I’ve been playing the acoustic version of Angel of Death on repeat lately. So good.
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Love that song and version! They are amazing at taking a song and changing it just enough for the acoustic version. You can tell it’s the same song but it’s different enough to feel like a new song.
I wish they would release an all acoustic million masks, I would eat that up! I am pretty sure telepath is my favorite recent song by them, followed very closely by The Maze on a black mile.
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I have actually loved it so far. Somehow it feels so much more stable for my wrists. It’s like I can feel where I’m supposed to be pushing from. I think I’m going to continue with it for the foreseeable future!
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W3D1
Wide grip bench (4-1-x)
95x5
125x5
155x5
185x5
200x5
190x5
190x5
180x7
CGBP
155x12
NG chin
x 15, 12, 9
Db retraction row
25lb x 20
27.5lb x 15
Unilateral band tricep pushdown, red band
4x20
Spider curl
22.5lb x 20, 20, 19.75
Definitely got over whatever issues I was having last week. Had a real hell of a time with all of the pump stuff. The pain threshold is increasing and the pumps are righteous. Deadlifts either tomorrow or Thursday.
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Dinner last night
1lb of wild caught (not by me) shrimp
Many scoops of sour cream
Tequila salsa
3 slices of bacon
Cheese
Avocado
Greens
I’ve been eating roughly 1/3 a jar of peanut butter on top of my normal lunch, which is usually beef and some cashews, walnuts or almonds. Breakfast is still 2 breakfast sandwiches (4 eggs, bacon etc etc). I’ve been maintaining/potentially losing some weight still these past few weeks. Gotta step my food game up a bit.
Wanted to throw out a little brain dump, as I do often.
The new program seems pretty awesome so far. I’m hammering away at unfamiliar movements which leads to progress every session, which feels awesome. After week 4, more changes happen and I’ll begin getting quite a bit more “specific” to the main lifts.
One huge takeaway/a-ha moment I’ve had so far is with assistance work. I always had Jim wendlers writing in the back of my mind… “It’s just assistance, don’t overthink it… Just get it done and move on”…
I may have sabotaged myself with taking that too literally. I gave zero shits about the majority of my assistance work. I’d just bust it out, lift fast and hard. I’m finding that slowing down, taking my time and REALLY feeling the muscles work on the movements has been incredibly beneficial so far. My MMC in certain areas has improved a lot these past few weeks, and I’m noticing I can kind of “request” certain muscles during big movements. This could be huge for all of the big 3, but deadlifts especially. My hamstrings are weak as hell for some reason and those unilateral band curls feel like they’re really improving my ability to be conscious about when I can contract/use them.
Overall, cool program. I think it’s working.
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There’s a real yin and yang to this all. You’re discovering some awesome stuff this way, and it’s something Dave Tate talked about in his Iron Evolution series as well. “If you can’t flex it, don’t isolate it”. One you gain mastery of assistance work, you can just go get it done BECAUSE you have that mastery. But when we’re using it to specifically strengthen a weakness, it’s good that we actually do that.
Always a fan of this log.
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Oh man!
You’re gonna love it when you start attaching the bands to the barbells and dumbbells. The way they slow the bar down, and how that makes you lift faster while moving at the same speed is awesome.
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That’s the thing that I was missing when quoting Jim wendler. I’m guessing he’s under the assumption that the trainee already knows the movements, correct muscle recruitment and effort. I feel like I’ve been leaving some gains on the table due to my ignorance!
Unfortunately he doesn’t have any of that stuff programmed for me during this block! I was kind of expecting him to though. Maybe the next 12 week block after I show him that I’m serious and committed?
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It might not be that you have to prove your commitment or anything.
It may just be that this phase of your training is dedicated to Time Under Tension, Mind Muscle Connection and Building Mass.
And the Power phase, where you Blast weights into the bands will come later. After you’ve build the mass.
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W3D2
Stiff leg deadlift (4-1-x)
135x10
225x10
275x6
315x6
345x11
335x10
325x8
Seated BB good morning
215x12
215x10
Unilateral band leg curl
3x26
Unilateral band leg extension
3x30
Heel elevated goblet squat (6-1-x)
35lb
x 18
x 15
Weighted plank +35lb
1 min 13
60 second rest
53 seconds
60 second rest
46 seconds
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Maannn this is all news to me! I’ll have to ask him his thought process on the progression from program to program- the way you described it makes perfect sense.
One of my main goals with this style of programming is not only to branch out a bit from my norm, but also learn a bit more about how to program for myself, so these little golden nuggets you’re dropping are priceless dude!
And @T3hPwnisher as well, thanks for the knowledge drop dude!!
You two are a freaking encyclopedia and a half worth of knowledge. We’re lucky to have you guys around
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I’m glad you don’t mind me dropping in.
I’ve read about programming and planning in blocks and eating to support training forever, but I don’t think I ever “got it.” It was just a bunch of words. But seeing other guys actually go through it, seeing how the workouts and the food and the BW change while I’m trying myself are really, really driving it home. It’s like experience x 3.
I’m getting a lot out of your thoughts and brain dumps. So keep up the good documentation. It’s also cool you’re getting something out of the slowed down, tension based stuff. A lot of guys would just be like “I hate this” without much elaboration.
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W3D3
Axle curl
+50 x 12
+20 x 27
+25 x 22
Larsen close grip Spoto press (5-2-x)
3x1 at 205
Superset face pulls between press
x 25, 30, 30
BB row at 165
3x15
Wide grip pull up
x 10, 9
Db lateral at 17.5lb
x 26
x 24
x 23
x 20
Unilateral overhead tricep extension at 25
x 20
x 20
Gonna finish up the grass fed chuck roast I made yesterday. I have a bunch of housework I want to get done this weekend, so squats should be going down on Sunday AM.
It’s good to know someone is getting some useful info from here, haha.
Dude, seriously, with how much I can learn from everyone here I’m glad you guys actually choose to stop by my log and give me suggestions and insight. It’s great! I wish I was wise enough to be able to give advice other than “try harder”… That’s the only thing I can think of that’s really worked for me so far, haha.
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Weighed 206 this morning and had to bring my belt in a hole… Good things happening as far as weight/body comp are concerned?
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W3D4
Back Squat, ATG (3-1-x)
135x8
205x8
255x8
305x8
295x8
280x8
275x8
260x8
Unilateral band leg curl
3x30
Unilateral band leg extension
3x30
B Stance DB RDL at 62.5lb
2x12
Calf Raise
2x35
Hanging Knee Tucks
x23
x16
My left thumb and both wrists were giving me some serious grief today. Pretty painful to hold onto the bar during squats, but ended up going for full grip on RDLs and hanging from the pullup bar for the knee tucks. Week 4 is going to seriously suck ass for squats, 6 work sets of 8 and then the taper begins. Going to be ramping up to a few sets of 3 by week 12. I’m feeling skinny right now, so I need to eat more. My lifting belt is loose on its current hole, so I gotta get that bad boy to tighten up again.
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W4D1
Wide grip BB bench (4-1-x)
95x5
135x5
170x5
195x4
210x4
200x4
200x4
CGBP
165x11
NG pull-up
x17, 13, 10
Chest supported DB retraction row
27.5x18
27.5x17
Unilateral band tricep pushdown, red band wrapped twice
4x20
Spider curl at 27.5
x20, 17, 14.5
Pumpalicious
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Boilertastic!
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Savagery! Good work, man
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Love it!
Thanks dude!
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W4D2
Stiff leg deadlift (4-1-x)
135x10
225x10
275x6
325x12
325x10
325x8
Seated BB good morning
220x12
Unilateral and leg curl
3x30
Unilateral band leg extension
3x30
Close stance heel elevated goblet squat (6-1-x)
35x23
35x18
Timed planks at BW+35
1 min 43 Sec
60 sec rest
53 sec
60 sec rest
48 seconds
I am so extremely happy to be done with stiff leg deadlifts. They absolutely suck.
My legs are on fire, I’m sweating my ass off and I’m pumped as hell. As a side note, my legs seem way more defined than I remember, quads in particular. I dig it.
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