@T3hPwnisher, @ChongLordUno - Thanks, guys! It’s been a good start to the week.
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BBB Beefcake - c11w3d2
Monday - 11 April 2022
Workout: Conditioning, 1615-1705 (50 minutes)
Chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips) - 13, 13, 13, 10+3+2+1+1
Tabata DB front squats - 2x25 lbs - 8x20/10
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 15 minutes
It’s been raining all day (and it’s still raining now), too slick to push the sled, so swapped in Wednesday’s (or Saturday’s) weighted vest walk. Not ideal, but I’ll make it work.
Chins were tough—that last “set” looks pretty funny: I hit true failure on every one of those mini-sets. The second tabata was super hard today, legs felt like lead, yoke was straining to keep the DBs up, lungs were on fire. 9s across, holds for entire work intervals and odd rest periods, at sides for strict 10-second even rest intervals—started to cheat with DBs pressed together at the end of the 7th work interval and into the rest, became aware of what I was doing, and somehow corrected that.
So a solid 1s week squat day is in the books! Now I get to spend the rest of the evening eating—recovering, I mean. I get to spend the rest of the evening recovering. (Haha!)
11 Likes
BBB Beefcake - c11w3d3
Tuesday - 12 April 2022
Workout: Press + FS tabata, 1210-1310 + 1600-1605 (60 + 5 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 1224; End: 1307; Duration: 43 minutes
Press - 70x5, 90x5, 105x5 | 120x5, 135x5, 150x5 | 120x10, 120x10, 120x(8+2), 120x(8+2), 120x(5+1+2+2)
CS DB row - 2x45 lbs - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Bulgarian split squat - L/R - 2x25 lbs - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
HLR - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Tabata DB front squats - 2x30 lbs - 8x20/10
Well crap: for everything that was awesome about yesterday’s squats, today’s overhead press was decidedly not awesome.
Main work in about 7 minutes with 2 minutes breaks between sets. Top set was really grindy: 4th rep got stuck about 3/4 of the way up and actually started moving back down, but I fought it up to lock out, then somehow managed the 5th rep. Got through the supplemental sets (with the rows) in just less than 20 minutes—and I mean just less than… Maybe 30 seconds to spare? Rest periods were all over the map: 2.5 minutes, 3 minutes, 5 minutes, then 3 minutes. Hit some kind of a wall in the 3rd set and just never recovered. The “rests” in the rest-pause sets were long-ish too: maybe 20-25 seconds for some instead of the 15 seconds I usually take to reset. Ugh.
Shoulders were toast for sure, but really my core was the weak link: my brace was decent and I was trying to stay tight, but my lower back is killing me. Not sure how to address that except to keep pressing heavy weights—my body’s bound to get the idea eventually and get stronger.
Took the assistance easy-like by alternating 5 sets of each move until I hit the required reps.
Long morning full of meetings, so my usual schedule is way off. I’m going to eat lunch now, get kids from school, then try to hit up the afternoon work. I may have to let the second front squat tabata stand alone after dinner this evening, just because of the afternoon schedule—things are going to be tight as it is.
Edit: First one done: 11s across rounds 1-5, 9s across 6-8, held rack for all of 8th work interval. Definitely tough. Not sure it was tougher than yesterday, though, so that’s good. Rest of the work as time permits—may end up being a progressive workout.
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Not sure if you’re a belt guy but I occasionally use it on press sets, might get you over the hump until you convince your body what it needs to be doing.
1 Like
A few things to consider:
First: you’re doing awesome. Always keep that in mind.
Second: Having ONE awesome day is already a blessing. Two in a row is downright greedy. Quite often, we pay for one awesome day with one not awesome day, because when we perform awesome, we dip further into the recovery well to get there.
Third: Squats TAX shoulders. Holding the barbell in position will fatigue them. This is especially so on some lunatic program like BBB Beefcake, where you’re doing 8 sets before you even factor in warm-ups and 5 of them are 10 rep sets. Doing press the next day is gonna hurt.
Fourth: Do you wear a belt when you press?
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@heretolog, @T3hPwnisher - Just wanted acknowledge your posts and say, “Thank you!” I will respond more fully as time allows, but the ‘likes’ will have to suffice for now.
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BBB Beefcake - c11w3d3
Tuesday - 12 April 2022
Workout: Conditioning, 1735-1820 (45 minutes)
Chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips) - 13, 13, 13, 8+3+3+2
Tabata DB front squats - 2x25 lbs - 8x20/10
Sled push - 10x50 yds, 135 + sled = 222 lbs
Time: 17:05
Family agreed to a late(-r than usual) dinner, so I was able to knock this out in a single block.
And it was absolutely excruciating. Everything as usual, except maybe that early wall I hit on the last set of pull-ups and the rack hold cheat at the end of the 5th work interval, and then through the 5th rest period and 6th work period. Likewise the sled push time does not reflect how hard I was working.
Actually, maybe it does—I’ve managed 500 yards with 3 plates in less than 10 minutes on really good days, and 10-12 minutes is typical, so the fact that it took almost 1:45 per 50-yard trip (on average) speaks VOLUMES, haha.
Okay, stick a fork in me 'cause…
9 Likes
BBB Beefcake - c11w3d4
Wednesday - 13 April 2022
Workout: Calves & easy conditioning + FS tabata, 0745-0845 + 1130-1135 (60 + 5 minutes)
Chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips) - 13, 13, 13, 13+3
Belted CR - 135 - 25, 20, 15
1-pump burpees + 24-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Bike@120-140 bpm - 10 minutes
Sled push - 8x50 yds, 90 + sled = 177 lbs
Time: 9:03
Tabata DB front squats - 2x30 lbs - 8x20/10
Fasted.
Decent morning. Did the sled push that I swapped for the weighted vest walk due to weather on Monday. Point is to bring the HR down after the burpess, swings, and bike—slow and steady was the name of the game—but it was in the 140s by the end, anyway. Legs and lower back are tired, but not sore. Even so I wouldn’t have had a sprint in me today, so it worked out alright I guess.
Front squat tabatas and jump rope throughout the rest of today.
Edit: First tabata done, still fasted: 11s across rounds 1-5, 9s across 6-8, held rack for all of 8th work interval.
7 Likes
@heretolog, @T3hPwnisher - Thanks again for commenting, guys! The external perspective and encouragement are always appreciated.
I’m not a belt guy, for the same reasons I wasn’t a deadlift-with-straps guy: mostly I just don’t know much about how, why, etc. I’ll make it a point to read up, but if you have specific thoughts or know of good resources (something like Pwn’s straps video, perhaps?), I’d appreciate the pointers.
Do you not wear a belt for any lifts, or just the press?
No belt at all…
Oh man, for some reason I had it in my head that you were using a belt for your other lifts.
It’s not required at all, but I like using one. But if you don’t have one and are getting along fine without it, I wouldn’t get one JUST for pressing.
2 Likes
BBB Beefcake - c11w3d4
Wednesday - 13 April 2022
Workout: Conditioning, 1505-1525 (20 minutes)
Jump rope tabata - 4x40/10
Tabata DB front squats - 2x25 lbs - 8x20/10
Jump rope tabata - 4x40/10
Decent day: typical performance. Legs are tired—jump rope was actually kind of hard!—but otherwise typical.
Forgot to mention I squeezed in some basketball with my son yesterday afternoon (before the second workout), and I’m headed out to shoot some more hoops with him now—weather’s been decent (finally), so we’re just trying to capitalize on it!
8 Likes
I love the belt for squats, my brace is dramatically improved with it (I have had some lower back issue that I have failed to resolve for 20 years). It helps some for deadlifts but not nearly to the extent it does for squats, never use it for bench, only use it on max OHP and heavy push press.
Agree with pwn though, if you are already doing everything without it you definitely don’t need it. @Bagsy made the switch to belt a while back and I think she had a positive experience, she may be able to add more value here.
2 Likes
BBB Beefcake - c11w3d5
Thursday - 14 April 2022
Workout: Deadlift + FS tabata, 0855-1005 + 1140-1145 (70 + 5 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0912; End: 1001; Duration: 49 minutes
Deadlift - 160x5, 200x5, 235x5 | 270x5, 305x5, 340x5 | (270x10)x5
BFP - red - 25, 25, 25, 25
Dip - 45 - 15, 15, 10, 10
Tabata DB front squats - 2x30 lbs - 8x20/10
Good thing the second 1s week of Beefcake isn’t supposed to be easy, 'cause that wasn’t easy. But it was much, MUCH better than pressing on Tuesday, and objectively it probably wasn’t worse than squatting on Monday.
Main work in 11 minutes, with 3 and then 4 minutes between sets. No straps for any of that work, but should’ve had them for the top set: I had to reset my grip after every rep. It felt okay going into the set, and I didn’t think it’d be an issue, but it tired out quickly. Everything else felt strong—I was particularly happy with 270 and 305, because those were problematic last week.
Strapped up for the supplemental work and crushed that in 18 minutes. Rest between sets went 2, 2.5, 3, and 4 minutes. Pretty pleased with how those felt: my HR was up in the 160s by the end of each set, my breathing was labored, and I probably couldn’t have done more than a few reps beyond 10 for each one, but I got 'em all in, didn’t hurt myself, and felt okay after. Serious progress, too, because my last 5+ PR set (November 2021) was 270x10, and I’m pretty sure that single set left me feeling trashed.
Once again, just did the assistance with as little fuss as possible. Wasn’t in a rush, but I was pleased with how strong that work felt I given how fatigued I actually was by that point.
It’s now raining, and it looks like more is on the way, so I may have to swap Saturday’s weighted vest walk for today’s sled push. Oh well: April showers bring… No, screw that. I’m tired of the rain!
Edit: First tabata done: 11s across rounds 1-5, 9s across 6-8, held rack for all of 8th work interval. Lungs and legs are screaming, noticed the DBs in my hands during rest periods today too (i.e., grip! Go figure).
13 Likes
BBB Beefcake - c11w3d5
Thursday - 14 April 2022
Workout: Conditioning, 1515-1550 (40 minutes)
Chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips) - 13, 13, 13, 8+3+3+3
Tabata DB front squats - 2x25 lbs - 8x20/10
Sled push - 8x50 yds, 90 + sled = 177 lbs
Time: 9:06
These second workouts are getting harder and harder as the week wears on.
Pull-up performance isn’t surprising, and the front squat tabata went well enough. I had to cheat the rack hold with DBs pressed together under my chin during the squats on round 8, but only during the squats—didn’t lose the DBs and managed to correct that once I hit 9 reps (so yeah, held them properly for all of about 6 seconds in that work interval). Squats themselves were slow across all of the rounds today.
Sled push was a full body workout again—or, at least, I felt it everywhere across my full body, haha!
11 Likes
Using a belt has been very helpful for my squats and deadlifts. I don’t regret it.
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BBB Beefcake - c11w3d6
Friday - 15 April 2022
Workout: Bench + FS tabata, 0850-0955 + 1155-1200 (65 + 5 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0908; End: 0951; Duration: 43 minutes
Bench - 125x5, 155x5 180x5 | 210x5, 235x5, 265x5 | (210x10)x5
OA row - L/R - 55 - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Deficit reverse lunge - L/R - 2x25 lbs - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Ab wheel - ramp (16) - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Tabata DB front squats - 2x30 lbs - 8x20/10
I love how much my entire back side hurts—from my traps down to the top of my calves. I was working hard yesterday!
Ate like a monster, too. Shoveled down lots of nuts and over a quarter-pound of turkey pepperoni between the second workout and dinner, ate 1.5 lbs of turkey meatloaf for dinner proper, then more nuts, granola, and some dark chocolate coconut clusters throughout the remainder of the evening. Went to bed on the early side—I was toast—but I slept hard and woke up feeling lean, not bloated!
Anyway, strong morning. Main work in 8 minutes with 2- and 2.5-minute breaks between sets. Last rep of the top set was slow, but my anterior delts were feeling fried coming into this work and that’s where I was feeling it today, so I’m not worried. Supplemental in 17 minutes with 2-3 minutes between sets (including rows), except for between 4 and 5: 4 minutes there. I had the time, so I took it, just to make sure I crushed all the reps. And I did! Oh, and the rows were painful in the good way: nice stretch, lots of blood flowing—just what I needed.
Took the assistance nice and easy again, but I got the reps in.
Looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day, too. It’s a “Good Friday” indeed!
Edit: First tabata done: 11s across rounds 1-5, 9s across 6-8, held rack for all of 8th work interval. Now that I’m through the big lifts with BBB Beefcake, it’s probably time to progress these—but not sure how: they’re still kicking my butt. Maybe just try to add another round of 11 reps? Or more holds? Or maybe bump up to 2x35 lbs? Or… No lack of options, that’s for sure.
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First set last with 5 sets of 10 is so freaking brutal, yet so effective at making you bigger and stronger. It’s almost nuts how effective it is. Squats and deadlifts are particularly dreadful with this haha
1 Like
BBB Beefcake - c11w3d6
Friday - 15 April 2022
Workout: Conditioning, 1445-1530 (45 minutes)
Chin-ups/pull-ups (strict, various grips) - 13, 13, 13, 9+3+3+2
Tabata DB front squats - 2x25 lbs - 8x20/10
Sled push - 10x50 yds, 135 + sled = 222 lbs
Time: 13:59
It wasn’t pretty, but I made it through. Pretty much same as usual, too, so I guess that’s something: I didn’t get worse, here at The End of All Things.
Okay, that’s perhaps a bit premature—I do have tomorrow to get through yet—but you get the idea!
9 Likes