Brandon's Backyard Buffoonery

Training Training Logs
362

7/7/25 (cont.)
16 chins/60 pushups/72 BW squats in 6:00

7/8/25
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest
16 chins/60 pushups/72 BW squats in 6:00

7/9/25
AM
A1) Log Clean each rep & Strict Press - 106x5, 117x4, 122x3
A2) Log Clean each rep & Push Press - 117x3, 128x2, 139x2
A3) Log Clean each rep & Push Jerk - 128x1, 144x1, 161x0

B) Loading Medley 60 second AMRAP - Sandbag to Shoulder (150) + Atlas Stone to Shoulder (115) - 1+3, 1+2 (botched the sandbag), 1+3

C) Farmers Carry - 106 per hand x 60ft x 10 rounds EMOM

54:09

I like the EMOM format and I think that is going to be my base for each section of this day going forward. Seems more sustainable than the AMRAPs and ladders.

PM
16 chins/60 pushups/72 BW squats in 6:00

7/10/25
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest
16 chins/54 pushups/66 BW squats in 6:00

7/11/25
A1) Bench - 45x10, 89x5, 122x5, 137x3, 153x11 (PR!)
A2) Lying Leg Raise - 3 sets of 10

B) Close Grip Bench - 122x17+7+5 (rest pause)

C1) Squat - 45x10, 133x5, 184x5, 208x3, 232x11 (PR!)
C2) Ab Wheel - 3 sets of 6

D) Front Squat + Back Squat superset - 184x9+9

E) DB Row - 64x28 (left), 28 (right)

51:37

I am back baby! Thatā€™s 6 different lifetime rep PRs this cycle (3 bench/2 deadlift/1 squat), training fasted first thing in the morning, while losing weight on a slow cut with strategic carb timing. Next week will be a wonderful deload, then Iā€™m going to hold the training maxes for squat/bench (I still think thereā€™s some more meat on the bones at these weights) and press (overshot this a little and didnā€™t hit my minimum number to move up) while bumping it up slightly for deads (I have no desire to push 20 reppers for multiple weeks in a cycle again).

13 Likes
363

congrats. well done.

1 Like
364

Awesome stuffā€”great work!

1 Like
365

7/11/25 (cont.)
18 chins/54 pushups/90 BW squats in 6:00

7/12/25
15 chins/50 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest

7/13/25
16 chins/52 pushups/63 BW squats in 5:00

7/14/25
A1) BTN Press - 45x10, 67x5, 78x5x5
A2) Hanging Knee Raises - 5 sets of 5

B1) Stiff Leg Deads- 45x10, 111x5, 173x5x5
B2) Dip Bar Knee Raises - 5 sets of 8

C) Axle Curls - 22x60

30:05

I donā€™t understand the discourse of everyone hating on deload week. Real sports have offseasons/bye weeks/pitch counts/load management/etc for a reason; nobody is expected to perform at 100% 52 weeks out of the year. I will gladly welcome the break from high rep squats and deads.

9 Likes
366

I donā€™t understand the discourse of everyone hating on deload week. Real sports have offseasons/bye weeks/pitch counts/load management/etc for a reason; nobody is expected to perform at 100% 52 weeks out of the year. I will gladly welcome the break from high rep squats and deads.

Itā€™s the whole ā€œtell me youā€™ve never been an athlete without telling me youā€™ve never been at athleteā€ thing. Supercompensation via intentional overreaching followed by recovery is well documented anecdotally and otherwise. And thatā€™s the beauty of the planned deload as well: you can give that final week your all, knowing that the rest is coming.

5 Likes
367

7/14/25 (cont.)
13 chins/50 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 (rain = less chins)

7/15/25
15 chins/50 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest

7/16/25
AM
A) Atlas Stone Clean & Strict Press - 95 x 1 x 10 EMOM

B) Sandbag 1-Motion to chest height - 100 x 3 x 10 EMOM

C) Sandbag Bearhug Carry - 150 x 100ft x 5 E2MOM

32:28

Deload for events day so wanted something easy to setup and made sure to leave some reps on the table. The 1-motions are stupid easy; I should work 1-motion to shoulder as another movement with that bag. I love stones and sandbags!

PM
13 chins/50 pushups/50 BW squats in 5:00 (rainy again)

Bumping the calories back up a bit and playing with the diet as I could feel some under-recovery starting to happen. Training hard on low calories sucks; eating must support the training! Hereā€™s todayā€™s meals (and my structure going forward)-

  • Breakfast - 6 whole eggs with broccoli/spinach/onion scrambled in butter, 1 cup of oats with handful of blueberries and a pinch of maple syrup
  • Shake 1 - 35g whey/egg white/peanut protein blend in water
  • Lunch - 8oz tuna on homemade whole wheat bread with some sour cream and romaine
  • Shake 2 - 35g whey/egg white/peanut protein blend in water
  • Dinner - 8oz 90/10 ground beef on homemade whole wheat bread with some romaine/tomato/mustard/cucumber
  • Shake 3 - 35g whey/egg white/peanut protein blend in water

So obviously not a dreamer bulk diet but also not eating like a bird; plenty of protein, a decent amount of ā€œgoodā€ carbs, good fats from the grassfed beef/dairy and pastured eggs, and veggies so you-know-who doesnā€™t put a curse on me.

10 Likes
368

7/17/25
10 chins/50 pushups/50 BW squats in 5:00
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest

7/18/25
AM

A) Close Grip Bench - 45x10, 89x5, 104x5x5
B) Front Squat - 45x10, 111x5, 159x5x5

19:25

All I was willing to make time for this morning. Slammed with work this week because I have jury duty next week and thereā€™s no one to replace me on multiple projects. Deload week couldnā€™t have come at a better time.

PM
13 chins/50 pushups/50 BW squats in 5:00

8 Likes
369

That is some solid eating for sure. Bound to promote some growth.

1 Like
370

Thanks. I was hesitant to bring the shakes back, but I have to admit they are easier and cheaper than trying to make up that balance in protein with real food. The training is honestly the simple part of this hobby; itā€™s the shopping/cooking/cleaning that is hard.

3 Likes
371

100%. From strength athletics to ultramarathons, for most of these dudes, itā€™s the eating that retires them. Itā€™s why I dig reducing total meals/fasting: I only have to eat once or twice a day. However, I recognize I am ā€œblessedā€ as a recovering binge eater in that I can put away a LOT of food in those limited meals. For those who are otherwise, itā€™s a LOT of time spent putting food through the system.

Itā€™s also why I say that losing fat is the easiest thing in the world. You just DONā€™T eat. Thatā€™s SO much better than living your life around food.

I understand the aversion to shakes, but also their utility. A necessary evil, but if nothing else, contextual. You are employing them with intent, rather than just out of laziness, and they can get phased out as needed.

4 Likes
372

You are a wise man. lol

3 Likes
373

7/19/25
15 chins/50 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest

7/20/25
10 chins/50 pushups/50 BW squats in 5:00

7/21/25
A1) Press - 45x10, 67x5, 78x5, 89x3, 100x15
A2) Ab Wheel - 3 sets of 6

  • Did 12 reps at this weight last month, so happy with that tangible progress.

B) Trap Bar Press - 78x14+5+4 (rest pause)

C1) Deadlift - 45x10, 133x5, 179x5, 206x3, 232x20
C2) Dip Bar Crunches - 3 sets of 10

D) 1" Deficit Deads - 179x15

E) Axle Curls - 22x65

41:54

Notice that small change on the supplemental work - BTN Press and Stiff Leg Deads becomes Trap Bar Press and Deficit Deads. A similar change will happen Friday - Close Grip Bench and Front Squats will become Pause Bench/Pause Squat. People who say 5/3/1 lack variety are just short on creativity and ingenuity.

9 Likes
374

veggies so you-know-who doesnā€™t put a curse on me

Dan John? lol

375

Yeah I think youā€™re on to something here. A good weekend day for me looks like: big steak and eggs breakfast, then live life all day, then big family dinner, then maybe a cottage cheese dessert shortly after. If you think about it, having food at your fingertips 24/7 is an extremely modern development. Maybe you could argue the hunter/gatherer kept some berries in his pack, or the medieval field worker kept bread in his pocket, but like we talked about in another thread, they were out there working up the energetic need for it. I donā€™t really think the modern day knowledge worker needs to be refueled 5-6 times a day. Iā€™ll probably switch things up when this protein powder runs out as Iā€™m already getting bored of it.

You must be new here lol. Itā€™s @QuadQueen. Just read through her post history. She gives very helpful nutrition advice.

2 Likes
376

must be new here

I saw some of her replies on another training log, good to know about that reputation though :+1:

2 Likes
377

7/21/25 (cont.)
10 chins/50 pushups/50 BW squats in 5:00

7/22/25
10 chins/30 pushups/50 BW squats in 5:00
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest

7/23/25
A) Keg Clean & Press - 100 x 3/3/3/3/3/3/2/2/2/2 (EMOM/switch sides each set)

  • Good stuff, 1 motion from lap to overhead. Could have gone for 3s all the way across but it would have been a grinder.

B) Atlas Stone 1-Motion to Chest Height - 115 x 3/3/3/3/3/3/2/2/1/2 (EMOM)

  • First time trying this movement with this stone. Hit a wall at the end there, arms just got tired of holding that isometric-row contraction of hugging the stone.

C) Backwards Sled Drag - +132 x 60ft x 10 (EMOM)

  • Pretty easy work. Actually had my girlfriend (who was hanging out with me outside for the whole workout) jump on the sled for the very last rep just to end on a high note.

39:30

9 Likes
378

7/23/25 (cont.)
12 chins/42 pushups/54 BW squats in 5:00

7/24/25
10 chins/40 pushups/50 BW squats in 5:00
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest

7/25/25
A1) Bench - 45x10, 89x5, 104x5, 122x3, 136x19 (PR!)
A2) Lying Leg Raise - 3 sets of 5

B) Pause Bench - 104x15+8+6 (rest pause)

C1) Squat - 45x10, 111x5, 159x5, 184x3, 208x17
C2) Ab Wheel - 3 sets of 5

  • +2 reps over what I did with this weight last cycle, so happy with the progress.

D) Pause Squat - 159x15

E) DB Row - 66x28 (left), 30 (right)

53:15

Good stuff. The pause work was a good changeup and surprisingly led to a good pump. Legs are already feeling sore.

8 Likes
379

7/25/25 (cont.)
13 chins/39 pushups/53 BW squats in 5:00

7/26/25
10 chins/30 pushups/50 BW squats in 5:00
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest

7/27/25
13 chins/38 pushups/63 BW squats in 5:00

7/28/25
A1) Press - 45x10, 67x5, 82x5, 96x3, 107x13
A2) Hanging Knee Raises - 4 sets of 5

  • +2 reps over what I did at this weight last cycle, and this ties my PR for a 13RM. Press PRs are so close I can taste themā€¦

B) Trap Bar Press - 82x13+4+4 (rest pause)

C1) Deadlift - 45x10, 133x5, 192x5, 219x3, 247x18 (PR!)
C2) Ab Wheel - 4 sets of 5

  • Huge set, thrilled with how deadlifts are progressing. I have to give credit to all the strongman work for building up my hip/back strength, as my leg/squat strength isnā€™t quite where I want it yet.

D) 1" Deficit Deads - 192x15

E) Axle Curls - 22x70

F1) Dips - 10/9
F2) BW Tricep Ext on ropes - 9/9
F3) Inverted Rows on ropes - 7/8
F4) BW Face Pulls on ropes - 7/7

  • Just squeezing in some extra bulletproof/pump work. Did these on a Tabata timer. Great pump.

51:09

9 Likes
380

PR city!

1 Like
381

7/28/25 (cont.)
13 chins/39 pushups/65 BW squats in 5:00

7/29/25
15 chins/42 pushups/55 BW squats in 5:00
30 minute walk w/ 20lb vest

7/30/25
A) Clean & Strict Press Medley - 110lb Axle + 106lb Log x 10 rounds EMOM

  • Iā€™m looking at a comp in February that has a max axle floor-to-overhead, so I may start working some push press/jerk here. Conversely, my October comp has a log strict press from the rack, so Iā€™m less worried about that than I was before.

B) Sandbag to Shoulder - 150 x 10 rounds EMOM

  • Feeling more confident with these. Should start adding some reps to the rounds soon.

C) Sandbag Front Carry - 200 x 100ft x 4 rounds

  • A little looser with the rest periods on these but got them all done in less than 9 minutes. 1 more round than last time I wrestled this bag. Obviously shooting for 5 rounds next time. An absolute lung and leg buster.

38:35 (not counting setup or teardown which is obviously a little longer on this day)

Heat advisory with a heat index up to 109. Not my smartest hour. But I love training outside and I love this strongman stuff.

6 Likes