P&FLT - c2w3d2 (c2 redux)
Monday - 23 August 2021
Workout: Extra conditioning, 1230-1255 (25 minutes)
100 1-pump burpees + 20-kg KB swings - 25-15-14-13-12-11-10; X-second rest after each set of X burpees + swings
BPA - red - 3x(10 high + 10 mid + 10 low)
Done.
Always throw in a like but don’t comment much on here. Just wanted to say well done. The consistency and level of work in here is spot on. You seem to be in a good place with your training right now which is always nice. What are your goals for this year ?
Thanks, mate! I appreciate you taking the time to say so.
Strength goals are to hit 1-2-3-4 plates, though not necessarily this year—press should be doable, and bench is already above 2 plates, but squat and deadlift are too far away for that, I think.
Wouldn’t mind recomping a bit between now and year’s end, but I’m no longer on a fat loss rampage. (And that’s a big deal.) Let’s call it a sort of physique maintenance phase. I’m pushing my conditioning, which should help, and learning to eat for performance, too. Think I’m finally coming around to playing the long game.
Anyway, long story short: I’m hoping to just keep plugging away, mostly. If I can continue with the consistency, everything else will eventually take care of itself!
Where are squat and deadlift at currently?
Hit 300 on squat in Feb 2020, before a SI joint/sciatic nerve injury in Nov 2020. Had to lay off that until around Mar or Apr of this year. Hit 255 for 4 during TM testing back in mid-June, probably had one more in me but didn’t push it—decided to follow JW’s advice and start too light.
I hit 355 on deadlift (also in Feb 2020), but moved away from training that for quite awhile. Got 275 for 2 during that same TM testing a few months ago.
Current TMs in 2nd cycle of 5/3/1 are 235 for squat and 275 for deadlift. Guess I could plug-and-chug to estimate when I might expect to hit 315 and 405, but it seems far enough away that I haven’t bothered—I’ll get there when I get there. 
Playing the long game is a very good choice. Even if you were to grind one of those out now you are still the same strength. Keep accumulating reps and you will get there. Plenty of time left this year to make some good solid gainz especially if you are eating to support the training.
P&FLT - c2w3d3 (c2 redux)
Tuesday - 24 August 2021
Workout: Squat, 1050-1150 (60 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 1102; End: 1146; Duration: 44 minutes
Squat - 110x5, 130x5, 155x5 | 180x5, 200x5, 225x5 | (180x5)x7
HLR - 16+4, 16+4, 16+4
Dip - BW - 25, 25
Chin-up/pull-up - BW - 12/(5+4+3), 6/(3+3), 6/(3+3), 6/(3+3)
Pushup - 35, 15
Band pushdown - red - 25, 25
Mentally that workout was set to crush me. In fact, it’s been trying to do that for well over a week now: I’ve been awaiting it anxiously since before last week’s squat workout. But when push came to shove, I just said, “Not today!”, strapped in, and buried it.
All the usual caveats apply: Second set of dips was tough and left me trembling, but I got them all in; chin-ups/pull-ups were tough and miserable, but I hit 60 across the many (many!) mini-sets; blah, blah, blah.
But I haven’t squatted that kind of weight for that many reps in well over a year, probably longer, so even with all the caveats it’s a BIG, BIG WIN.
Oh, and I hit all those reps pain-free, too.
Now, I’m gonna sound like a broken record, but I need to say it: I’ve been doing a fair amount of stress eating over the past several evenings. I do just fine until late afternoon or into evening, when it just seems to catch up with me. Lots of sources—some internal, some external—but none justify the comfort eating.
I’m actually beginning to wonder if I’ve started to cross my recovery threshold, such that I have a hard time choosing wisely when my body and mind are exhausted but my body still needs calories. Is that a thing, maybe? Or just another excuse?
Anyway, I said it.
Sled and BPAs later.
Well said.
If you lift a weight you’ve never lifted before, surely you’re stronger. But if you don’t lift it when you could have how do you know if your stronger?
P&FLT - c2w3d3 (c2 redux)
Tuesday - 24 August 2021
Workout: Hard conditioning, 1355-1420 (25 minutes)
Sled push - 16x50 yds, 90 + sled = 177 lbs
Goal: 15:00; Time: 13:32
BPA - red - 3x(10 high + 10 mid + 10 low)
Okay, got 'er done. Not a great time, but not bad either. I’ll take it.
If you load up the bar and hit a new 1RM then you are stronger than when you last tried to do a 1RM. If you chose not to load up the bar today and to just stick to the program you are still the same person with the same amount of strength. The only difference is that you didn’t test it today.
If you’ve been following a well written program or been doing this long enough you know when you are stronger. Weight for reps is easier, bar speed it good, maybe setting new amraps, training RPE’s are lower. Unless you are competing there is very little to be gained by doing single rep max lifts. Pretty sure @T3hPwnisher commented how strong he is feeling right now but from looking at his training he hasn’t been doing a lot of single rep max work lately. Now if he was to try a new 1RM tomorrow he might not hit it because he hasn’t been practicing single rep max lifts which is a skill. but he knows he is stronger.
This is really good. Well done.
I have been known to do this to. For me this is just an excuse and often a sign that my food through the day is not on point. When this happens to me I first make sure my food through the day is consistent and then I add a planned meal late in the evening. By having a specific meal planned I make sure I eat what my body needs and I stay off the junk. My go to late meal is natural greek yogurt mixed with flavored protein powder to make a desert. I then add peanut butter if I need fat, blueberries or strawberries, maybe even a little cereal if I want carbs.
I think this applies here, at least this time. I’m an adult, and thus deal with life stressors constantly, so there’s no reason to eat like a child… Like everything else, it’s going to take some work to be consistent without falling into old habits (disordered eating at one extreme or the other).
Thanks for sharing your insights—I continue to learn and I am working to improve, and hearing from others is a big part of why I’m here.
This. I can usually pinpoint what’s missing from my diet lately based on my cravings — providing it’s a consistent craving and not a momentary whim.
Listen to your body, it’s usually trying to tell you important things.
You’re absolutely right, of course, and there’s a way to bear your point in mind without being quite so hard on yourself.
You’re doing a huge amount of physical work every day, in addition to a stressful job, and the stresses of family life as well. That’s a lot for any person to manage without feeling the need for comfort occasionally.
As with so many things, these feelings and cravings are cyclical — they come and go, depending on what else is going on in your life and how things are affecting you physically and emotionally.
I think simo74 and kdjohn are both exactly right too, and have both given great suggestions.
You’re working extremely hard. Take good care of yourself too when you need it. Provided you’re paying attention (which you are), it doesn’t go too far, and all comes out in the wash.
P&FLT - c2w3d4 (c2 redux)
Wednesday - 25 August 2021
Workout: Easy conditioning + calves, 0835-0950 (75 minutes)
Weighted vest walk - 20 kg - 14 minutes (to park)
Easy run - 9 laps, about 1750m - 11:58
Weighted vest walk - 20 kg - 15 minutes (from park)
Seated CR - mtor - 170x12, 190x12 | 210x12 + isofail: 19s
Jump rope tabata - 16x20/10 - 1 round
Fasted. Got the kids off to school, then more or less straight into this workout. Everything from my lower back down feels like it’s made of lead—not sore so much, just slow.
Looking forward to booty WOD and swings later: should get some more blood flowing through my lower body.
P&FLT - c2w3d4 (c2 redux)
Wednesday - 25 August 2021
Workout: Extra conditioning, 1135-1220 (45 minutes)
Basic B*tch Booty Blaster WOD - AMRAP, 15 minutes
5 full rounds + 17 reps (finished last 63 reps in an additional 2:25)
100 1-pump burpees + 20-kg KB swings - 34-33-33; 30-second rest between each set
BPA - red - 3x(10 high + 10 mid + 10 low)
That WOD hurt so good today. Super slow, controlled reps, really focused on the squeeze at the top of each move. Just what I needed. Think the burpees + swings helped too, even if they were tough to get through today. BPAs are done.
P&FLT - c2w3d5 (c2 redux)
Thursday - 26 August 2021
Workout: Bench, 0820-0920 (60 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0834; End: 0917; Duration: 43 minutes
Bench - 110x5, 130x5, 155x5 | 180x5, 200x5, 225x5 | (180x5)x7
Band face pull - red - 25, 25
Bulgarian split squat - L/R - BW - 20, 20
Pull-up/chin-up - BW - 12/(8+4) + (4+2)/(4+2), (6+2)/(5+3), (5+3)/(4+4)
OA row - L/R - 35 - 25, 25
KB swing - 20kg - 30, 20
Upright row - 30 - 30, 20
Good workout, but glad it’s over. Legs are still slow, could really feel the swings. Everything else was typical: bench moved well, even if the top set felt heavy off the rack; got 68 pull-ups/chin-ups across all of the mini-sets; and the row variations have my upper back super pumped.
Going to try a modified Freddy Krueger WOD today: 21-15-9 swings + burpees for time, but I’m adding chin-up variations and air squats for some extra work. Will top off with 55 burpees + swings to finish off the conditioning day 100, and then do the BPAs.
Nice job on the bench
Thanks, man! It felt pretty good today.