Bench coming back up mate. How they feeling ?
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Light and easy.
I’d quite forgotten that I scaled my TM way back for 5x5/3/1 to hit those 5x5 top sets, and I based my current numbers on whatever I had been doing before my break.
I could easily jump back up again next cycle by more than the recommended 5-lbs increment, but I’m just gonna stay the course until my next TM test week… Whenever it comes!
3 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w2d6
Friday - 28 July 2023
Workout: Clean & squat, 0520-0635 (75 minutes)
Indigo-3G - 0500
Surge - 0530-0620
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0539; End: 0630; Duration: 51 minutes
Squat - 145x5, 175x5 | 200x5, 230x5, 260x5
Hang power clean - 65x5, 75x5 | 90x5, 100x5, 115x5
SLDL - 200x6, 200x6, 200x6
KB swing - 32 kg - 45, 40, 15
Ab wheel - ramp (19) - 10, 10, 10, 8, 7, 6
Neck flexion - 10 lbs - 30, 20
Neck extension - 10 lbs - 30, 20
Semi-fasted: black coffee upon waking, then Indigo-3G and Surge as above.
Warm-ups sets in 7 + 8 minutes, main work in 14 + 13 minutes, supplemental SLDL work in 9 minutes, assistance superset throughout.
Today’s setup with squats first just makes so much more sense—logistically and otherwise. I realize now I can actually cut out the hang clean warm-ups this way, too, to save a bit more time without impacting performance.
Everything felt good: Squats were nice and deep, good pop on the cleans, slow and steady on the SLDLs. Thought about pushing the KB swings for 2x50 today, but obviously opted no to.
A tweaked version of Chaos WOD to follow later.
15 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w2d6
Friday - 28 July 2023
Workout: Extra conditioning, 1820-1855 (35 minutes)
Chaos WOD - AMRAP, 10 minutes:
1 devil’s press - 2x30 lbs
1 thruster - 2x30 lbs
2 devil’s press - 2x30 lbs
2 thruster - 2x30 lbs
…
Rounds: 7 + 9 reps (8 full rounds in +???)
Rest - 1 minute
Escape the Chaos - for time:
8 thruster - 2x30 lbs
8 devil’s press - 2x30 lbs
1 thruster - 2x30 lbs
1 devil’s press - 2x30 lbs
…
5 thruster - 2x30 lbs
5 devil’s press - 2x30 lbs
4 thruster - 2x30 lbs
4 devil’s press - 2x30 lbs
Time: 12:08
That’ll get your motor running!
Something went wrong with my timer after the 10-minute AMRAP expired, so I don’t know how long it took me to finish out the 8th full round of Chaos—probably less than a minute? Certainly not more than two…
Anyway, from there it was a full minute of rest, which was really just me trying to get my breathing under control, then into a Juarez Valley descent from a top set of 8 (to match the Chaos peak).
Pretty happy with the Escape part—I was already dead by that point, but the way down didn’t take too much longer than the way up!
14 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w2d7
Saturday - 29 July 2023
Workout: Easy conditioning, 0525-0615 (50 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 32-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Bike@120-140 bpm - 10 minutes
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 15 minutes
Fasted. Beat the rain. Mostly.
12 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w2d7
Saturday - 29 July 2023
Workout: Hard conditioning, 1550-1620 (30 minutes)
Pwn’s The Last Castle - 5 rounds
a) Farmer’s walk - 25 yards - 2x107 lbs
b) 20 BFP - red
c) Farmer’s walk - 25 yards - 2x107 lbs
d) 3 bear complex - 95 lbs
Time: 18:37
More rain came through about 15 minutes before I set out to do this work, so I swapped in tomorrow’s farmers walks: Driveway was too slick to push. I’d be lying if I said I was disappointed: Sled pushes have become the bane of my training existence lately, and I’m really digging the heavier carries.
Not sure what the weather’s supposed to be like tomorrow, but I’ll swap in those sled pushes if it cooperates.
10 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w2 - summary
Here we go again: Placeholder.
My goals for the week are:
- Complete all 4 lifting workouts
- Complete 4 days of extra conditioning
- Complete 3 days of easy conditioning and direct yoke work
- Complete 3 days of hard conditioning
- Eat properly
Still want to get back to the c26w1 summary too. Ugh!
9 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w3d1
Sunday - 30 July 2023
Workout: Easy conditioning, 0850-0945 (55 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 32-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Bike@120-140 bpm - 10 minutes
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 15 minutes
Fasted. The weather looks beautiful today—they’re saying the heat will finally back off a bit—so I should be able to get yesterday’s sled push done without issue.
8 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w3d1
Sunday - 30 July 2023
Workout: Hard conditioning, 1405-1445 (40 minutes)
Pwn’s The Last Castle - 5 rounds
a) Sled push - 25 yards, 170 + sled = 257 lbs
b) 21 BPA - red - 7 hi + 7 mid + 7 low
c) Sled push - 25 yards, 170 + sled = 257 lbs
d) 15 OH tri ext - 2x25 lbs
Time: 19:06
And now the battlefield is strewn with the blood of my enemies!
Or maybe it’s just drops of sweat covering the driveway, but either way: Weaknesses both in mind and in body were dropping like flies.
13 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w3d2
Monday - 31 July 2023
Workout: Press, 0515-0620 (65 minutes)
Indigo-3G - 0500
Surge - 0530-0604
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0530; End: 0613; Duration: 43 minutes
Press - 60x5, 70x5, 85x5 | 95x5, 110x5, 120x5
CGBP - 170x5, 170x5, 170x5
Chin-up - BW - 12, 12, 12, 10, 10
Neck extension - 10 lbs - 35, 15
Neck flexion - 10 lbs - 35, 15
BPA - red - 25, 25, 25
Glenn B. shrug - 2x25 lbs - 100
Semi-fasted: black coffee upon waking, then Indigo-3G and Surge as above.
Warm-up sets in 15 minutes, main work in 12 minutes, supplemental CGBP in 10 minutes, assistance superset throughout.
Press continues to feel light and easy, though 110 was harder than 120 today. I think my bracing was just a little off. Looking forward to cycling up my TM next week.
Really happy with the chins today—I’m not where I was before my break, but today was so, SO much better than Week 1: More reps. Less pain. Making progress.
I’ve got a modified Helen WOD planned for later today. See you then!
18 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w3d2
Monday - 31 July 2023
Workout: Extra conditioning, 1735-1805 (30 minutes)
(Modified) Helen WOD - 3 rounds, for time:
Run - about 670m
21 KB swings - 32 kg
12 pull-ups - BW
Time: 24:10
I’ve avoided all WODs with running because I thought I didn’t have a good place to get in 400+ meters.
Turns out I was absolutely right!
But I bit the bullet and gave it a shot. Here, “modified” means the run was about 670m, or the rough distance around my block. And let me tell you: my block really, really sucks—somehow it’s uphill on all 4 sides, haha!
Not too sure what to think about the setup, but at least I’m getting some running in, 'cause we all know:
(You still out there, @kdjohn? Hope all is well with you, mi amigo!)
The swings were solid, and the pull-ups went 6, 3, 3 in each round. Given the chins this morning and the lack of oxygen this afternoon, I’m okay with that.
Well, folks, that’s that. I guess I CAN run without taking the all the time necessary to get up to the track and back…
What have I done!?!
13 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w3d3
Tuesday - 01 August 2023
Workout: Deadlift, 0515-0630 (75 minutes)
Indigo-3G - 0500
Surge - 0530-0616
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0535; End: 0624; Duration: 49 minutes
Deadlift - 150x5, 185x5, 215x5 | 250x5, 285x5, 315x5
Front squat - 170x5, 170x5, 170x5
HLR - 12, 12, 12, 12, 12
Neck flexion - 5 lbs - 50
Neck extension - 5 lbs - 50
KB swing - 32 kg - 50, 50
Semi-fasted: black coffee upon waking, then Indigo-3G and Surge as above.
Warm-up sets in 15 minutes, main work in 19 minutes, supplemental front squats in 15 minutes, assistance super-set throughout.
Awesome morning: Everything felt super strong, and those front squats were just flying up! Pulled everything beltless and without straps, though my grip was shot by the top set. Speaking of which: I knocked out the swings in two sets, which is fantastic, too! I could’ve gone for 5-10 more reps on the first set—and maybe I should have!—but I’m still happy with those: 50 reps at 32 kg is a PR.
The Ellen WOD is on tap for later today.
18 Likes
5/3/1 BaBY - c26w3d3
Tuesday - 01 August 2023
Workout: Extra conditioning, 1735-1805 (30 minutes)
Ellen WOD - 3 rounds, for time:
20 1-pump burpees
21 alternating DB snatches - 50 lbs
12 DB thrusters - 2x50 lbs
Time: 19:33
Holy crap—that WOD should be called Hell-en!
It was the thrusters that killed me: Combined, the DBs weren’t much heavier than when I do these with a barbell, but they make it different somehow—stability in the core and in the shoulders, I think. Regardless, they ate me alive! I put the DBs down mid-set in each round, and the reps went 6, 6; 6, 6; and 8, 4, respectively. Ugh!
I did manage to get all of the other work done unbroken, so there’s that.
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Good to see you back doing more work that most of us can think of. I know you put up your short term weekly goals or even cycle goals but just wondering if you have any long term goals you are working towards ?
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Still looking to hit the 4-plate deadlift for reps, mate!
But I’m not pushing toward that particularly hard right now.
In the near(-er) term, I am looking to:
- drop the fat I accumulated during my break,
- re-establish the daily training/diet habits that have taken me so far already, and
- figure out how to do that while managing the significantly higher stress in my new/not-so-new job.
I’m well on my way with a few of those, so we’ll call it progress!
7 Likes
Any thoughts on any type of competition for you in the future ?
I like the idea of the goal now being to re-set everything and get to a new baseline.
Any ideas on how you might tackle the ultimate goal of 4 plates for reps. This seems like something you could progress to pretty quickly based on your current strength. It may just need to specialization in terms of training.
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I’ll admit, you totally inspired me to check into it: You were having so much fun running with those young guns!
So I’ve looked around a little—but really only just long enough to see that I’m not strong enough for the two in my area yet this year, not even in the novice old-dudes categories: I’d zero everything!
But the seed has been planted…
I’m a one-trick pony, so you know it’ll be 5/3/1.
But I probably just need to stop template-hopping: I’ve reset my TMs so many times over the last year to account for the different main/supplement rep schemes that I no longer have a good feel for just how strong I am. A period of week-in/week-out, cycle-in/cycle-out consistency would probably do me good.
But any kind of consistency is really what I’m after: My daughter turns 13 next week, and my son is only a few years away himself, so I’m much more concerned with continuing to model a path to size, strength, and conditioning than I am with achieving any kind of absolute size, strength, or conditioning for myself—the latter result is just a nice benefit of the former pursuit, I think!
2 Likes
531 has so many options it will deff get your deadlift where you want it, maybe need to just think about tailoring the supplemental and accessory work to support the goal. Anyway plenty of time for that once you get your baseline where you want it.
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Cheers, mate!
It’s nice to be asked these questions and be held accountable: I’ve had some of this stuff swirling around in my head for awhile now, and you’ve managed to get me to put it into words.
Gotta love the T-Nation community!
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Dan John wrote something like (not quoting incorrectly cause I can remember but you will get the idea) that Free Will is like a can of shaving gel, it just runs out without warning. Best way to get more is to borrow a little from every one else. Tell people what your are trying to achieve, like lots of people and the forum is a great place to do that.
Soon everyone starts asking you,…hows that 4 plate dead lift going ? or when is the next comp? And there is no way of escaping your goal. Now you have to go get it.
4 Likes