Bar, 95, 135, 190, 205, 225x5, 190 5x5, assistance 1 and 2 alternating between for 10 reps. The assistance is tough at this point. The main work is what it is - the weights are definitely a bit limited because you’re always working, but 5 reps is easy and it’s over quick - it’s the assistance that really gases you out, and I was definitely drenched in sweat, plus the bed I slept on for a week was a super soft mattress so my lower back has been sore the whole week, so it took about half the workout for it to loosen up a bit, and then by the end it was getting sore again. Anyways, got through it in the time limit, hips feeling a bit beat up but tomorrow I’ll work them with conditioning and push onwards. Last week would’ve been the last week of my first cycle, so I’m just counting this as day 1 of the 2nd preparatory cycle, as activity stayed high and it seems counterintuitive to prolong this. The next phase is 5x10 main work instead of 5x5, but it drops to 3 days a week. That’s when the main work will be more of an ass kicker and I won’t be able to keep upping the assistance weights. I’ve probably found my proper weights this week anyways - I was close to the time limit and I think I could just focus on getting my time down and going deeper on the second assistance.
Going to start adding in running again. I ran a few times on my vacation and I can still run at an 8 minute mile pace, but I was noticeably gassed and it just didn’t feel right - a sign that I’m out of running shape, which goes against my “are you fit?” standards.
2 plates on incline is decent - was definitely a goal of mine a ways back, but I’ve been able to do it on and off for a couple years now, and while deadlifts, squats and OHP have been progressing, I keep getting away from incline, so it’s getting to feel a bit stagnant. 2 plate inclines are common, but a 3 plate incline - now we’re starting to talk impressive.
Anyways, this is all just whimsical talk, because if there was ever a program to push you towards a bigger bench, Krypteia would not be it.
Yeah - I used to think this was called Fartlek runs, because that’s what my sgt in the Marines called this type of training. We’d wake up at the ass-crack of dawn and be outside freezing in short shorts at 0430, and as those were my drinking days, I’d usually have stopped drinking around 0100 or 0200, and he’d just start running at a stupid pace. Every quarter mile or so, we’d stop and do some miserable exercise, and that was the only rest we got, except it was something like burpees or mountain climbers, aka not rest at all. Turns out Fartlek runs are just interval runs and we were just doing miserable stuff with more miserable stuff in between.
As much as I hated it, my squadmates were usually more miserable because they’d be smelling the unique combination of alcohol sweat, body odor, and early morning booze farts leaking off of me.
This is a great comic strip, Terminal Lance, that really nails what a lot of infantry life in the Marine Corps is like:
I’ll tell ya though, I had WAY more altercations with sailors than I did with soldiers. Only bad experience I ever had with army was when a female sgt left her loaded m4 in the laundry room in a base in South Korea that we were at. Ran out, gave it to her, yelled at her, she told her command, I was in a different service but still a lower rank, and I got in trouble.
Sailors on the other hand, were none too happy about us loading up onto their boats and (successfully) going after all their women.
Gym was so packed, I had to wait forever to get a rack and all the dumbbells were in use so I had to just improvise to get my workout in.
OHP
Did bar, 95, 135, 145, 155, 160x5, and 145 5x5 with sets of 10 squats at the same press weight in between every set on the buildup, and 145 for 5x15 between the 5x5.
Wore my Romaleos today, and I have officially switched to high bar, oly style squats with no belt, ass to grass. My ankle mobility is greatly improved, as I get 0 buttwink in the hole right now. Knees are traveling a good 3 inches in front of my toes, bracing is strong. I never wore my belt tight - just used it as a tool to brace outwards against - but I obviously had been relying on it as my SI joints felt a bit weak, so I’m gonna go beltless for a while.
Literally a complete 180 in turns of squat style, and knees feel healthy, hips aren’t hurting, back feels strong, quads are growing. Shoulders don’t hurt or feel like they’ll pop out of the socket with high bar either. I’ll have to drop my weights on squat day, which is a bit disappointing as 3 plates was on the horizon, but I think I’ll have a longer, better progression with better leg development this way.
Wasn’t hungry at work until about noon, and I knew I was going to a late dinner with the wife and kids at 845 pm (had to get the kids to take a late nap so as not to be cranky, totally worked, they fell asleep in the car on the ride home too), just had a giant sandwich filled with shaved prime rib and horseradish sauce with au jus to dip it in and giant seasoned fries on the side, plus a couple glasses of Malbec. Anyway, once it was noon I just decided not to eat, so I had my first bite of food at about 9 pm, which led to a decent meal but I didn’t go crazy.
That was the catalyst for it - it does look like stretches, but it’s really just strengthening through loaded lengthened positions. There aren’t really static stretches - the split squats are increasing ankle mobility, but requiring a lot of quad and knee strength to get you in and out of that extreme ROM, the toes-elevated RDL’s are getting your hamstrings used to loading in a deep stretch, and everything else falls into line around being strong in those exaggerated positions.
Today was deadlifts -
Bar, 150, 240, 290, 330, 350x5, 390x5, 420x5, 350 5x5 with assistance 1 and 2 for 10 reps in between. Definitely the ass kicker of the week.
Thanks! Like I said, it’s the assistance that’s really busting my ass, and that’s what I’m gonna push hard with through this program. The 5x10’s with the main work are gonna be miserable, though.
Hip flexor cable raises 5 on the stack 3x20 each leg
The giant set killed me. The 80s were probably too heavy, had to rest pause the last 2 sets, and the burpees were miserable, but I guess that’s the point. Wanted some more chest hypertrophy. You can take the bro out of the bro split but you can’t stop him from wanting sweet pecs.
bar, 95, 135, 145, 155, 160x5, 145 5x5 with assistance 1 and 2 in between. Life has been so hectic I need to take a second and figure out where I’m at in the program, haha. I’m pretty sure I’m on cycle 2, week 2 of the 2-cycle preparatory phase. My assistance weights are good now, and I’m just pushing hard to eliminate rest between sets, coming in under the time limit and sweating my balls off during, so I know it’s working.
