Bloody silly idea that was. I did 5x10 reps with 40kg in just under 4mins. A bit slower than I did last time back in Jan. BUT - leg DOMS and I did shoulders yesterday. So I’m a touch less explosive today. Also you get good at what you do. I might have lost a bit there - but on Grace I’m 10 steps forward.
Video below. On agreement that:
1 - no talking about my shoes and socks combo
2 - no talking about how my belly kept creeping out of my top.
On a side note. The world record for a 9 year old’s deadlift was broken this week. A girl lifted 100kg. My son is a touch upset. He (and I) genuinely think he can break this. He pulls 60kg for fun on an axle. But 100% against it. All the evidence I have seen says the same thing. Working kids too hard too young in ANY SPORT is bad news. Has risk. No benefits.
I was wondering what everyone else’s opinions are? I know I have some dad in here. I’m not looking for anyone to change my mind or make it right that I push him. More interested in anyone considered opinion.
As an FYI this world record dead lift was close to 3.5x the kids BW. Which is nuts. My current rule for my kids is 1.5xbw. 38kg kid = 57kg (about 60). The other is 28kg so we go 40kg max.
I think the DOMS I had after doing my squat 50 rep challenge were the worst I’ve ever experienced. Literally every step was pain and I kept losing balance.
My kids aren’t in to any sports/exercise but everything about this just screams wrong and pushy parent to me. Obviously the parents involved haven’t thought past the point of wow factor and long term consequence for their daughter in 1- doing this lift and 2- training for it
I think there is a difference between teaching a kid to have commitment and discipline vs being a pushy parent. If my children are doing a sport or have made a commitment to do a sport then I will make sure they go and train hard and try there best, no excuses. My son often says he is tired or doesn’t want to go to karate but he goes no matter what.
Pushing your kid to train hours and hours to compete or to break a record is a little too far in my opinion. Unless of course the kid really loves it and is driven without being pushed.
You see - I have this thing where I 100% think elite performance in sport and health are not the same thing. At all. Talk to VERY fit people and they all have niggles. Hell - you said you need a deload from this strength phase. Because getting good at something is hard on the body.
I’m not even against weight training for kids. I think its BRILLIANT. But come on. There are levels. I rugby we are governed by the RFU as to what we can and can not do. To safe guard the long term health of the kids.
My boy is 100% certain he could do 110Kg. I do not think its beyond him. He is both athletic at heart and determined. But people like him need coaching their whole live to step away from the edge. He will be one of those guys that over trains, or trains through an injury that rules him out or weeks.
There is no way he is ready for this sort of step up at age 9. I can’t think many kids are.
So rugby feed back from yesterday. I did okay. We lost but it was a close game. I was not as involved as I like to be. BUT I was also playing out of position (played LH rather than 2nd row).
Injured my neck. Had someone fall on it during a tackle. A bit annoying. I’m gonna try and fine something I can do to exercise tonight.
So - I did Fran again. This time I did legit thrusters. Any heavier than 95lb and I would struggle with my hands. But this weight is fine. But I did do fat man pull ups with oly rings.
I did not time it or video it.
After this I did 3x10 viper press. Looking at my next attempt at Grace with the log. I managed all 3sets in circa 45 seconds. Giving me the projected finish in 2:15…
@T3hPwnisher et all some advice if I can. I have a plan for the next few months but I’ll be honest. I’m not confident enough to feel 100% behind it right now.
The plan “was” drop to sub 100kg by early June and then run BtM and then DW back to back and end up big and fit for the rugby season in early September.
Now however I’m liking being a bit smaller. If I run BtM and DW back to back with a starting weight of 100kg I will be back to 110kg after 12 week. Maybe more. I don’t want to be too much above 105kg any more.
My new plan is to keep doing WOD stuff. Keep as much strength as possible but get right down toward 95kg and then attack DW as hard as possible. I was even thinking about blowing out the start of the rugby season to fit in BtM. As rugby will start in late September. If I can get to 95kg (13kg drop) before the start of July I will have 10 weeks still the season starts. I’ll sacrifice 2 weeks of rugby for this.
Seem “sound”? I think so but I can also get stuff like this VERY wrong.
All variations to the plan must contain DW this summer. BtM if we can.
The long pole in the tent for me is rugby: I have ZERO understanding of the needs/demands/etc there. So if I were to talk to this plan, it would be as though that didn’t exist.
And in THAT regard, I think there’s a lot of value in, at least one time, cutting down to STUPIDLY lean levels and going from there. Like you noted: getting kinda lean and gaining is like spinning your wheels: you get back to where you were before. I always walked around at 192-196 and “kinda lean”, and I’d drop a few pounds when I’d lean out and gain a few when I gained. Then, I pushed the limits on gaining and got up to 210 and stupidly strong, then dropped it all the way down to 177 and stupidly lean, and since that last part, it’s made gaining SUCH a better experience. It’s much easier to monitor progress, and growth is far more rewarding. And, I find that my set point shift such that, when I let off the gas, I get LEANER rather than fatter.
All that to say: I think dropping weight and chasing fitness is a fantastic goal.
Rugby:
I need to be fit and strong. Ironically not as strong as I was - but fitter. I’ve had my best games recently as I’ve become slimmer and fitter. It could be as I played more games I’ve improved my technical prowess. But I think it’s more to do with having 10kg less of me to drag around. I’m still MUCH stronger than everyone else. Being fitter means I can get more places and express this fitness.
I noted that my best game what I did was no better than the weeks before. I was just doing more of it.
This is it. And something Dan John wrote. That the best gains come after the biggest cuts
Minds made up. Get to 95kg. Run DW. In the mean time push the strength conditioning.
I’ve had an odd few weeks. I’m still not sure id I’ve lost some BS strength. But I’m okay with this if I have. It will not be alot. Its a lift I’m doing as an assistance only. Main lifts are still log and front squat. They still (to my mind) make you look more athletic. Other than that lots of rugby in the last few weeks has meant I’ve not squatted in ages. This is my first FS in weeks.
Sticking to 140kg I did 3 sets of x70-80% of max reps
3x3 - I feel like I had 4 in there. this is where I was 2 month back. But I was about 6-7kg heavier. I’m also confident I can get 2x5 next week now that I’ve had a go with 3 reps.
I fetl all out of shape doing these. I think the weight lose is messing with my bar path. Or my hip path. I felt like my legs are too wide and now hips were all over the shop. Before my leg were that wide to let my belly past. Now there is nothing there. Its odd. And will take lots of getting used to.
After this I had a silly idea. I took the weight down to the next selected weight I use (110kg) and did 10-15-20.
10 front squat, 15 back squat, 20 dead lift ASAP. I did think I was filming it. But I was not. I can say this - no put downs on the squats (on dead lifted there were) and I managed it in under 10 mins. Maybe under 7. I’d go 50/50 on that. Over all a great work out. Good strength component and great conditioning.
On a weight lose note - diet had started to slip. And I have not dropped weight for a week. Then today I weighed in at 109. A gain of 1kg. I’m assuming this is blip. But as a way of monitoring - I have had a look back and there are 4 things I have changed recently:
I have started to snack on the way home from work. From now on - I eat breakfast and 2 more meals. Snacks are nuts. I can get a 200g bag from the shop and eat that over 4 days. That is it.
I’ve stopped doing the 20 rep squat and dead lift thing. I did not do that today - but I did an version that is just as tough. But I think a weekly 245lb squat and deadlift death reps are good for me.
I’ve stopped doing my sand bag work outs. Like 240 reps and 100 burpees. Although I think this is minor considering the fact that I did Fran(ish) twice and some prep for my next grace attempt. But I will still add them in. I “might” even move the sand bag down stairs so that after work (I work nights) I can work out in the kitchen. And not wake people up.
Rugby messes with 3 days. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes 4. If I want to make progress now (the off season) is the time. Come the season to even be semi contestable in rugby most of gym goals will have to go on the back burner.
So I’m 100% back upto 109kg. Which is frustrating. I can’t say my diet has been great. But I would not have thought I’d eaten enough to gain weight.
If nothing else I’m learning. And still down 6kg (13lb) in 8-9 weeks. Not great but not bad. Another 12 to go thought.
I’m was unsure what to do today. I had planned to do max log in 30mins - clean each rep. But I’m not feeling that any more. I am struggling with the possible drop in back squat strength - so lets get a heavy weight on my back.
EMOM 10 rounds
On Even numbers
10 thrusters
On Odd numbers
40m 200kg yoke carry
So a few more rests than I wanted. But it is done. I will be doing a mile or two walk shortly to.
This is a shitty work out. I’ve called it hell on earth. Really struggled. 190kg felt HEAVY. More than it should. I was not as in control of this as I liked. I had to drop the yoke from 190 to 140 for the last run as well. Was 100% done with 190.
Thrusters where also a touch high intensity n the squat. But it’s done. Effort in = results.
100% agree, when I was playing I’d try to cut weight and wouldn’t happen. Was easier to just go for parity and have couple of lower calorie days across the week.
Have you tried intermittent fasting at all? I ask this as someone fairly new to keeping to it 7 days a week. I’ve actually found the last nearly 2 weeks easier than anticipated, having coffee first thing and then 3 substantial meals plus an apple means I’m hungry for part of the morning not the whole day. Just means I don’t eat until about 4 hours post training but to be honest the more I read the less I think that this is an issue in terms of muscle catabolism
I’m kinda doing IF already. I eat big for the first 7-8h of the day then stop eating. Which is why the eating on the way home from work is doubly bad.
It breaks my fast - with low quality food (a cheap protein bar). Again - I know where I’m failing. I can and have fixed it. Time to reap the rewards now.
Thanks. I’m gonna carry on. Its always nice to have people along for the ride.
I’m not good at “staying the same”. I’m either eating to gain or I’m going hungry. I’m all or nothing. Which is not fun. But I’m still focused. And I want to hit my targets. So I think staying the course for now will work.
I did weigh in at 106.9kg today. REALLY odd. I did not eat loads yesterday. I say “loads”:
6 eggs, 3 rashes of bacon, 2 toast, 100g of cashews, 225g of steak. + veg. Thats about 2600 calories. Breakfast is 1200 by its self…
So Lent is over:
I’m down to a waking up weight of 107.5kg. This is on goal if slightly above. 500g though. Not much. I’m noticeably slimmer. I catch myself in the mirror sometimes and think “stop holding it in knob head” only to realise - I’m not holding it in.
I’m fitter. AND this “diet” does not feel like a drag. I don;t want to brake my “fast” anymore. I ate 2x hot cross buns. And felt like I was cheating myself. Not is a bad way - but like “whats the point?”. Kinda like when you only give 50% in a gym session.
So over all Lent was a GREAT experience. and I will be carrying on. I have 2 days off planned. Today and next Saturday. But weight loss will continue until I’m RIGHT down to 95kg.
EDIT:
In the video you can’t tell my I pull my neck REALLY badly. Today I’m in a sling. No exercise today I feel.
