Dave G's Metcon For Muscle Log

Training Training Logs
61

September 25th, 2022 - Metcon For Muscle - Phase Two - Week Three - Day 1

A. Above Shoulder Two DB Carry: 40’s x 120 seconds
(A. increased from 35’s to 40’s this week, started Phase 1, Week 1 at 20’s)

B1. Push Press: 185 x 5, 5
B2. DB Lateral Raise multi ROM: 15’s x 5/5/10; 5/5/10
B3. Overhead DB Carry: 40’s x 60 seconds, 60 seconds
(B1. Same as last week, not quite getting 3 second eccentrics here so staying at this weight)
(B2. got four more total reps this week)
(B3. increased by from 35’s to 40’s; started Phase 1, Week at 20’s)

C1. Dip: BW + 90 x 5, 5
C2, DB Bench Press multi ROM: 50’s x 5/5/8; 5/5/5
C3. Two Push Up Strict Burpee: BW x 60 seconds, 60 seconds
(C2: my estimated load to use for this exercise was a bit too heavy last week so I decreased to 50’s today and that felt about right)

D. Dip Top Position Hold: BW x 60 seconds, 40 seconds, 20 seconds with timed15 second rests between holds
(D. slight decrease in performance versus last week)

E. DB Bench Press Loaded Stretch: 25’s x 75 seconds, 45 seconds with 15 second rests between bouts of work
(E. same performance as last week)

My total workout time was 25:28 which is about 17 seconds faster than last week.

I increased the load on the overhead carries which certainly had an immediate impact on localized fatigue during the workout. My performance on the dip hold was down slightly from last week. This may be partly due to the extra fatigue but also may be partly due to having dropped calories this week as I aim to lose a few pounds over the next few weeks. Overall I was happy with the session. The pump was nuts and, despite the increase in load on the carries, I was able to beat last week’s time by a small margin.

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Omg that makes so much more sense now when I saw your total time was like 28 minutes I was like “god dang Dave is FLYING through these workouts”

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@Lonnie123

Yes, maybe I should have clarified that point right from the start. I just figured that the spirit of the program would be best served by being able to compare the amount of work done in a given amount of time from week to week as a means of measuring progress. I had the luxury of training at home and having enough equipment to set pretty much everything up in advance and to warm up on everything in advance. Obviously a commercial gym setting would be much harder to work with in this regard.

I was pleased that, in most cases, I was able to add weight to some of the exercises each week while still improving the time spent to complete the sessions. Measuring that pretty clearly illustrated rapid and positive adaptations from the training - which was highly motivating.

1 Like
64

September 26th, 2022

I am traveling yet again for work. Only two days on the road this time. I did a Metcon session yesterday and will do the next one tomorrow. For today I just hit up the hotel gym and did 15 minutes of fast paced incline treadmill walking, followed by three rounds of a circuit of three ab exercises (strict hanging knee raise, heavy standing cable crunch, Tate side bends), followed by 15 more minutes of fast incline treadmill walking.

65

September 27th, 2022 - Metcon For Muscle - Phase Two, Week Three, Day Two

A. Prowler Push: 2 minutes unbroken with 50 lbs loaded on the Prowler. Again I had to substitute Prowler pulling for pushing as I had to do this in my yard again and the damn thing just will not push decently on grass.

B1. Barbell Lunge: 175 x 5/leg, 5/leg
B2. Goblet Squat multi ROM: 100 x 5/5/9; 5/5/7
B3. Sled Drag: Prowler + 50lbs x 60 seconds, 60 seconds
(B1. increased by 10lbs from last week)
(B2. same weight but 1 more total full ROM rep than last week)

C1. RDL: 355 x 5, 5
C2. Leg Curl multi ROM: 100 x 5/5/10; 5/5/7
C3. KB Swing: 70 lbs x 60 seconds, 60 seconds
(C1. increased by 10lbs from last week)
(C2. same weight but 1 more total full ROM rep than last week)

D. Zercher Squat Hold: 65 lbs x 45 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 15 seconds with 15 seconds rest between the holds
(not quite as good as last week)

E. Bulgarian Split Squat Iso-Hold: Left leg forward: 90 seconds / 15 seconds rest / 30 seconds; Right leg forward: 75 seconds / 15 seconds rest / 45 seconds /
(E. same as last week)

Total workout time was 30:45 vs 31:20 last week. I increased the loads on some movements and got a couple more total reps on others. My Zercher hold times were not quite as good as last week. The BSS iso-hold was about the same.

66

September 28th, 2022 - ‘off’ day, bit of calf, ab, and forearm work only

A1. Standing Calf Raise: 3212 tempo, 275 x 12,10
A2. Bodyweight Calf Raise: 3212 tempo, BW x 15,15
A3. Jump Rope: 120 seconds, 120 seconds
A4. Standing Calf Loaded Stretch: BW x 120 seconds unbroken, 120 seconds unbroken

B1. Hollow Hold: 60 seconds unbroken, 45 seconds unbroken
B2. Seated Knee Tuck: 3112 tempo, BW x 12, 14
B3. Suitcase Carry: 55 lbs x 60 seconds/arm, 60 seconds/arm

  • did 2 rounds with no rest between exercises and 60 seconds rest between rounds

C1. Cable Wrist Extensions: 10 lbs x 20, 20
C2. Behind Back Wrist Curl: 55 lbs x 15, 15
C3. Double Pronated Barbell Hold: 135 x 45 seconds, 40 seconds
*no rest between exercises, 60 seconds rest between rounds, did two rounds, the extensions and curls were high rep sets; the holds were tough at a light load having taken no rest after the wrist extensions and curls

67

September 30th, 2022 - Metcon For Muscle - Phase Two - Week Three - Day Three

A. Farmer’s Walk: 165 lbs (trap bar) x 120 seconds unbroken
(A. increase of 5 lbs from last week)

B1. Muscle Snatch: 130 x 5, 5
B2. Snatch Grip Iso-Dynamic Shrug: (1212 tempo) 130 x 20 sec hold + 15 reps, 20 sec hold +15 reps
B3. Farmer’s Walk: 165 lbs (trap bar) x 60 seconds, 60 seconds unbroken
(B1/ B2/B3 increased by 5 lbs on each)

C1. Pendlay Row: (3010 tempo) 220 x 5, 5
C2. Chest Supported DB Rear Delt Raise multi ROM: 10’s x 5/5/10, 5/5/10
C3. Barbell Zercher Carry: 115 lbs x 60 seconds, 60 seconds unbroken
(C1 & C3 increased by 5 lbs)

D. Chin Up Iso-Hold: BW x 45 seconds, 30 seconds, 25 seconds, 20 seconds
*something of an improvement over last week; fewer and longer holds

E. Pull Up Hang Stretch: BW x 90 seconds, 30 seconds
*same as last week

Total workout time: 30:15. This was about three minutes slower than last week. I did increase the weights on most of the exercises but not by enough to account for the increased workout time, I don’t think. I was very stressed and distracted heading into the session. My work day had gone to shit plus I had some contractors at the house doing some renos. They were late showing up and arrived during my workout which was super annoying. The workout and the reno work got done though, so all good.

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@Christian_Thibaudeau
@Tim_Patterson

October 1st, 2022 - Metcon For Muscle - Phase Two, Week Three, Day Four

A1. Snatch Grip High Pull: 185 x 3
(increased by 15lbs from last week)

A2. Barbell Curl Walk: 85 x 20 steps
(increased by 15lbs from last week)

A3. DB Clean and Press: 50’s x 5
(same weight as last week)

A4. Two Hand Anyhow Walk: 50’s x 10 steps/hand
(increased by 10lbs/hand from last week)

Completed 16 rounds in 29:16. Last week I completed18 rounds plus the SGHP and BB Curl Walk of the next round in 29:58. I significantly increased the loads this week though.

Here are the numbers from each of the three Physical Labour workouts in Phase Two:
Wk1: SGHP @ 165, Bicep Walk @ 65, DB C&G @ 50’s, 2-Hand Carry @ 35’s, 16 rounds in 29:52

Wk2: SGHP @ 170, Bicep Walk @ 70, DB C&G @ 50’s, 2-Hand Carry @ 40’s, 18.5 rounds in 29:58

Wk 3: SGHP @ 185, Bicep Walk @ 85, DB C&G @ 50’s, 2-Hand Carry @ 50’s, 16 rounds in 29:16

I’m not sure how best to draw a direct comparison between 18.5 rounds last week vs 16 rounds in roughly the same time at higher loads this week but it felt like progress either way. An easier comparison is Wk3 to Wk1 - the same number of rounds, slightly faster, at significantly higher loads. Pretty good progress for three workouts, I think.

So concludes the Metcon For Muscle Plan. I had a blast doing it and I’m very impressed with the increased work capacity. I have some new found muscle to show for it as well - particularly in the shoulders and arms, I think. A big thank you to @Tim_Patterson and @Christian_Thibaudeau for their work on this. Very much appreciated, as always.

In the last week and a half I’ve been logging calories and operating in a bit of daily deficit. This morning I weighed in at 179.2. I’ll weigh myself again tomorrow morning to get a final read upon completion of the plan. Six weeks ago I started the Metcon plan at 180lbs after a week off at the cottage. By week three I was 183lbs but looking a bit leaner. Today I was under 180 and looking leaner still.

Given the short duration of the program at six weeks, plus the fact that I was traveling for work repeatedly -sometimes for 5 days at a time -, and I didn’t start tracking macros and calories until the last week to 10 days, I’d say the program worked extremely well.

I was motivated for the workouts and really liked the ‘in competition with yourself’ aspect of the timed sessions. I always aim to improve by some measure from one workout to the next anyway, but this program was very well suited to that mindset.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what the continuation of the Metcon plan will be as it flips over to a paid plan. I’d really like to stick with it if it makes sense for me to do so. Hopefully the details are forthcoming soon. I also like the look of the other T-Nation training plans that are currently running or soon to start. I will have a good look at all of them and see what makes the most sense for me going forward.

In the meantime I will figure out a plan to do for the next few weeks that will need to be highly adjustable as I have a three week training course coming up that is about 5 hours away from my residence. I’ll be living in a hotel for three weeks and the schedule is going to get tossed out the window. There will be a combination of day and night work with little notice as to what it will look like from one day to the next. I’m used to working around this kind of stuff though so I’ll figure it out.

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October 2, 2022

@Christian_Thibaudeau
@Tim_Patterson

Weighed in at 178 this morning. Started the Metcon plan at 180lbs six weeks ago, went up to 183 mid way through, and got down to 178 the mornings after the final workout. I’m quite pleased with that and I feel great. Work capacity is at an all time high too.

Without truly dialling in my nutritional intake and just sort of ‘being in the ball park’ on caloric intake for most of the six weeks I feel like the workout really delivered great results. I look forward to the next phase of training.

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70

October 3, 2022

For the last two days after finishing up the Metcon For Muscle Plan I did a Velocity Diet style of eating. This was partly out of necessity as I had a ton of stuff on the go the last two days between some very pressing work obligations and some renos going on at my primary residence as well as at my rental. During those two days the only training that I did was some ab work and some extended walks wearing a 20lb weight vest.

This morning I weighed in at 177.2lbs. Feeling great. Starting to in the neighbourhood of when I was at my leanest a few years ago. I weighed in at an all time most lean weight of 169 lbs back then. I have likely gained a bit of muscle since then so I imagine that getting down to 171 or 172 at this stage would put me back to that level of leaness.

While I await the details of the new paid T-Nation workout plans, and while I deal with a three week long training course that I must be away for starting the week after next, I will be starting a new workout plan. I am aiming for something fairly simple that won’t require alot of extra brain power during the sessions as I expect the next few weeks to be extremely stressful. I will also be at the mercy of whatever gyms I may have access to at odd hours so I gotta keep it as simple as possible.

My goals in this short interim phase will be to maintain muscle mass, keep top end strength, and maintain my work capacity which is quite high at the moment after finishing up Metcon.

I’ll likely switch back over to my main training log for keeping track of the details going forward.