Nah, probably just a bad day. Charge forward!
1 Like
@atlas13 - Those curls are brutal! Seriously the worst 10 minutes of my week. But I’m finally feeling them in my biceps, and I’m just over 12 weeks away from completing Pwn’s challenge, so I’ll just keep curling!
@aholding88 - Bands are a great idea! Truth be told, I could’ve done some bodyweight stuff in my hotel room, and there was a gym with day passes within walking distance. Time, energy, and desire were lacking on this trip…
@hillbillyk - Thanks for the encouragement, brother! The “Charge forward!” attitude is something I can get behind—the wall will break if I just keep hitting it hard enough, haha!
2 Likes
I have tried and tried to be an early lifter, but man like you I feel a difference and am just not present. I can do mindless cardio if needed, but hitting meaningful weights is a no go at that time. Your 1RM is probably higher given that you could have repped 325 if it was later in the day. I think you are probably right about your TM but I wouldn’t go too nutty with it. Either way though, you’ll make the most of it. Keep it up!
1 Like
In theory less carbs in the system with just Surge? Small price to pay in getting the work in early (fellow fasted early am lifter here mate, no biggie in my mind).
1 Like
7WP, TM Test - d3
Tuesday - 04 October 2022
Workout: Bench & daily work, 0525-0640 (75 minutes)
Indigo-3G - 0500
Surge - 0531-0627
Warm-up
Throws
Box jumps - 30 in - 10
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Begin: 0553; End: 0635; Duration: 42 minutes
Bench - 110x5, 135x5, 165x5 | 190x5, 220x5, 245x5, 270x5
Seated DB press - 2x45 lbs - 10, 10, 10
Ab wheel - ramp (19) - 10, 10, 10
Pull-up - BW - 10, 10, 10
Band pushdown - red - 30
Bulgarian SS - L/R - 2x30 lbs - 20, 10
BFP - red - 30
Assistance totals:
Push - 60 reps
Pull - 60 reps
Single-leg/core - 60 reps
Semi-fasted: black coffee upon waking, then Indigo-3G and Surge as above.
At least my bench isn’t crashing. I mean, no one cares—it’s bench press, right? But I did better with 270 than I did last time around (270x4 in early August 2022).
Warm-ups sets as bench-DB press-ab wheel-pull-up circuits in 18 minutes. Main work as 190-band pushdown, 220-Bulgarian, 245-BFP, 270-Bulgarian in 24 minutes.
The bar path on the last 2 reps of 270 was a little wonky. Not sure what happened, because they felt strong. I think I might have just let my elbows get ahead of my wrists and then found myself trying to correct that early in the concentric portion. Whatever—I got the reps and they felt pretty good!
That was also the best the ab wheel has felt since that issue where something “popped” in my lower ab. They weren’t easy, but they felt solid. We’re gonna call that “progress,” too.
12 Likes
@zeptrey - I hear you, man! I guess we can’t all be sentient farm machinery, haha. But needs must when the devil drives…
@raven78 - I know what you’re saying, except my pre-workout breakfast (when that was a thing) was very nearly zero carb. Before all this fasted early morning stuff, I used to think my breakfast didn’t fuel the workout but just jump-started my recovery. Could be you’re right, though: carbs or no carbs, lack of calories beyond the intra-workout Surge could be to blame. But we get it done regardless—fasted early AM lifters unite!
2 Likes
This is currently my thought process.
I’m weird as in I perform better early AM fasted (when I can avoid the luxury of not having to eat). I always thought it was because the coffee’s caffeine hitting ‘better’ considering nothing else was being digested,
2 Likes
Wow, my dude: you’re a whole different animal! (Haha.)
I’m not sure early AM fasted is really the problem, but it’s one big thing that’s changed over the past month or so. Not too worried about it—whatever “it” actually is—just gonna keep charging forward!
1 Like
7WP, TM Test - d4
Wednesday - 05 October 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning & daily work, 0850-0955 (65 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Bike@120-140 bpm - 10 minutes
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 15 minutes
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Fasted.
I’ll spare you all the details, but the wheels are fallin’ off, folks.
Schedule’s all messed up today, but I got this done. I may have to swap things around to finish out the week, but we’ll just see how things are tomorrow morning.
10 Likes
This has been me a lot lately. With your commitment you’ll make it happen.
Luck to ya.
1 Like
7WP, TM Test - d5
Thursday - 06 October 2022
Workout: Press & daily work, 0525-0645 (80 minutes)
Indigo-3G - 0500
Surge - 0530-0620
Warm-up
Throws
Box jumps - 30 in - 10
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Begin: 0556; End: 0638; Duration: 42 minutes
Press - 65x5, 80x5, 95x5 | 110x5, 125x5, 140x5, 155x4
Decline DB press - 2x65 lbs - 10, 10, 10
HLR - 10, 10, 10
Pull-up - BW - 10, 10, 10
Band pushdown - red - 30
Bulgarian split squat - L/R - 2x30 lbs - 20, 10
BFP - red - 30
Assistance totals:
Push - 60 reps
Pull - 60 reps
Single-leg/core - 60 reps
Semi-fasted: black coffee upon waking, then Indigo-3G and Surge as above.
Press is holding steady, and that’s better than regressing! I got 155x4 on the top set, which matches last time around (early August 2022). Today’s 5th rep pretty much matched that other one, too:
Didn’t fight it that long because my back is tender* and:
Ran press-DB press-HLR-pull-up circuits for the warm-up sets. Those took 19 minutes. Then 110-pushdown, 125-lunge, and 140-BFP. I then did lunge-155 because, quite frankly, I wanted more rest before hitting the top set but I didn’t want to just sit around. The main work took 24 minutes.
I may deadlift tomorrow, I may not—my right SI joint could probably use some more rest, so we’ll just have to see how I feel in the morning.
* My right SI joint got super-angry on Tuesday night, seemingly for no apparent reason (though it could’ve been any number of things: Monday’s squats or good mornings, maybe Tuesday’s ab wheel work or Bulgarians, the way I was sitting at the computer all day Tuesday, …?). In any case, it was so bad I couldn’t sleep, which is part of why I felt so crappy yesterday morning. It was much better today, but still a bit tender overall.
16 Likes
7WP, TM Test - d6
Friday - 07 October 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning & daily work, 0535-630 (55 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Bike@120-140 bpm - 10 minutes
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 15 minutes
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Fasted.
Obviously decided to delay deadlifts until tomorrow, but that decision was as much about this morning’s schedule as it was about giving my SI joint a little more time.
Also, I’m eyeing up the 10K swing challenge for the 12 days between Sunday and leaving for vacation (Friday, 21 October). I’d need 834 swings/day to hit 10K, so it might end up being only 6K, but either way, that’s seems to be the most attractive option I’ve come up with to this point…
12 Likes
7WP, TM Test - d7
Saturday - 08 October 2022
Workout: Deadlift & daily work, 1520-1710 (100 minutes)
Indigo-3G - (none)
Surge - (none)
Warm-up
Throws
Box jumps - 30 in - 10
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Begin: 1557; End: 1705; Duration: 68 minutes
Deadlift - 160x5, 200x5, 240x5 | 280x5, 320x5, 360x5, 395x2 (rep PR)
Dip - 75 - 10, 10, 10
Ab wheel - ramp (19) - 10, 10, 10
Chin-up - BW - 10, 10, 10
Push-up - 30
BPA - red - 10 high + 10 mid + 10 low
Good morning - 135 - 6, 6, 6, 6, 6
Assistance totals:
Push - 60 reps
Pull - 60 reps
Single-leg/core - 60 reps
Short-course season opened today with a home meet. Didn’t want to rush this workout in the early AM, so I rolled over after my alarm went off this morning and slept until about 0500. We were at the pool by 0700, and the kiddos did pretty well at the meet. We were all tired by the time we got home this afternoon, though—I actually fell asleep on the couch for a few minutes after lunch!
Came into this workout groggy and feeling lethargic, but managed two solid reps on that top set for a new rep PR. It’s not the 5 I wanted, but I became aware of both SI joints after the first work set, so I was being purposefully conservative. That said, I might have had another one in there without really risking doing something stupid. No worries—I’ll just bump up and crush 405x5 next time I do a TM test. (Haha!)
With 395x2, JW’s formula puts me at a TM of 360. That feels a little low, but given all the trouble I had with deadlifts throughout Hardgainers, I’m really not too worried about it. Oh, and I absolutely figured out the belt this time: used it (and the straps) for all 300+ sets, and I nearly passed out after the first rep of 320—could literally feel the blood draining from my head as I locked it out!
The rest of today’s work went just fine, but I think those good mornings are the reason behind the recent SI joint flare-up. I may need to drop the weight on those if I start doing them regularly again.
I still owe this week’s BB curls, but I might just let them go until tomorrow. I’ve gotten kind of lax about getting them in every Saturday lately, but I have gotten them all in, so I’m still on track to complete Pwn’s challenge—it’s all good.
Pretty sure I’ll be starting the 6K(-ish) Swing Challenge tomorrow. Goal is to hit at least 500 24-kg swings and the corresponding strength exercises each day for the next 12 days. Not sure what it says about my headspace right now, but I’m actually looking forward to a break from the barbell… (Wait, didn’t I just have a break during that overseas work trip!?!)
Onward and upward!
Edit: Just in case future-me wonders—I failed to break the ground on my first attempt at 395. Rather than strain too hard and end up in a wonky position, I stopped, unwrapped, took some deep breaths, said to myself, “Okay, now you know how hard it will be,” reset, and got the two reps. So no, I didn’t get 5, and no, the two I did get weren’t easy, but I didn’t give up!
19 Likes
Nice work
1 Like
There you go. Back in the sattle!
1 Like
Nice nice very nice
1 Like
@throwawayfitness, @Koestrizer, @simo74 - Thanks, guys! It felt good to feel good enough to hit those reps, haha!
3 Likes
7WP, TM Test - summary
Squats absolutely sucked, the rest of it was pretty good. I felt extraordinarily tired and out of sync all week, maybe still decompressing from the stress the week before. Or maybe it was just the lack of work the week before. Whatever it was, I still hit my goals: got the work in and I ate well. In fact, it felt really good to not to eat out at all—that’s only fun for, like, a day.
Right, so last week I said,
but we all know how well I do when No Plan is the plan, so I’ve decided to cram in as much of DJ’s 10K Swing Challenge as I can before we head out for our late “summer” vacation. If I follow the Rx, I’ll get 6K swings in 12 days, but my hope is to eek out a few more rounds most days, so we’re calling it the “6K(-ish) Swing Challenge.”
I’ve been threatening to run this challenge for awhile, but I haven’t wanted to step away from the barbell—at least not until I just got back from that work trip. Not sure what’s up with that, but given that’s how I’m feeling, now’s as good a time as any to give it a shot: it’ll be no fewer than 6K swings, maybe a bit more than that, and I might even be able to get closer to 10K if I do some two-a-day sessions. That may violate the spirit of the original challenge, but I’m already adapting and making it mine, so I figure as long as I step up to the plate and hit a minimum of 5 rounds per session, it shouldn’t really matter too much: the work is the work.
Anyway, that’s The Plan.
And yes, I’m quite happy that I have one!
6 Likes
6K(-ish) Swing Challenge - Day 1 of 12
Sunday - 09 October 2022
Workout: Swing & press + BB curls, 0525-0615 + 1740-1750 (50 + 10 minutes)
6 rounds of:
a) 10 swing, 1 press
b) 15 swing, 2 press
c) 25 swing, 3 press
d) 50 swing
e) 3-minute rest
Time: 44:06
Swings: 600/6000(-ish)
BB curls - 140 (rep PR)
Fasted. Day 1 in the books. Had time for about 45-minutes worth of work before this morning’s activities: Finished up the Rx 5 rounds in 36:10 and completed 6 full rounds in 44:06.
Used the Rx 24-kg KB for swings. I started with 155 lbs on the press, which was aggressive, but got 2 reps on the 3rd set of the 2nd round and realized I wasn’t going to be able to keep that up. Racked it, stripped off the two 10-lbs plates, finished out the set, and carried forward with 135. Actual sweet spot might be somewhere in the 140-150 range, but I didn’t take the time to mess around with new plates this morning. I’ll figure it out as we move along, I guess.
Oh, and if this challenge doesn’t improve my grip strength, nothing will! My forearms are absolutely dead. And I have to do yesterday’s BB curls later—yeah, that’ll be fun!
Speaking of, I’ll edit those in once they’re done. Off to the pool for now.
Edit: That’s last week’s BB curls done: 140 unbroken in 6:49. Forearms hurt, but not like I expected after those swings this morning. Now we’re on to 141 unbroken next Saturday.
11 Likes
6K(-ish) Swing Challenge - Day 2 of 12
Monday - 10 October 2022
Workout: Swing & dip, 0520-0610 (50 minutes)
6 rounds of:
a) 10 swing, 2 dip
b) 15 swing, 3 dip
c) 25 swing, 5 dip
d) 50 swing
e) 3-minute rest
Time: 38:59
Swings: 1200/6000(-ish)
Fasted. Dips at 75 lbs, might be able to bump those up as high as 90 lbs and still finish out alright. I kept between-round breaks to less than two minutes today, and much closer to 90 seconds for most of them. Hit Rx 5 rounds in 32:11, 6 full rounds as above. It was death, slow and steady.
I’m totally convinced two-a-day, 5-round sessions is the way I get to the 10K mark, but I went ahead and did 6 rounds again this morning because I could. And because I like uniformity. Anyway, I’m not sure what the rest of today looks like, exactly, but if I can squeeze in another 5 rounds, I will—I need to at least try it before really making a judgement on what I can handle.
13 Likes