Just. Don't. Suck (Part 1)

CT’s article says the Russians found grip strength was highest at 3 and 11 hrs after waking. CT’s personal results were 2 and 10 hrs.

I found his article on ThibArmy.

“What’s the Best Time to Train?”

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This is opposite of what I did a few months ago before starting the log - I had a day when everything just felt easy - until I unloaded the bar and realized the 25’s I thought I was using were 15’s and I was using a women’s bar.

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:smile:

It’s too bad the big weights never feel like light ones. I thought I was having a rough day having to put way too much effort into 185!

Nice workout! Lots of good info going on in here. Good luck with next phase of your program!

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Thanks, @littlelee!


4.10.18

Woke at 231.6 lbs.

RECOVERY DAY

CARDIO
2 lap dynamic warm up
2 laps of run the straighaway, walk the curves
Jog 1 lap fast enough to be uncomfortable
Walk half a lap
Jog 1 lap with effort (59 seconds)

6 laps=1 mile

STRETCH & ROLL CLASS

EAT LUNCH

MOW THE YARD

EAT AGAIN

RELAX

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4.11.18

Woke at 234.0. Went to bed at 240 and change.

Guaranteed Simple Strength & Size W3 D4

(end of prep phase)

BENCH
135 x 8
185 x 5
215 x 8 x 4 sets
115 x 6-2 rest/pause

PENDLAY ROW
135 x 5
165 x 8 x 5 sets

OHP
105 x 8 x 4 sets
105 x 6 + 2 push press

PULL-UPS
BW x 8 x 3 sets
BW x 5-1-1-1 x 2 sets

REV CABLE FLY
30 x 12 x 3 sets
30 x 8
20 x 12

STRETCH & ROLL CLASS
This particular instructor spends less time on the lower body and adds in the shoulder girdle work. It hurts.

I’m officially done with the 8s! On to the 5s and fun stuff on Friday! I’ll keep doing power cleans as part of my deadlift “warm up” during the next phase. They will become part of the program officially in phase three and will replace RDLs. I’ll be doing my power clean workout starting at 80% for 12 x 1 on Day 1 and clean pulls on day 2. I add weight to each every week. At the end of week six (week 12 overall) I’ll max on cleans. The two programs seem to merge together perfectly. The only thing I need to figure out is if I do cleans first or second on the workout. I should probably do them second since a 405 squat is at the top of my priority list. A 315 power clean is on the list as well but I’ve done that once before so technically I’ve achieved my goal (I just need to get it back).

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I hate this site, now there’s another program I want to try :slight_smile:
It looks very fun. I’ll look at CT’s site to have another look.

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Yep, program ADD is real! I’m usually only two or three weeks into a program before I start eyeballing a new one.

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It’s brutal haha. I want to run CT’s Strength Skill Circuit thing wicked bad (can’t physically at the moment) but don’t want to get off 531 either.

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I think I actually prefer these double progression programs over 5/3/1. I like The Complete Power Look Program once I get past the 5 x 6 week. That one is brutal. So are the assistance lifts.

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How long do you “normally” stay on any given program?

I did 915 once which I think is a similar progression. 5x6 crushed me lol, I also based my %'s off true 1RMs at the time which was a mistake. Definitely feels like faster progress though. For a while I was drawn to those, and CT’s other stuff geared towards ramping and DUP.

Figured I had to give 531 a shot and so far so good, feel like I’m progressing with lighter weights which is nice on the joints but not so much my ego.

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I typically write my own bastardized version of things. Lately everything has turned into 3 week cycles. 5/3/1 and my current program follow that model and I’ve found myself adopting it for other programs that I write for friends.

This program has four phases and each is three weeks. I think I’ve actually done pretty good at sticking to the programs. At the end of last year I started The Complete Power Look Program and bailed after week 4 (the hardest week). I switched back to full body training because it’s easier to get done on work days. I have Mon through Wed off so I only have to train one day a week before or after work with a MWF split.

So to officially answer your question…I’d say I stick to most things for six weeks at least. I ran my version of CT’s Best Damn for at least 8 weeks, maybe more before switching to this program.

I switched to the Guaranteed Simple Strength and Size program because I like double progression and it also helped me figure out how to program my return to lifting normally. I picked some weights I’d like to be moving at week 12 and did the math backwards to find my starting weights. My goal numbers will get my back to where I was before my surgery.

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~3 hours

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I think I did the same thing. The numbers may not have been my 1RM or PRs but they were always what I thought I could do if I tried. I might try CT’s newish approach of doing a given weight for:

1 x 3, 7 x 2
2 x 3, 6 x 2
3 x 3, 5 x 2

And so on until you hit 8 x 3. He progresses every workout so it could only take four weeks to get there.

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No, that’s the time I’ll spend writing one that I may not even do :laughing:

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I once spent like a month writing a program, ran it for two weeks and started doing only Jefferson deads daily

Program ADD is an astounding thing at times

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And why is it so fun to plan and write programs? I had three options from which to choose when I was released from my restrictions. The last and least probable option is the one I’m running now lol!

The other two are just tabs on my 2018 Training Excel file.

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That is the old Doug Hepburn routine :slight_smile:

BUT you’d have to stick to that forever, will never happen to you Big J. You’ll get really bored.

I’ve wondered the same many times