Meh. My bad—memory’s not what it used to be, I guess. You’ve certainly given me lots of other great input though, so the general point stands.
Damn!!
Nice work man. 36 reps on dead lifts, damn. I definitely concur on strap. If you are not going to compete in powerlifting than they definitely can very useful, especially with the higher volume stuff. No need for your grip to be your limiting factor when your targeted muscles have more in them.
Forever(-ish) BBB - c8w1d5
Thursday - 06 January 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning, 1220-1330 (70 minutes)
Pwn’s Grace Echo
30-15-7
a) 1-pump burpees
b) KB swings - 24 kg
c) Chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips)
d) 90-second rest
Time: 14:25
Weighted vest walk - 28 kg - 35 minutes
To call this Grace Echo is a bit of a stretch—really all I did was borrow the rep scheme and the rest periods. And I was anything thing but Grace-ful: I totally messed up the count on the first round of chins, started my rest timer, eventually realized I hadn’t actually finished all the reps, cranked them out, and reset the timer. There was technically some extra rest then, but I still got the job done (eventually)!
Got a wicked side stitch during the weighted vest walk. That was really weird because I was… well, walking! Kept coming back periodically, but now that I’m not really moving and just sitting here, it seems to have passed. I got really hungry before this workout, so maybe that contributed?
It’s such a relief to know that I’m not the only person who does things like this . . .
Forever(-ish) BBB - c8w1d6
Friday - 14 January 2022
Workout: Bench, 0800-0855 (55 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0816; End: 0851; Duration: 35 minutes
Bench - 105x5, 130x5, 160x5 | 185x5, 210x5, 235x5 | 160x(29+6), 160x15
Chin-up - BW - 15, 15
Cable crunch - 50 - 30, 30
Standing DB press - 2x35 lbs - 18, 12
BFP - red - 30
Push-up - red - 30
Assistance totals:
Push - 60 reps
Pull - 60 reps
Single-leg/core - 60 reps
Just didn’t have it today. Yes, the work sets were lighter. Yes, I thought I could do 35 reps. Yes, deep down I really wanted 40. But I just didn’t have it…
That said, everything—including the first 25 or so reps on the supplemental work—moved really, really well. I took a short break at the top of rep 27, and that was the kiss of death: could literally feel the blood rush into my pecs, could feel them swell, could feel the burning pain. I managed to crank out 2 more reps, but that was it. Racked it, rested 15 seconds, and tried to get another 11… Hah! Called it after 6 more. The second set of 15 was again painful—almost gave up after rep 10—but I managed to get them all.
On the upside, I got all 30 chin-up reps in two sets. Don’t think I’ve ever done that before. And the standing DB press felt strong today, so I’m happy with that.
Hard conditioning and daily work later today.
Forever(-ish) BBB - c8w1d6
Friday - 14 January 2022
Workout: Hard conditioning, 1305-1410 (65 minutes)
Spick & Span
10, 1, 9, 2, 8, 3, 7, 4, 6, 5
Deficit RDL + power clean - 65 lbs
6 chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips) between rounds
Time: 17:58
Pwn’s The Last Castle in a 28-kg weighted vest - 6 rounds
a) Farmer’s walk - 25 yards - 2x77 lbs
b) 6 alternating DB snatches - L/R - 35 lbs
c) Farmer’s walk - 25 yards - 2x77 lbs
d) 10 KB swings - 24 kg
Time: 20:43
So that was kinda cool! Gut said my hamstrings, glutes, and lower back needed some attention after yesterday’s deadlifts—actually, it was probably my hamstrings, glutes, and lower back saying that, moreso than my gut, haha—so I came up with this Spick & Span workout very nearly on the fly. Basically used a Juarez Valley rep count, but for each round I did one RDL and then one clean up to the number of reps for the current round. Then between each round (i.e., between 10 and 1, between 1 and 9, etc.), I did 6 chins.
Spick & Span because the deficit RDLs “span” the deadlift ROM and provide a nice stretch, and “spick” because it goes with “span” to, well, “clean.” Based on today’s order, I guess it should really be Span & Spick, but that just doesn’t have the same ring…
I tracked the time on that just for kicks: it was really all about getting a deep stretch on the RDLs and crisp, explosive cleans, not about finishing quickly. Wasn’t really about weight, either—though I could probably stand to do it with 95 lbs without killing myself. Still worked up a nice sweat, and I can always count on the chins to make things really suck.
Speaking of really suck: I followed that up with Pwn’s The Last Castle in a weighted vest, as has become my go-to hard conditioning workout on Friday afternoons. Was really pleased to find myself almost done with the second Farmer’s walk of round 6 when the 20-minute timer expired. I finished out that round in an additional 43 seconds, and that was the day.
I’ve accumulated a fair amount of fatigue this week. Just need to keep my eye on the prize, get some rest, and keep pounding the food.
Backup freezer in the garage, after a food run. How 'bout dem gainzzzz?
(English muffins are for the kids, though I’ve been known to throw an egg or two and some cheese on them when I indulge in a carb-heavy day.)
Forever(-ish) BBB - c8w1d7
Saturday - 15 January 2022
Workout: Pwn’s New Year’s Challenge, 0555-0630 (35 minutes)
Squat - 225x20 (rep PR)
Deadlift - 255x19 (rep PR)
So here’s my attempt at Pwn’s New Year’s Challenge, 20-rep squat + 20-rep deadlift:
I had to rest-pause the deadlift, and if you watch carefully, I only did 19 reps—are you kidding me!?! I had at least one more in me, I just thought I had done 20. But, yeah, we know anything past 10 and I lose track…
Anyway, both of those weights are +15-lbs PRs for WMs on those lifts, and I’ve certainly never done them back-to-back like that. Yes, it took me forever to move from the squat to deadlift, so I was “resting,” but I did what I could do.
More typical Saturday work to follow later today.
Edit: Just in case future-me forgets: this work was fasted and within about an hour of waking. Just one cup of black coffee. I did my typical DB warm-up for squats and deads, then did some squat warm-ups with the barbell: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, and 275x1. Figured I’d be good and warm after 225x20, so I didn’t bother with any barbell warm-up sets for deadlift.
Looking strong and conditioned my man and that bicep vein at the end… cherry on top the cake. Performance and aesthetics
That was awesome!
Couple of tough PRs there. Solid work man!
Forever(-ish) BBB - c8w1d7
Saturday - 15 January 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning + calves, 1305-1420 (75 minutes)
Seated CR - 220 lbs - 25, 20, 15
Weighted vest walk - 28 kg - 35 minutes
BB curls - 100
Got this stuff in. Not sure BB curls have ever been harder.
Still owe jump rope and daily work. Counting the 39 reps of squat and deadlift this morning toward my 50 daily “somethings,” so that means 11 more reps of… something. Probably KB swings at this point—might help keep my lower back from getting too tight.
Forever(-ish) BBB - c8w1d7
Saturday - 15 January 2022
Workout: Extra conditioning, 1540-1605 (25 minutes)
Jump rope tabata - 4x40/10 - 1 round
28 chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips)
11 KB swings - 24 kg
24 chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips)
Jump rope tabata - 4x40/10 - 1 round
And that’s all she wrote. But what a day, huh?
Awesome work, following along with your log
Thanks for dropping in, @aholding88. Nice to have you along for the ride!
Lot of respect for you @SvenG brother
You came in last year in a world of pain and became a training monster in the progress.
Keep going brother
Forever(-ish) BBB - c8w1 - summary
I suppose there’s a lot I could say about this week—really about the ridiculous debate I had with myself all week about trying Pwn’s New Year’s Challenge yesterday—but I’ll just summarize by saying that somewhere deep down, I just knew I would crush 225x20 on those squats. I tried to talk myself out of it—and I had several good, solid reasons why not doing it was the smart play—but I went ahead and did it anyway. And I set some new WM PRs in the process.
Hit all of my goals for the week and set some other squat and deadlift PRs during the supplemental work on Monday and Thursday, too. My rep strength is on the move, even if my top end strength might have slowed down a bit. My current plan is to bump up the TMs during the 7WP, Deload that will follow this cycle and then see if I can’t move some heavier weight during the anchor.
My goals for this week are the same as last week:
- Complete all 4 lifting workouts
- Complete 2 days of hard conditioning
- Complete 5 days of easy conditioning
- Complete 3 days of direct calf work
- Do 52 chin-ups/pull-ups and 50 somethings every day
- Continue to eat properly
Again, we’ll call this now-repetitive list, “being consistent.”
I do like the flexibility permitted by 50 somethings as daily work to supplement the daily chins, and I think I used that to my advantage last week. I’m expecting to do the same this week, too.
Alright, let’s get after it!
Forever(-ish) BBB - c8w2d1
Sunday - 16 January 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning + calves, 0605-0710 (65 minutes)
Seated CR - 220 lbs - 25, 20, 15
Weighted vest walk - 28 kg - 35 minutes
Fasted. It was cold, but that had me moving quickly this morning: first time in a while I finished the “35-minute” route in something close to 35 minutes.
Thinking about air squats and swings or maybe RDLs later today. My hammies are a little tight, but my lower body—indeed all of me—actually feels quite good this morning!
That’s high praise from you, my red-bearded friend! I sincerely appreciate that.