congrats
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I love how unloading and putting away a heavy sand bag is like a workourt in itself. Where I have my bags in the garage I need to move the lighter ones to get to the heavy one. Just moving them around is an excellent warm up, but putting them all away when you are already smoked is more like punishment.
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1/20/25 (cont.)
PM
2 mile walk w/ 20lb vest
1/21/25 - Chaos Is The Plan: Cycle 2, Week 2, Day 2
AM
2 mile walk w/ 20lb vest
PM
10 chins/40 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 using Tabata work/rest intervals
A1) Squat - 162 x 5, 184 x 3, 208 x 13
A2) Hanging Knee Crunches - 3 x 5
A3) BW Face Pulls on ropes - 3 x 10
B) Sandbag Clean & Press - 100 x 1 x 10 OTM
C1) BW Bicep Curls on ropes - 3 x 10
C2) BW Tricep Extensions on ropes - 3 x 10
34:13
- Workout got kinda derailed halfway through - girlfriend called saying she would be late because her battery died, but luckily a family member lives nearby to give her a jumpstart. Also, was planning on using stones for the pressing EMOM, not the bag, but they were frozen to the ground. Just one of those daysā¦
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Saw you talking with @alex_uk about maybe doing a Brian program. I noticed he has a new linear program out this week that you may also want to consider.
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Sold!
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Good looking out Simo. I already bought the 45M that Alex has been running, currently taking a few days of just doing my daily work so I can start it totally fresh next week. You will like it - it has a day dedicated solely to farmers and sandbags. Thatās kinda what sold me on it over some of his others (which I will probably do in the future anyway).
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That does sound like fun. Maybe one for me to purchase in the future.
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That whole session is done in EMOM format, which definitely makes it āfunā.
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1/22/25
13 chins/40 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 using Tabata work/rest intervals (tried adding to the chins but not quite there yet)
2 mile walk w/ 20lb vest
1/23/25
10 chins/40 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 using Tabata work/rest intervals
2 mile walk w/ 20lb vest
1/24/25
10 chins/40 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 using Tabata work/rest intervals
2 mile walk w/ 20lb vest
1/25/25
10 chins/40 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 using Tabata work/rest intervals
1/26/25
10 chins/40 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 using Tabata work/rest intervals
Gave myself a few days of just the non-negotiables to totally deload. Next week, Iām starting Brian Alsruheās ā45 Master Sessionsā that @alex_uk has been running. Itās my first time paying for programming in awhile and Iām excited to just trust the process, turn my brain off, and do the work. Itās a 5 day split, with a day each for S/B/D/P, as well as an events/āfunctionalā (as he calls it) day. The barbell lifts are on a āheavy/medium/lightā rotation, and Brian recommends using variations of the lifts on each day, so Iām going with the following:
- Heavy - Back Squat/Bench Press/13" Deadlift/Pin Press from eye level
- Medium - Front Squat/Wide Grip Bench/Deadlift/Trap Bar Press
- Light - Bottoms Up Back Squat/Close Grip Bench/Deficit Deadlift/BTN Press
As you can tell, my choices for S/B/D are fairly vanilla, but thatās because I havenāt really pushed those lifts for 4+ months and Iām just trying to get my technique back. On the other hand, because I have been doing so much overhead work lately, I wanted to pick some variations that werenāt really possible with my ātake it from the floor firstā method.
9 Likes
Really looking forward to seeing how you get on, I bought linear progression and thatās almost certainly my next program after 45M.
Thereās a great little pre-amble in the e-book Iāll just drop a tiny bit here (Iām hoping Brian wouldnāt mind, itās not the IP of the program).
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Not sure how Iāve missed out on your log for so longāIām in for the follow here!
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1/27/25 - Brian Alsruheās ā45 Master Sessionsā: Week 1, Day 1
Strength (20 minute time limit to get to top set):
A1) 13" Deadlift - 133/177/221/265/287/309 x 3
A2) Ab Wheel - 6 sets of 5
Volume (10-minute EMOM):
B1) 13" Deadlift - 243 x 3 x 10
B2) Ab Wheel - 10 sets of 3
Assistance (10 minute time limit):
C1) KB Gorilla Rows - 35ās x 10 x 4
C2) KB Lunges - 35ās x 20 x 3
C3) Long Lever Plank - 3 sets of 30 seconds
40:17
- Very cheeky of Brian to make the very first day the heaviest deadlift session of the first cycle. Still, you should be coming in well rested, so it makes sense. This deadlift variation should be good for me as I missed my last competition third attempt at the knees. Took a minute to get the technique down but by the time the volume work came around, I was in a groove.
- Speaking of, that EMOM was the longest 10 minutes of my life. He gives you the option to skip the ab work during the volume block (itās mandatory during the strength block), but I didnāt wake up today to be soft and weak.
- Assistance was solid. The rows are much easier than the lunges, so I will probably have 2 sets of bells going next time. Planks were meh - I think he wants you to have a sort of āworking restā with them. Something I like about this program is the assistance changes each week, i.e. the assistance on medium deadlift day is different than this. Should keep things exciting.
- Daily work and weight vest walk to happen after work.
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I fucking love these pre-ambles. I have one printed on my night stand because it hit so hard
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So excited to see this log entry, then I got to this part and got a bit a of gut punch!
I freaking love it and it reminds me that Iāve not trying hard enough, I can do the ab work, itās weak sauce of me to skip it.
Thanks Brandon, genuinely put a smile on my face to see you running this, I hope you get as much out of it as I have!
Great idea!
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Good morning gents!
@freshyfresh what Brian programs have you ran? I have my eye on RPM and Minimalist after this. I like the fact that he has you on a clock the whole session so I know these can fit in my morning lift before work. And yeah, the foreword to the ebook is part of why itās worth it instead of just trying to piece it together from the youtube videos.
@alex_uk Donāt worry, no one doing squats and deads on an EMOM is actually weak, haha. I need to come up with a rotation of ab work to do in that block. Today was basically - strap up for deads, get set, lift, get down and do the ab wheel, get up, strap up for deads, get set, lift, repeat. There was no actual rest, haha.
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That sounds disgusting!
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I did Strongman PowerBuilder and bought like 2 or 3 more over the time but havenāt ran them yet (RPM and 4 horsemen). I do have his sandbag sessions book which is awesome
I intended to use RPM when I get stupid busy and need it but I have been finding ways to carve out time for normal sessions
Strongman Powerbuilder was brutal. So much so that itās the main reason that I havenāt ran another one of his programs yet lol
2 Likes
1/27/25 (cont.)
2 mile walk w/ 20lb vest
10 chins/40 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 using Tabata work/rest intervals
1/28/25 - Brian Alsruheās ā45 Master Sessionsā: Week 1, Day 2
Strength (20 minute time limit to get to top set):
A1) Trap Bar Press - 55/66/77/88/99/105/110 x 4
A2) Topside Halfmoons - 7 x 10 w/ 22lb plate
Volume (10-minute EMOM):
B1) Trap Bar Press - 77 x 4 x 10
B2) Ab Wheel - 10 x 3
Assistance (10 minute time limit):
C1) DB Press - 29ās x 10/8/6/6/6, straight into-
C2) DB Waiter Walks - 29ās x 30 seconds x 5 rounds, straight into-
C3) BW Face Pulls on ropes - 5 x 12, straight into-
C4) 30 seconds rest
42:30
- Holy hell, this is why I am paying for programming, because I donāt hate myself enough to dream up something like this. The 17 sets of trap bar pressing was one thing, but to follow it with the DB pressing straight into waiters walks? Absolutely murderous on the shoulders, abs, and biceps (of all places).
- Appetite was ravenous yesterday. Felt good as I had been missing that for awhile. Something tells me this is a program that you canāt really āovereatā on.
- Woke up sore in places I havenāt felt in awhile. I forgot that deadlifts can give you sore triceps. And my hamstrings and low back are still pumped. Proof that snatches and cleans alone arenāt enough to build the muscles for a big pull, at some point you need to tug on something heavy. Take that olympic weightlifting dogma!
- Changed the daily work slightly yesterday; I did the pushups and squats during the āworkā intervals and the chins on the ārestā intervals. That felt more manageable and might be the path to eventually bumping up the reps. With how my main programming is going though, I donāt really need to, haha.
- @alex_uk I found this handy list of core work that is actually for lifters and not soccer moms. I better see you mixing some stuff into those EMOMs. You canāt fire a cannon out of a canoe!
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Haha I remember that finisher the first time I ran it, itās shocking how simple/easy it looks on paper, but right there at the end of the session, itās murder.
Much love for this call out! Youāve got it.
Iāve been in a busy spell and working away for the rest of the week, hoping to get a session in before I go tomorrow and one whilst Iām away (thatāll be interesting trying 45M in a commercial gym!), so youāll see it soon!
2 Likes
1/28/25 (cont.)
2 mile walk w/ 20lb vest
10 chins/40 pushups/60 BW squats in 5:00 using Tabata work/rest intervals
1/29/25 - Brian Alsruheās ā45 Master Sessionsā: Week 1, Day 3
Carries (10-minute EMOM):
A) Trap Bar Carry - 132 x 50 yd (drop/turn/repick at halfway point) x 10
Pullups (10-minute EMOM):
B) Wide Grip Pullup - 5 x 3, 5 x 2
Loading (10 minute EMOM):
C) Teddy Bear Squat - 65lb Atlas Stone x 5 x 10
35:25
- @simo74 this is the day I was telling you about. The specific exercises change each week but the structure remains. The weights arenāt heavy but the EMOM crushes you after a few rounds.
- Next time - add some hanging leg/knee raises after the pullups.
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