in good faith ask her to just follow me every couple of years. (She already slightly beats my pay, and will be making multiples of my salary based on her promotion track over the next few years). That being said, i am very seriously considering transferring National Guard or Army reserves, especially if I can keep my commission. I always wanted Marines, and while I caught a med DQ from Marine select after my second knee injury, the Army docs told me it wouldnāt be an issue. I feel like reserves would let me keep my toes into this world, while still being able to have a more stable family life. In terms of MOS, every man in my family has been combat arms, I want to follow in that tradition, so likely doing whatever I can to go infantry.
-Which means, I need to get back to fighting shape by the end of these years. While not in bad shape now, iām still a long way from the 19min 3 mile runs I was doing when prepping for marines, and thats closer to the level of fitness i need for those fields. Not trying to do a selection training plan or anything like that, but by the time I end this next tour, whatever my lifting plans are, I need to be able to hit 20 pullups, run a sub 20 3 miler, knock out pushups like its nothing, and get comfortable again with a ruck. With those goals in mind, I think I can hit them fairly easily (maybe excepting pullups) but just keeping up with the slow consistent cardio gains iāve been doing this past year, so I plan to just keep up with that, and maybe really crank up the runs/calisthenics during my last 6 months or so once I figure out for sure if this is something I am going to do during my next chapter.
Competition Plans
- I want to compete. period. I just miss competitions, I was always an athlete, from elementary school all through college. So i am going to find something to compete in. Ideally, I want to do a strongman comp. It seems like a ton of fun, and a unique way to test my strength. If I cant find one of those, then theres definitely an opportunity for me somewhere to hop into a powerlifting comp. Current plan is to hit 190, do that 6 months of eating enough to actually fuel training, and then start trying to find competitions.
- if i deploy, im not too sure what my comp plans will be. Maybe try to run a 1/2 marathon, some adventure races, or even try a little baby triathalon when i get back. If i could find some mats on the ship and a few good partners, wouldnāt mind getting back into BJJ on deployment, maybe I could find a competition for that. Really, no idea. I dont think I will be coming back from a deployment ready for any strength competitions, but i may be able to build my cardio to where a race is in the picture.
- totally not fitness related, but my wife and I have been talking about doing 3 gun competitions together. I have a lot of firearms experience, worked at a shooting range in high school and have worked with firearms ever since. She has little experience but wants to learn. I think it would be sick. Also expensive. Very expensive. Ammo aināt cheap. Damn.
Alright, thats about all I have been meaning to catch up on. Tomorrow, planning to write up a review of SURGE WOF. (spoiler, I like it)
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Consider throwing super squats in the mix if you hate yourself enough 
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Work for today:
Low handle trap bar deadlift: 150x5, 240x3, 330x2, 380x5, 400x5, 415x4 inadvertent deadstop, 435x1, 435x1
SSB Pause squat: 150x6, 175x6, 200x6, 220x5, 235x3, 250x2, 180x10 (not paused)
Edit: Forgot to log abs
ab wheel: 3x8
Notes:
- just absolutely butchered hand placement on deads today. 415 set was all over the place, bar tipping forward and backward, adjusting hands between each rep. Screwed up 435 twice. I pulled 430x6 last week, I know the strength is there, but today was not my day.
- SSB squats felt amazing. Best any squats have felt in a very long time. Messed with my form a bit. Iāve heard from a lot of people I need a wider stance to stay more upright. Well, the wider I go, the lower my numbers are getting while Iām still caving forward. Decided to drastically narrow my stance, and it was great. MUCH more quad engagement, able to stay very vertical. Will take a little bit to adjust to, but my hips just feel so much better aligned like this.
- going to need to keep my ego in check on the squats. These feel good. Forms tight, quads fried, I got a good training stimulus. I could also lift more if I good morning the weight. I need to make sure that as I chase weight, it only comes with consistent form, not just getting sloppier to chase numbers. That being said, this is the most Iāve ever really felt squats in my quads, so hopefully I have some epic gains from this.
- swapped up ab work, feel like I should do that every 6 weeks or so.
6 Likes
Work for today:
Superset:
Various grip chins: 8, 8, 8, 7, 7
Axle press: 135x5, 140x5, 140x5, 140x5, 115x9
Superset:
CGBP: 135x8, 155x8, 165x8, 170x7
BPA: 4xBx15
Giant set:
BNP: 85x10, 85x10, 85x8
Fat grip hammer curl: 25x12, 25x9+3 alt, 25x8+4alt
Notes:
- big form focus on press. Payed off, definitely felt like I was a lot more even, no tilted lifts. Looking less like a rippletoe overhead press and more like what a CrossFit guy might do, which I am good with. Shooting the head through, controlled extension of both arms. Weight took a hit, but I think this will be a short term blow to get long term progress.
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Surge WOF Review:
Several weeks ago, @Tim_Patterson and @Jared_Maggard were kind enough to send me the Surge challenge kit. Despite not running the Surge challenge due to my training goals (powerlifting/strongman).
A little background on me for reference:
- I am active duty, currently on a rotating shift work schedule that has me working between 72-90 hour weeks, with weekly changing sleep schedules. For this reason, I normally train fasted first thing after waking, for no other reason than it is about the only time I can carve out.
- I have been working to cut weight for about the last 12 months. I was a bit husky showing up to my last ship, and was downright beached whale fat by the end of my back to back deployments. Last July, I weighed in at 279. Today, scale reads about 211.
- Train primarily for strength and general fitness. Lifting 4x a week with bike rides and runs thrown in to keep my conditioning up.
Onto the review.
I received my Surge package, and felt like a kid on Christmas.
Two packets of surge, some bands, fat grips, and some water bottles. I was pretty excited to give it a go, and have used Surge for every workout since I got it.
When you pour in the surge (the funnel helps), it is initially cloudy and frothy.
Let it sit for about 10 minutes, and it calms down a bit to just clear liquid. Personally, I like this. 1) it shows that there isnāt a but of extra added junk thrown in to make it look cool. Itās got what you need, and nothing you donāt. 2) I donāt walk around with a stained tongue. 3) the funnel plus the cool water bottle just make me feel like Iām in some science experiment. I know thatās a dumb reason, but I still dig it.
For taste, I like it. This is honestly the least important part to me, but Iām sure some care more. The berry tastes good. Im not a connoisseur, I donāt know how to describe it well. Itās good, enjoyable rather than palatable. About the best description I can give. Onto the important bits.
When using Surge, Iāve noticed pretty consistent results. Itās not like a pre-workout. My skin isnāt tingling, Iām not super amped up, this isnāt jacking my system to overdrive on stimulants. Instead, I just feel good. My initial sets feel normal. Iām strong, Iām fresh, weights move well. The big difference for me comes later.
Being on a caloric deficit, and training fasted, I tend to burn out on my workouts. My main lift is strong, secondary Iām starting to tire, and I really am just mustering energy to go through the motions by the end of my session. Not with Surge. I feel fresh in the beginning, feel fresh in the middle, and finish my workouts feeling strong, still able to focus on and push myself on the later sets of accessory work. Im hitting numbers I expect to hit on my main lifts, but I am definitely knocking out new PRs on accessory lifts due to the energy I have later on in my workouts.
Cards on the table, Iām not a big supplement guy. This is actually the first one besides protein powder that Iāve used in years. Iāve always felt like most of them were 5% results and 95% marketing. I will say that this is the exception to my bias. Look, itās a supplement, not a steroid. Im not expecting to balloon up 20lbs of muscle in 3 weeks by drinking some liquid while I lift. But I will say, my workouts are better. I am getting more out of my sessions, and In turn my body is growing to the greater and greater stimulus. For me, it works. And thatās all I can ask.
10/10, I will vouch for Surge. Great product that I am sure to continue using. Again, big thanks to @Tim_Patterson & @Jared_Maggard for sending my some to try out, it is truly appreciated and I thank you guys for making such an awesome product.
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Thank you @atlas13 for the incredible review. You gave so much excellent information.
Surge Workout Fuel works best when youāre really under a challenge ā the harder you train the greater the effects. It also works better over time, especially after beta-alanine is fully loaded.
I expect hard-training users to be surprised at three or four weeks in when they see and feel a big increase.
@Jared_Maggard if you need more; donāt run out.
Please keep logging your progress, and you might want to ask @Christian_Thibaudeau for his suggestions on your program.
Thanks again.
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Well, this week got a little crazy.
Crazy busy work week, coupled with my wife out a town for a work trip, and then an unexpected death in the family. (Wifeās grandfather. Whole family learned he flew 21 combat missions in Korea. Never said a damn word about it, everyone just knew he worked on planes) I havenāt gotten more than a few hours of sleep a day since I last posted. As of right now, Iām going on 37 hours straight, and about to pass tf out.
Work for today:
59 min cycling ride: 721 calories
10 pull-ups
25 push-ups
Did this honestly to stay awake. Came back from the funeral, straight into a 12 hour shift, and due to some weird scheduling I have to shift my sleep schedule today for another 12 hour shift, so I knew if I crashed right when I got home from work Iād be screwed. Needed to stay up a couple hours, but I was just falling asleep no matter what. Figured getting some blood pumping would give me some quick energy. Was going to get in a lift, but the fact I hadnāt eaten since Saturday (Sunday? Jesus this shift work has me messed up, I canāt remember what day is what), and was just feeling weak, thought it best to save the lift for tomorrow.
Okay, bedtime.
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Sorry for your loss, my man. Actually, it sounds like we all lost with his passingāa true hero!
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Condolences to you and your family.
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Work for today:
SSB Front Squat: 60x5p, 150x3p, 200x5p, 225x5p, 235x5, 260x5 (crazy last rep), 230x5, 200x6
RDL: 135x8, 185x8, 225x8, 275x8, 275x8, 275x8
Ab wheel: 10, 10, 10
Conditioning: Mowed my shockingly overgrown lawn.
Notes:
- front squats were epic. Was definitely tight today, I could feel myself pitching forward even with just the bar just due to my hips not opening up. Went for a PR anyway, which had me fighting from falling forward every rep. On the last rep, the bar actually slipped off my collarbone onto my front delts, I kind of pinned it against me with my forearms and front squatted with a very zercher like movement. Not ideal, but I got the damn weight. A PR, even if an ugly one.
- RDLs felt strong. No belt or straps until 275, the first few sets really just to warmup.
- ab wheels are way easier than I remember, I may need to change these up.
- AM weight: 207.7, very evident I havenāt been eating much the last week or so. Going to crush some chipotle tonight, because I deserve it dammit.
- I just realized, this is the first time Iāve been under 210 since I was a college freshman cutting weight for BJJ. Dang.
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Hell yeah dude! You are crushing it.
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