Becoming Canis dirus - SvenG's Training Log

Training Training Logs
5766

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c4w6d4

Wednesday - 26 November 2025
Workout: Deadlift, 0935-1035 (60 minutes)

Jumps/throws

Begin: 0947; End: 1023; Duration: 36 minutes
Deadlift - (255x5)x10
One-arm DB press - L/R - 60 lbs - 10, 10, 10
CS DB row - 2x55 lbs - 10, 10, 10
Ab wheel - ramp (14) - 10, 10, 10
OH triceps extension - 59 lbs - 15
Pull-up - BW - 11+4
Neck flexion - 25 lbs - 15

AMRAP - 5 minutes
Shuttle run - 25 yards
Rounds: 23+

Assistance totals:
Push - 45 reps
Pull - 45 reps
Single-leg/core - 45 reps

Main work in 31 minutes, assistance superset throughout.

Still feeling rough, though I can’t believe I’m still coming down from last week. Yesterday was a long day, but even so…

Happy with how everything moved, though. Sets 4, 5, 7, and 9 felt absolutely stellar today, and the assistance was solid throughout. Felt like I was really dragging on the shuttle runs, but I guess managed to get in a more-or-less typical number anyway.

Driveway was still slick, so jumps were tentative. Even so, rain is no longer in the forecast, so I’m eyeing up that sled push later today, but we’ll have to see how things play out: Tomorrow might actually be a better day for extra work!

13 Likes
5767

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c4w6d4

Wednesday - 26 November 2025
Workout: Conditioning, 1525-1555 (30 minutes)

AMRAP - 15 minutes
Sled push - 135 lbs + sled - 50 yards
Rounds: 12

Have I just been sandbagging it this whole time!?!

7 Likes
5768

every time I read this in your log I am reminded how far off the rails I have gone with regards to conditioning and the need to do better. But at least foe now I still find reasons to not do it. LOL

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5769

This feels like a most apt typo.

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5770

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c4w6d4

Wednesday - 26 November 2025
Workout: Easy conditioning, 1910-1940 (30 minutes)

Walk - 30 minutes

That’s it for today. Tomorrow, we press!

7 Likes
5771

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c4w6d5

Thursday - 27 November 2025
Workout: Press, 1030-1130 (60 minutes)

Jumps/throws

Begin: 1040; End: 1115; Duration: 35 minutes
Press - 100x5, 115x5, 130x5, 115x5, 130x5, 140x3
Decline DB press - 2x72.5 lbs - 10, 10, 10
T-bar row - 115 lbs - 10, 10, 10
Bulgarian split squat - L/R - 2x40 lbs - 10, 10, 10
Lateral raise - 12+3
Rope cable curl - 30 lbs - 15
Russian twist - L/R - 25 lbs - 15

AMRAP - 5 minutes
Shuttle run - 25 yards
Rounds: 25

Assistance totals:
Push - 45 reps
Pull - 45 reps
Single-leg/core - 45 reps

Main work in 20 minutes, assistance superset throughout.

Didn’t sleep well, up early with Mrs. SvenG, but had a slow morning—definitely feeling yesterday’s work!

Press moved alright, considering. The second sets of 115 and 130 felt easier than the first sets, as is typical: I’m warmed up by that point. The 3 reps at 140 were fine—there was one more in the tank for sure, and maybe 2 if a grinder would count. Again: not bad, considering.

Rest of it was fine, though the lateral raises kicked my butt and I had to rest-pause to get all 15 reps. The rope cable curls were interesting, but didn’t quite do it for me—I like the idea of cable curls, so I’ll have to keep tweaking to find a variation that works.

That’s the end of the lifting workouts for Cycle 4. It was a long time in coming, but I’m glad the travel didn’t disrupt my desire to see it through. I’ll finish out the conditioning over the next two days, cycle up the weights, and move right into the next 6-week leader of God Sven is a Beast!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

13 Likes
5772

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c4w6d5

Thursday - 27 November 2025
Workout: Easy conditioning, 1910-1940 (30 minutes)

Walk - 30 minutes

And that’s a wrap!

7 Likes
5773

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c4w6d6

Friday - 28 November 2025
Workout: Conditioning + calves, 1030-1110 (40 minutes)

Standing calf raise - BW - 3 minutes
Reps: 117

Tabata plate ground-to-overhead - 45 lbs - 8x(20 on/10 off)
Reps: 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9 (72 total)

AMRAP - 15 minutes
Sled push - 135 lbs + sled - 50 yards
Rounds: 10+

I think I’m gonna have to work on my cold tolerance, because it’s barley below freezing here, but it totally zapped my energy: My legs and lungs were burning, and each breath was like a ice blast to my lungs, so there wasn’t much relief between rounds.

But even the tabata was hard today—I barely got 9 reps in a few of the rounds—so maybe it’s just a bad day? Doesn’t make sense, though, because I slept pretty well and was well-fed: Didn’t go crazy yesterday, but stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy aren’t on the typical dinner menu.

We’re headed out for dinner and a movie tonight, so I may end up doing the last post-dinner walk of this cycle tomorrow night instead—guess we’ll just have to see how the timing works out!

10 Likes
5774

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c4w6d6

Friday - 28 November 2025
Workout: Easy conditioning, 2020-2050 (30 minutes)

Walk - 30 minutes

Caught the latest matinee, then Chinese for dinner—beef and broccoli with some of the kids’ General Tso. Wife wasn’t interested in the hot tub, so I decided to knock out today’s walk today.

Felt good, actually, and so I’m glad I did!

7 Likes
5775

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c5w1d1

Saturday - 29 November 2025
Workout: Squat, 0920-1035 (75 minutes)

Jumps/throws

Begin: 0932; End: 1023; Duration: 41 minutes
Squat - 220x5, 250x5, 280x5, 235x5, 265x5, 295x(5+2)
HLR - 10, 10, 10
V-grip cable row - 140 lbs - 10, 10, 10
DB shoulder press - 2x52.5 - 10, 10, 10
Deficit RDL - 225 lbs - 10, 10
BB curl - 75 lbs - 10, 10
Dip - 45 lbs - 10, 10

Assault bike - 5 minutes

Assistance totals:
Push - 50 reps
Pull - 50 reps
Single-leg/core - 50 reps

Main work in 25 minutes, assistance superset throughout.

Found out late yesterday we’ve got to be on the road tomorrow, so I decided to slide tomorrow’s squat workout into today. That sounded awful, but things went okay, I guess. The set at 265 felt and looked the best (I think), but upon reflection, maybe 295 wasn’t as bad as I thought it was in the moment.

Oh, and the minute I racked the bar, I began second-guessing my rep count: I’m 99.9% sure I did 5, but I decided to do another two reps, just in case. (And those two were probably the best at that weight!)

Finally, who’s the idiot that keeps writing RDLs into these workouts? Those just suck the life out of me like nothing else…

Anyway, the start of Cycle 5 means new TMs:

Squat - 310 lbs
Press - 145 lbs
Dead - 345 lbs
Bench - 250 lbs

My intent is to get the last bit of Cycle 4’s conditioning in this evening, but I might just walk tonight let that go until tomorrow: There should be time for something on one end of our travel or the other.

As somebody wise once said, “Chaos is the plan!”

13 Likes
5776

Wow! seems like you’re pretty much back to where you were before the layoff!

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5777

@anna_5588 - Thanks! I’ve managed to stay pretty consistent lately, and, honestly, that’s the most important thing at this point—but it is nice to see things moving up!

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5778

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c4w6d7

Saturday - 29 November 2025
Workout: Easy conditioning, 1425-1505 (40 minutes)

2 rounds of:
Devil’s press - 2x35 lbs - 8
Pull-up - BW - 6
Box jump - 24-inch - 6

Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 20 minutes

Okay, now THAT’s Week 6 done—and Cycle 4 done. I’ll do a “post-dinner” walk tomorrow evening, but the exact timing there will just depend on just exactly when we return.

Also, I meant to say earlier: I’ll be replacing 5 minutes of shuttle runs with 5 minutes on the Assault bike in Cycle 5: My knees have been feeling the seemingly constant pounding, but I’ve noticed some relief in the periods when I was traveling and therefore not “running.” As ever, the goal is 5 minutes of constant motion with an elevated HR, and the bike does that just fine!

10 Likes
5779

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c5w1d1

Sunday - 30 November 2025
Workout: Easy conditioning, 1845-1915 (30 minutes)

Walk - 30 minutes

Man, I’m glad I did those squats yesterday: I might’ve been able to get them in this morning, but sleeping in was more fun, and I would’ve had to give myself a real talking-to in order to get them in this evening.

As it is, the post-dinner walk felt good. I did a PSMF with two Metabolic Drive shakes throughout the day, then cheesy eggs, turkey bacon, and 3/4 of a Kodiak protein waffle, hot off the iron!

11 Likes
5780

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c5w1d2

Monday - 01 December 2025
Workout: Bench, 0940-1035 (55 minutes)

Jumps/throws

Begin: 0950; End: 1027; Duration: 37 minutes
Bench - (165x5)x10
Deficit reverse lunge - L/R - 2x40 lbs - 10, 10, 10
BB row - 175 lbs - 10, 10, 10
Decline DB press - 2x75 - 10, 10, 10
Neck extension - 30 lbs - 10, 10
Upright row - 75 lbs - 10, 10
Skull crusher - 2x30 lbs - 10, 10

Assault bike - 5 minutes

Assistance totals:
Push - 50 reps
Pull - 50 reps
Single-leg/core - 50 reps

Main work in 31 minutes, assistance superset throughout.

That was a phenomenal workout! Top to bottom, everything felt awesome. And I took the weights up across the board, too. Except for the lunges, because single leg work is just awful.

But still, it feels good to feel good!

10 Likes
5781

:heart: It does indeed.

1 Like
5782

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c5w1d2

Monday - 01 December 2025
Workout: Easy conditioning, 1920-1950 (30 minutes)

Walk - 30 minutes

That’s a wrap!

5 Likes
5783

God Sven is a Beast - 2025.c5w1d3

Tuesday - 02 December 2025
Workout: Conditioning + calves, 1420-1500 (40 minutes)

Seated calf raise - 140 lbs - 3 minutes
Reps: 79

Tabata American KB swing - 24 kg - 8x(20 on/10 off)
Reps: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 (80 total)

EMOM - 15 minutes
Push press - 135 lbs - 3 (first 5 minutes)
Push press - 135 lbs - 5 (last 10 minutes)

New cycle, new conditioning!

Moved back to the seated calf raises, mostly just for a change in stimulus. I took the weight up from the last time I did these, and man, I could feel it: I only got 79 reps, and my calves were burning, burning, burning from about rep 30 forward. Should be able to make some good progress over this cycle here.

If I swing the bells, I typically do them “Dan John”-style, but I opted to swap in American KB swings for the tabata today, and that was tougher than anticipated: My grip was challenged, my PC was challenged, and my lungs were challenged. I’m gonna stick with these moving forward: They definitely answered the mail!

I intended to push the sled, but we got the first real snowfall of the season, so much so that the kids had a snow day. I was stuck in meetings all morning, and although Mrs. SvenG cleared the driveway, it was still way too wet to push the sled when I got around to this work. The EMOM was the best “substitute” I could come up with, fully recognizing the fact that there really is NO SUBSTITUTE for sled work.

Here on the other side of it, I have a better appreciation for the “hard” in JW’s “hard conditioning”: It really is about recovery from the work, not the work itself. With the sled, the work is hard, hard, hard, and then—on top of that—I spend the next several hours contemplating my life choices. With this EMOM, the work was hard—my heart rate was up and I was definitely counting down the rounds until I was done—but here I am, 30 minutes later, and I could go again if I had to… THAT does not happen when I push the sled!

It was still solid work, though, so we’ll call it good for now. I’m not likely to get extra time this week for getting the “missed” sled work in, but maybe I’ll get lucky? Guess we’ll just have to see what happens…

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5784

don’t make your calves too big, @Cyrrex will get jealous

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5785

He need not worry: That’s very unlikely!

(To the point where I wonder: Why do I even bother training my calves, ya know?)

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