It was a great post. All the relevant info from years of coaches who existed before ewe-tube, with none of the sales pitches. Complex stuff like how to organize information and insulin management, all in a few paragraphs.
You could just follow that post and do OK.
You may not look at the research, but you sure have a wealth of observational research in that mind of yours. I guess it goes back to bro-science like usual. The isolated research study on untrained people doing the leg extension might not corroborate and if it, but years of successful dudesā habits do.
I know carbs get absorbed quickly on an empty stomach which is why they spike blood sugar and insulin. Iāve intentionally eaten carbs first post-workout because of that info. On the flip side Iāll eat protein first if I havenāt trained so I donāt unnecessarily spike those things.
I hadnāt really thought of the purpose behind the carb meal in terms of replenishing carbs as fast as possible. I kind of figured the body would take them however it wanted since itās been deprived. This really all stems from me wanting to follow the diet but also wanting some carb rich foods that hang out with a few of the other macros. I think Iāll be good on my first go around. Iām looking forward to smashing a mountain of pancakes in a couple days.
Iām just going with what my schedule allows and kind of training āintuitivelyā in terms of rest days. Sled on upper body days may impact lower body days. My carb meals may also impact training days, but Iāll keep following the rotation.
Hammer Strength Pull-Down
180 x 10
200 x 8
220 x 6
240 x 4
260 x 4
Seated Cable Row
Back is getting better so I was brave and tried these.
Wide Grip: 160 x 10, 10
Narrow Grip: 180 x 10, 8
Tried to keep it strict and not use any just English so my back was working in an isometric fashion.
Upright Row
95 x 10, 10 too heavy
75 x 10 much better control and felt it in the target muscles instead of the joints.
Cable Curl
Double Rest/Pause
100 x 20 + 6 + 5
Tank M4 Sled
Level 3 plus 45 lbs
Push 25m down & back - 1:08, rest 2:11
Pull 25m down & back - 1:34, rest 1:01
Push 25m down & back - 1:15, rest 2:23
Pull 25m down & back - 1:28
Total Time: 11:02
I think I like the to Ethos sled better because I can speed up. The Tank M4 increases resistance if you speed up. The M4 has handles and attachments on both sides so I donāt have to turn it (which is why I used it today) while the sled has to be spun around each trip. The workaround to the latter would be to push down and pull back but it doesnāt have the same effect. Itās easier. Itās that return trip that really gets me.
I just had the thought of taking up more space and making a 90 degree turn instead of stopping and turning around. I think it might be doable without being a huge tool and getting in everyoneās way.
Thatās the spirit! And might I say, honey makes an excellent syrup.
Honey is pretty much all Iāve used in my adult life. I was shocked to find actual āsyrupā in the cabinet a few months ago. I put that in quotes because Iām sure thereās some real Canadian type syrup that makes our store bought stuff look like sugar water.
I got turned on to honey as a syrup in Bali. We were staying at this place that served the most delicious banana pancakes I ever had in my life. They were thin, like crepes, and we used honey as syrup. They were green in color too: not sure what sort of grain was used to make them, but theyāre my white whale of pancakes: never found anything quite as amazing.
People dig real pure maple syrup as well for a carb source. I had a little in Canada. Itās certainly quite sweet and able to give you a buzz.
Iām considering giving this a shot today for my leg training. From 5/3/1 Forever
I would be using the push sled and donāt exactly have 40 yards without a turn or 180. The space I have at the Y has an open area about 20 yards/meters long and 15ish wide. People use it for lunges, stretching, or just to pass through to the next area. I think I could push through there, hang a right and go along the racquetball courts (which is where the sleds are generally used) and get 40 yards without a full stop. I think my bodyweight would equal the 160 I loaded the other day which absolutely sucked, soā¦ Maybe I should start here:
Warm-Up
5 RFT of Cindy
4:02
Push Sled
8 x 40 yards/meters (close enough to one of those)
Supposed to be to 10 x 40 as you can see in my previous post. Two things: I forgot and thought it was definitely 8 x 40. After #8 I started doubting myself but I kind of sent it on 7 and 8 and I was lying on the ground in the universal CrossFit recovery position (dead manās pose in yoga). So 8 it was.
Laps
1: 47 sec, rest 1:07
2: 53, rest 1:43
3: 59, rest 1:41
4: 1:20, rest 1:48
5: 1:05, rest 1:19
6: 59, rest 1:29
7: 48, rest 1:47
8: 52, due
Total Time: 18:54
Just a wee bit off the mark of 10 in 15 minutes. 
Perhaps I should try to implement a standard rest period instead of just winging itā¦?
Dietary Note
I trained a little earlier thanks to it being the last day of school and the kids getting out at noon. That means I trained closer to my lunch and I still had a bit of food digesting. This workout should have made me nauseous or knocked me out read l before round 8, but it didnāt. I felt fine. I felt a little twinge of nausea after I pulled the sled back to its resting place, but thatās it. I guess it gives more credit to blood sugar being the culprit when you get sick while training hard.
Iām home alone with the three kids including a 3 year old. Iām also kind of tired. No carbs since Monday and those were from cheese and honey smoked turkey. I think that qualifies as keto because they were minimal. That means no training. I thought about doing Cindy EMOM outside but Iāll take a rest day. Iāve trained four days straight with two sled workouts and a bit of elliptical. I think Iāll be alright.
Iād been planning to eat a mountain of pancakes for lunch today but Iāll wait another day. I actually feel pretty good despite no carbs. I also feel like I havenāt earned them yet. Iām currently working my way through this plate of flat iron steak and half dozen eggs. Donāt be fooled by the fancy plating and throwaway tablecloth - Iām still a simple man and grounded as ever despite eating like a king.
(I got excited and tore into the over easy eggs before the pic.)
Great to see the sled workouts are kicking butt, and what fantastic nutritional discoveries. Iām the same way: I can slam a meal of meat and eggs and go train no sweat, but a heavy meal of carbs take some digesting.
That is a fantastic plate of food you posted! Good to hear youāre feeling good in the absence of carbs. No āketo fluā symptoms. If things DO start getting crummy, look into electrolytes, as that tends to be what is causing the issue.
Well I didnāt completely rest today which is good. My wife hates our back yard and I canāt blame her. We had to replace our sewer line in March and they wrecked everything. I want to build a āfloatingā deck off the back of the house. I guess thatās what some people call a deck thatās flush with the ground. Weāll move our fire pit and outdoor seating area to that. Iām also going to make it my outdoor kitchen space. And then weāre going to destroy the yard and start over with that part.
I donāt have materials yet but decided there was plenty to do - starting with clearing the existing river rock. Cue the shovel and wheelbarrow.
Had to stop to take my son to baseball practice. Iāll finish tomorrow. Oh, yeah. I also just scored three t-bones at $9.99/lb thanks to a markdown combined with a weekly digital coupon.
They say it wonāt make you sore, but it sure causes lots of burning when you need to use your legs the next day. I also keep getting this awesome sensation that my hamstring is going to cramp right where it connects to the bottom of my pelvis. So far it hasnāt, but itās a fun new experience.
Finished the landscape rock clean out last night. I was curious how my back would handle it. Scooping 4-6" rocks with a flat nosed shovel takes its toll on the lower back. Fortunately, Iām sore but Iām a muscle DOMS way and not an āoh crapā way. I also realized I can bend over and put on socks while standing is no longer painful so weāre moving the right direction.
CARBS!!!
Just finished a stack of six buttermilk pancakes (nothing fancy, Samās giant bag of pancake mix where you just add water). First, Iām stuffed. Second, delicious. I did the math and made six cups worth which made 17 pancakes. I rounded up for simple math and decided I ate two cups with of the mix totalling 880 calories and 176g of carbs not including the little bit of butter and syrup I used.
I wonāt be winning the T-ransformation Challenge but Iāve had a heck of a week! Weighed 225 and change in my depleted state this morning which was my goal weight for the challenge. I failed to take a photo on day two but Iāve taken morning photos each of the other days to see how this works.
Congrats on hitting that weight goal! Pancakes looks like you knocked the carb meal out of the park.
Warm-Up
5 RFT Cindy - 4:04
Bench
135 x 8
170 x 6
200 x 4
235 x 2
265 x 2
This progression seems to keep the first sets at the same weights for several weeks as theyāre just warm-up sets to the final set.
DB Incline
75 x 10
80 x 6, 5, 4
Push-ups or the low carb diet are to blame here. This was a huge drop from the last push workout.
Machine OHP
80 x 8
100 x 6
120 x 4
130 x 3
Cable Fly
75 x 15, 12
Overall, the last three days have been lacking achievement. Summer break officially started Friday morning after I turned in my work keys. I cleaned out the landscape bed to prepare for my new deck, so it was an okay day.
I accomplished nothing on Saturday. Planning, re-planning, filling online shopping carts at multiple places to find the best prices, etc kind of sapped my morning. By the time I was ready to do something, my wife went for a jog and then had to get ready for church. She had to go a little earlier than the rest of us to help in the coffee shop. At this point I needed to keep an eye on the kids so I couldnāt work outside or go to the gym (if Mom is away, then I can leave the 3 year old with the older kids and sheāll love it chill. If Mom is home, the 3 year old will follow her everywhere and wreak havoc.)
Sunday seemed wide open so time to get back to work. I ran into an old acquaintance and he wanted to talk. He hit me with a 30 minute rest after my second set of cable flyās. I had planned to do a third set, then lateral raises, JM Press, and a few laps on the sled. But I just left. Itās okay; people are more important than my average training sessions.
I managed to order the materials and realized theyāre too long for my pickup. I was able to get the 2x6s but had to leave everything else and pay the delivery fee (and wait till Tuesday for itās arrival). I relocated a bush thatās in the way and thatās it. The family watched Harry Potter in the evening.
Today is actually Monday and the goal is to get the base built (layout, leveling, and installing all joists.)
Amen! The gym will always be there, people have a shelf life. I love your priorities - church, family, people. Thatās solid. Donāt feel bad about any of your weekend choices. 
As usual, my project is moving slower than Iād like. Weāve had heavy rain and thunderstorms three nights in a row. We need the rain, but it has made a mess of my workspace. Iām done for the day - worn out. I managed to get the frame built and then marked and dug holes for my deck blocks. It may have been faster to have just dug holes, set the posts in concrete, and cut them to height later. Maybe. I had to dig down so my 2x6 is close to the ground so itās like going up one step to get on it. I also had to put something under the block to help with settling. Iām using some extra 12x12 paving stones. They shouldnāt sink much over time. Tomorrowās first step is to put the frame on the blocks, square it up again, and add the 4x4s to the blocks. Itās going to take a bit of work to get the blocks in the right place and get everything level. I have an idea to simplify it, but I had an idea earlier today and forgot to implement it and it cost me time. 
I havenāt trained since Sunday, but I donāt care. My back and hamstrings have been taxed with all the bending over, digging, moving deck blocks, joists, etc. I remembered to implement my idea for leveling the frame by using scrap 2x4s. Itās a lot easier to lift and run a screw into scrap than it is to lift and run a screw threw the joist and into a 4x4 post thatās resting on top of a concrete block just waiting to fall over.
Progress for the 27th was exactly as described in my previous post. I managed to get the perimeter set, squared, and leveled. And then I ran 1/2" bolts through six of the eight legs and kind of messed things up. Itās square corner to corner, but stupid bowed lumber reared its ugly head on the sides.
Yesterday started off at a snailās pace. I decided to put chicken wire around the perimeter resulting in multiple cuts on my forearms. Stupid chicken wire. It was easy to anchor in the landscape fabric parts, but the side that is over brick pavers was a bit more difficult. I pulled the bricks and then put them on top to anchor the wire. The goal is to keep all critters out. After that, I installed the joist hangers and all but two of the joists, because it turns out I canāt count. And that was it for the day. Despite not lifting this week, my muscles burn and ache. Iāve had a few residual carbs here and there (like a slice of cheddar cheese) but Iāve been mostly carb free. I would definitely say I would qualify for keto standards. Anyway, Iāve been felt whooped most days.
Yesterday was also carb meal day and I expanded it to be a human. I had three pancakes instead of six for brunch and then had pizza with coworkers after our training last night. My bad. I looked like crap this morning thanks to the salt bloat. 
But back to the deck: Today was the exciting day! I dropped my daughter off at her summer band camp thingy and picked up my final two joist hangers, another 5 lb box of screws, and headed home. I quickly hung the joists, and then set five more deck blocks and posts at the halfway point of my joists. My span is too long (16 feet with 2x6s; theyāre only rated to go 8 or 9 feet). I didnāt use a block and post on every joist, so I went and reinforced the rest by adding a post that just sits on the ground. Itās a tip I picked up from DIY YouTube videos to reinforce areas with heavier foot traffic. By 3pm, I was adding the deck boards and I finished the day with all boards anchored at the ends and in the middle. I added screws to each board on every joist until I ran out (I think Iāve gone through 12 or 13 lbs of 2.5" screws so far). Iām almost done, except for a split board and me forgetting to account for the extra six inches I added to the width. I need the split board for that remaining sliver and the extra few inches for the border. It looks like I have on more trip to Loweās or Home Depot tomorrow.
Finished
Next items on the list are refinishing the furniture so it doesnāt collapse and then building my grilling station. Still looking for ideas and inspiration for that part.
Itās June - time to try squatting again!
Iām working today so this was bare bones. Not fancy warm-up and no conditioning. I got sent to a call after my third set of squats during the circuit. I returned about 20 minutes later to finish.
Squat
135 x 5
190 x 5
215 x 5
245 x 5
Back is still there. No pain, but also canāt say it was 100% thrilled.
Ab Wheel
3 x 10 with squats
Circuit - 5 Rounds
