Nope…I don’t take anything most of the time. Every once in a while I’ll get some pre-workout with caffeine and beta alanine but I don’t take it consistently.
If you like punishing yourself and if you have the time to train, you should add Simple Guaranteed Size and Strength to your list for the future. It’s another CT workout that he shared on his ThibArmy page. I have a spreadsheet for that, too.
I will Deadlift either tomorrow or Monday; either way I want to finish up Cycle 8 on Tuesday. Will take some extra rest going into the final two phases. Not too worried about Sq/Deads but Pressing days have been hit or miss on if I feel strong & stable or not.
Lunch
6 bone-in chicken thighs
5 medium tortillas
1 tbsp butter, for warming tortillas
most of about 2-3/4 servings of yogurt, will have the rest later
Resting today, and will do back to back Deadlift & Pressing tomorrow and Tuesday to finish off Cycle 8.
I’m pondering the idea of doubling up days on Cycle 9 & 10. For example, Cycle 9:
Squat & Dip Day
Superset 1
Zercher squat: 225x3x2
Dip: 110x3x2
Superset 2
Back squat: 2x2
Dip, deadstart above parallel: 2x2
Superset 3
BB Hack squat: 3x4-6
DB incline triceps press: 3x4-6
Deadlift & Incline press Day
Superset 1
Deadlift: 365x3x2
Incline press: 205x3x2
Superset 2
Rack pull above the knee: 2x2
Bench press: 2x2
Superset 3
Chin-up: 3x4-6
Machine incline press: 3x4-6
In Cycle 10 it will be even simpler and shorter, as there will be no Accessory or Hypertrophy work. This of course is not written into the program, but fits my schedule the next few weeks and is also how I was training while preparing for this program. I believe it will be powerful, and give me some extra rest days to boot.
Got a little carried away with calories last couple days, and ate a lot of fruit in the last week or so. Time to trim back to what works.
Wake + 20: 540am
stiff neck & headache
put down some caffeine right away to mitigate the headache
Slept from 930pm to 200am, woke feeling really refreshed. Drank a quart of water and went back to sleep. Symptoms of viral infection are creeping in. Not feeling terrible yet but I don’t feel great. Of course this would hit me as I’m nearing the end of this program! But I intend to push through.
Took 200mg caffeine and 1000mg acetaminophen after a quart of water. Followed that up with some freshly chopped ginger in some hot water, with half a lemon. All this right here changed my life this morning, lol.
Breakfast
1 quart of whole milk
2 servings of heavy cream
5g creatine
Heading to the park to let the kiddo blow some steam. Probably take some more caffeine and acetaminophen. Sore throat is much better after the ginger, but I am struggling a bit. Will need to relax after getting this fresh air.
Lunch
4 chicken legs
2 servings of rice w some mixed veggies
1 serving of yogurt w a handful of berries & a little honey
Youth Wrestling
Doing what I can today.
Dinner
1 bone-in pork chop
about 1.5 servings of cottage cheese w 2 servings of cream & a drizzle of honey
Going to try finishing the program in an expedited manner by pairing main lifts together. I tested my maxes and prepped for the program this way so, although deviant from the original text, I don’t foresee any issues. I do, however, feel like shit.
After waking around 430
ginger tea w/ lemon
Pretty tired and feel like crap but I’m out of acetaminophen and I know if I go back to bed I’ll be waking up feeling a lot worse. About to slam some caffeine.
Breakfast: 600am
120g oats
80g whey
30g honey
4 servings heavy cream
5g creatine
Pre WO: 930am
2 Thermo tabs
Snack: 11am
2 FiNIBAR, 1 of each flavor
Pre / Intra WO: 1155am
1 serving of C4
2 Thermo tabs
Out of Surge, but shouldn’t need it to finish with this low of volume
Training: about 1215pm
*Zercher Squat
glute bridge 2x10
45x10
115/135/155/175 doubles
205/215 singles
225x3x2
*Dip
heels elevated push up 2x10
BW x10
20/30/50/70/90 doubles
100 singles
110x3x2
**Back squat
295x2
315x2
**Dip, deadstart from above parallel
125x2
135x2
Notes:
Bodyweight: 181
Time: didn’t pay much attention but I think around 1:30
I did not expect to have this strong of a session, being sick and all, but everything was dominant. I got huffing and puffing pretty early on during warm-ups and carried that momentum through.
Will upload a video later of my top sets.
Cut the optional work. Wasn’t interested in pushing my luck, and I’ve got to recover to Deadlift & Press by Monday.
Taking a hot shower and contemplating my life’s decisions. Thinking about getting a tattoo on my lower back or maybe developing something similar to the Death Star. TBD.
Lunch: 230pm
3 huge chicken thighs
3 medium tortillas
3 servings of Greek yogurt
Desert sometime in the evening
3 servings of yogurt
170 mL of cream, about 11 servings (finishing off a carton)
This was so good I decide to not add any honey or berries.
Slept in to 630 or so. Some ginger & lemon tea to soothe the throat and knock some mucus loose. Getting into some caffeine and acetaminophen soon so I can get some work done. I feel surprisingly good given that I’ve picked up whatever viral bug this is (mild cold I guess). It’s moving through quickly.
Really excited to deadlift & press monday.
Breakfast
1 quart whole milk
5g creatine
Lunch
3 bone-in chicken thighs
2 servings olive oil
Snack
1 quart whole milk
Dinner
1 bone-in pork chop
2 tbsp butter
Probably have a small portion of beef liver given to me by a local farmer.
Been sleeping in last couple days thinking I would get better faster but I don’t think that’s the case. I feel much better waking around 5.
Get right into some caffeine and went to work.
Breakfast: 930am
1 quart whole milk
Lunch
1 pork chop
2 servings of butter
couple servings of stir fry veg
Snack
1 quart whole milk
Dinner
3 chicken thighs
1 tbsp olive oil over the top w/ some hot sauce
1 serving Greek yogurt with about 10g honey
Totally felt like shit all day. I did think I was recovering through this bug really quickly but starting to go downhill today, especially into the evening.
Woke up around 1am feeling pretty shitty. Made some ginger tea, felt a lot better and slept a couple more hours.
Wake: 515am
slammed a serving of C4 and some acetaminophen. Struggling but slowly reviving.
Breakfast: 600am
120g oats
75g whey
30g honey
21g butter
80mL whole milk
5g creatine
Will have 2 Thermo tabs sometime between Breakfast and Pre WO.
Snack: 835am
2 peanut butter FiNIBARs
Pre WO: 920am
1 serving C4
2 Thermo tabs
Training: 935am
*Hip thrust
2x10
*Push up, heels elevated
2x10
**Deadlift
135x10
185/225/245 triples
265/285 doubles
305/325/345 singles
365x3x2
**Bench press
incline: 45x10
incline: 135/155/175 doubles
incline: 185/195 singles
incline: 205x3x2
flat: 215x1
flat: 225x2
flat: 235x2
***Rack pull above the knee w/ straps
405x1
495x1
545x2
545x2
***Machine incline press
I am going to test the viability of using this as a Primary movement in a subsequent training program. Pushing the envelope without truly hitting 100% today, just feeling it out.
Why? Ease of setup (none basically), good angle, no lift off required. Less variable in a sea of variables. Besides I just really fuckin like this piece of equipment!
180x1
190x1
200x1
210x1 (probably could have done a set of 3 or 4)
Notes
Bodyweight: 182
Time: 1:30
Very strong session. Only ONE single rep all day that I had to dig for and it was the second rep of 235 on the flat bench. Was an absolute locomotive today, pushing through in low gear.
Had a cup of coffee an hour or so after waking up.
Breakfast: 1100
Took my son to the Chinese buffet. This place is the bomb. We had:
egg drop soup
pork roast, pork ribs, chicken wings, grilled chicken, fish and shrimp
a bunch of mushrooms & green beans, some broccoli
sushi, rice & rice noodles
Ended our meal with a couple of those cream cheese wonton things. He learned to use chop sticks pretty quickly today.
Snack: 400pm
1 quart of whole milk
5g creatine
Youth Wrestling Practice: 600pm
Just my 3 pee wees tonight.
Trying some new teaching techniques to keep the kids engaged and focused; worked well. One kid in particular is absolutely wired, does not stay engaged or really listen that well either. He’s a challenge but I’m gonna figure him out.
We went back and forth between a drill/exercise and rough & tumble play time. This worked well also. We worked on two double leg takedown set ups, duck walks, and directional moving. We also did pull ups on rings, push ups, and bear hug carries with a small punching bag, amongst other things like bear crawls and tumbles.
Besides all that we did some more live wrestling in a variety of set ups. So starting from a tie up, starting from wrist control, starting from bottom. I would also make up one rule games, such as one kid couldn’t take his hand off the other kids forehead unless he was taking a shot, etc.
My boy had been sick so was pretty lethargic and didn’t do as much, and I only had one other kid. He’s on the bigger side of 5 and is very beta/undisciplined/whiny kid so I spent most of two hours working him hard.
Weighed 179. Weighed 183 Tuesday at practice. Been lower carb last couple of days, 50-60g/day, so this is a simple water weight fluctuation.
Had 2 Thermotabs sometime between Breakfast & Snack.
Snack
2 FiNIBARs
Pre WO
1 serving C4
2 Thermotabs
Training
Zercher squat
225x3x3
Third set was one of the best performances of the whole program thus far. Very tight and strong.
Dip
110x3x3
Also some of the best dips thus far, form wise. On video they looked very easy and I was surprised watching.
Notes
Bodyweight: 180
Time: 1:03
Warm-ups along the same lines as next week, didn’t feel the need to type them up.
Strong; final work sets felt great. Definitely some of the strongest dipping so far. Brought my feet in just a touch for the last squat set for an unreasonably powerful effect.
Next Friday I will max. I don’t really have any expectations, other than I’m putting all my chips on the table! Hope I don’t shit my pants, but hope is for suckers!
Holy shit, upper back is lit up from yesterday. Eager to finish up this program and test maxes.
After waking + 1 hour
1 serving of C4
Breakfast
1 quart of whole milk
5g creatine
Looking really lean today, muscles pumped and my upper back feels great. Zerchers + Dips has a powerful effect.
Lunch
3 bone-in chicken thighs
2 servings of olive oil
2 servings of cottage cheese
mixed frozen veggies (stir fry and sweet peas) & half a zucchini
Throw the chicken thighs in a baking dish uncovered at 400 for 20 minutes or so, then add in the frozen veggies to cover the empty spaces at the bottom of the dish. Throw in a little dab of bacon grease. Cook for another 20 minutes or so. Debone with a scissors into a bowl, add 2 servings of olive oil and a generous amount of hot sauce. Bowl of cottage cheese on the side. Damn good.
Didn’t go to bed until well after 1am. Time change and some other factors had me up late. Woke up a little after 7am.
Tying up some loose ends nutrition & resource wise; using up remaining whey, oats, caffeine, other things that aren’t in my base nutrition routine.
Plan on moving back to a high percentage carnivore diet (beef, lamb, chicken, butter, veggies) after testing, while performing a pretty basic bodybuilding type split for a couple of weeks. From there I will add in some targeted carbohydrates as I begin 915, namely Surge, and possibly going low fat once or twice a week with a carb bolus post workout (deadlift & high pull days). Anyways;
After waking
couple cups of coffee
Breakfast shortly after: 830am
1 Thermo tab
50g whey powder
3.5 cups skim milk
90g oats
30g honey
half a serving of butter
Snack: 11am
2 FiNIBARs, 1 of each
1 Thermo tab
Pre / Intra WO: 1145
1 serving C4
1 Thermo tab
Training Session
Here’s the big one folks, last session of the program before testing. Training a little later than normal today. Won’t have somebody for lift offs on the bench press but I’ll survive. I prefer training here when it’s empty anyways. I’m the guy who cranks the heat even if it’s warm out and keeps the lights turned off.
Warm-up
Hip thrust 2x10
Feet elevated push up 2x10
Band pull-a-part mini band 2x10
Deadlift 135x10
Incline press 45x10
Band pull-a-part mini band x10
*Deadlift
205/225/245 doubles
265/285 singles
305/325/345 singles
365/365/365 triples
*Incline press
135/155/175 doubles
185/195 singles
225/246/265 rack out for a few deep breaths (wanted to go 1:1 set for set w/ DL)
205/205/205 triples
Notes
Bodyweight: 177#, didn’t eat, drink or sleep a lot this weekend.
Time: 1:10
Car is broke down so it was a 2-1/2 mile walk to the gym.
Didn’t feel strong today, but didn’t have to grind any weights either. The very last rep of each exercise required some deep exertion, but nothing that had me worried or grinding much beyond normal speed.
2-1/2 mile walk back home.
Well that’s it folks. Will test Zerchers & Dips this Friday, Deadlift & Incline press on Monday. Will be walking to and from the gym for the foreseeable future. Waiting on car parts to come in the mail.