I always remember it saying Arnie was 240 in pumping Iron, so I would say you are about 1 Arnie.
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Posted this over here to share my eating approach on my log while also not clogging your log with my stuff.
Iāll have to start looking into that. Iām not 100% committed to Steak & Eggs or Carnivore; Iām kind of blending them. I guess you could throw in a bit of paleo or carb cycling, too. Iām trying to avoid carbs like the Steak & Eggs diet with a carb meal every 3 or 4 days. But Iām also okay with consuming carbs indirectly but trying to keep the total below 50g per day.
My son had a pool party for his summer baseball team last night and they had the 1/4 pound beef hotdogs from Samās. I ate one without the bun and dipped it in ketchup and mustard. I think the hotdog had 3 or 4g of carbs and thereās obviously carbs in ketchup, but small amounts.
I must admit I only made it about two weeks on the Steak & Eggs diet back in June. I found myself craving salads. This time around Iām going to allow myself to eat those things. Iāll try the intuitive thing but only with good food choices. If Iām craving leafy greens, then itās okay. If Iām craving cookie dough ice cream, then Iāll have to acknowledge that itās the fat American in me and not something I actually need.
I used to eat a lot of potatoes because they can be filling and low in calories considering the amount of food you can eat. But something changed and the last few times Iāve eaten them, theyāve wrecked my stomach and the air quality of everyone in the house.
The form also plays a part which could point to my chewing habits. Mashed potatoes seem okay but if I cube them and roast/grill them, they fight back.
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I used to eat a lot of potatoes because they can be filling and low in calories considering the amount of food you can eat. But something changed and the last few times Iāve eaten them, theyāve wrecked my stomach and the air quality of everyone in the house.
There are a fair amount of plant defense chemicals in potatoes (them being a nightshade), so this tracks for me.
Your approach sounds very paleo-esque. Absolutely a viable approach, especially if prioritizing animal foods en route. I feel like an approach based around single ingredient foods as much as possible will go far. Itās possible to eat ālow carbā and have it be entirely frankenfoods (totally guilty of that), and you can eat high carb but have it be quality single ingredient sources and have a solid existence (Stan Efferdingās Vertical Diet works well in that regard). Iām, of course, more in favor of a cyclical ketogenic approach, or just carb cycling in general.
Iām hoping your approach works well for you! Really, thatās the biggest thing: just finding something we can stick with. Stan Efferding said āCompliance is the scienceā, and I actually have a blogpost ready to publish that talks exactly about that, but, ultimately, we need a diet that requires NO discipline. It has to be a way we WANT to eat. If weāre always denying ourselves, the end result is a counter-binge.
Peter Attia wrote about how all successful diets are based around some form of restriction. We either restrict by time (fasting), energy (calorie counting) or nutrients (carb/fat elimination), and we can use a combination of that as well. Unsuccessful diets are just ad hoc.
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Go figure; this is right in line with training programs. You can force something you hate for a little while, but eventually most of us quit. For those of us who have been doing this awhile, itās just a shift to something we enjoy. But for the average person, they throw in the towel altogether and revert back to their (typically) unhealthy ways. Itās too bad that itās not profitable to sell people sensible diet and training programs that get slow but sustainable results. The instant gratification part of our brain kicks in and sells us the quick fix.
I had a bit of a losing win last night at the baseball pool party. I skipped the hotdog bun, but then succumbed to the chocolate cake. I ate one piece, and it wasnāt even the biggest. I ruined my low/no carb approach for the day, but I enjoyed it and it made me feel human to partake in one of the indulgences present. Like many, I throw in the towel during those moments and go crazy with the food Iām not supposed to eat. And then Iāll reset the next day. But I stopped at a reasonable amount and didnāt come home and throw the rest of the day away. Thatās why I call it a win and a loss. I caved, but I controlled it better than usual.
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7.31.25 Krypteia Redux C1 W1 D3
Today was āLegs Firstā day and it sucked. First two exercises are from The Mountain Dogās video on leg training without squats and deads.
Leg Extension (speed warm-up)
85 x 6
100 x 6
115 x 6
130 x 6
145 x 6
160 x 6
175 x 3
no rest, just change plates on the machine, then 25 total reps:
175 x 8, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1
Leg Press (Hammer Strength Plate Loaded Squat Press)
4 plates x 10
6 plates x 25 total reps: 16, 4, 5
I wanted to use the machine leg press so I didnāt have to load all the plates, but one was taken and the other was broken. I briefly waited for it and did some machine ab crunches.
Machine Crunch
130 x 15 x 2 sets
So the workout crashed and nearly burned after the crunches. The low carb diet has led me to the increased likelihood of cramping, and an ab cramp showed up here. I took almost 9 minutes to get 4 plates loaded on the leg press. I spent part of the time lying on my stomach stretching the cramp because it would not let up. I nearly puked stomach acid because I was fasted. Luckily, most of my bloodflow was directed to my legs during my 25 rep set and that somehow fixed the ab cramp. The problem for the rest of the workout was having jell-o legs.
Attempted Circuit
- DB Incline: 70 x 10
- DB Incline Row: 70 x 10
- Hang SGHP: 135 x 5
Only did 3 rounds because my chest is sore, my back was cramping, and my legs werenāt doing anything on the high pulls. Skipped conditioning, but hopefully Iāll get it in tomorrow or Saturday.
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I had a bit of a losing win last night at the baseball pool party. I skipped the hotdog bun, but then succumbed to the chocolate cake. I ate one piece, and it wasnāt even the biggest. I ruined my low/no carb approach for the day, but I enjoyed it and it made me feel human to partake in one of the indulgences present. Like many, I throw in the towel during those moments and go crazy with the food Iām not supposed to eat. And then Iāll reset the next day. But I stopped at a reasonable amount and didnāt come home and throw the rest of the day away. Thatās why I call it a win and a loss. I caved, but I controlled it better than usual.
I really like what Mark Bell had to say about this regarding the Carnivore diet: āYouāre always one meal away from being back on the dietā. I also like the flat tire analogy: if youāre driving and you get a flat tire, do you get out and flatten the other 3, or do you change the tire and keep driving? Just like you did: accept the small bumps and move along.
And whatās pretty awesome is, once everyday nutrition is under control and weāre metabolically healthy again, we can have these indulgences and have them not matter. It was my wifeās birthday the other day. I got her an awesome cake for it. I sat down and ate cake with her (I had two slicesā¦and some of what my kid leftover). After it was done, I went back to my life and everything was fine, and itās now later in the week and my weight, physique and performance are fine. My body took in the fuel and used it, whereas in an unhealthier state this would have been far more disastrous.
Your observation regarding training is spot on too. Weāll always gravitate toward what works FOR US. Itās about finding the match.
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8.3.25 C1 W2 D1
As you can see by the lack of posts, I did not do any conditioning Friday or Saturday. My legs are still smoked. I guess thatās what a heck of a workout plus a couple weeks off from a leg session will do. Iām playing part-time police officer today so no conditioning again. Maybe tomorrow.
Deadlift
135 x 5, 5
185 x 5, 5
225 x 5
245 x 5
265 x 5
225 x 5
245 x 5
265 x 5
Ab Wheel
3 x 10 mixed in with deads
The Usual Circuit - 5 Rounds
- Chin-Ups: BW x 8
- Seated DB OHP: 55 x 10
- DB Rev Lunge: 5 reps per leg with: 45s, 50s, 50s, 55s, 55s
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8.5.25 C1 W2 D2
Warm-Up
5 minutes on the rower
Deadlift
225 x 5 x 3 sets
Kind of a FSL from Sunday
Bench
135 x 8
180 x 6
215 x 4
250 x 2
280 x 2
Lying Leg Raise
3 x 15
5 Rounds
- DB Bench: 90 x 5
- Rear Delt Fly: 25 x 10
- Double KB Swing: 35s x 10
Sled Fun
Ethos + 100 lbs
Alternate pull 25m/push 25m x 10 total
Time: 9:51
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8.7.25 C1 W2 D3
Working PD tonight so no sled or conditioning.
Leg Extension
Speed Warm-Up
6 @ 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, 150, 165, 180
3 @ 195, then 25 total reps (11, 6, 5, 3)
Windshield Wipers
3 x 10 ea
Hang SGHP
135 x 5
145 x 5
155 x 5
165 x 5
175 x 5
SL Leg Press
180 x 15R/15L/15R/15L/10R/10L
Incline DB Press
75 x 10 x 3
superset with
Cable Row
140 x 10
160 x 10 x 3 sets
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Ramblings
So Iāve been struggling to cut weight. I know the problem; I just canāt seem to kick it just yet. But, Iām an American. And we like to rationalize things and negotiate with ourselves. So here I am, doing just that.
Iām on sermorelin and enclomiphene which should mean my testosterone and HGH production is higher than it was six month ago. I secretly hoped this might lead to some muscle growth. And that brings me to the negotiations with myself. Iāve been looking at the numbers and wondering if Iām as bad as the scale makes me think. Iāve always looked a certain way at each weight increment (225, 235, 245, etc), but the variables are different this time. Well, a look at the data shows this:
| Date | 6.18.18 | 10.21.18 | 7.29.25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 242 | 249 | 243 |
| Neck | 44.5 | 45 | 43 |
| Chest | 114.5 | 117 | 121 |
| Abdomen | 96 | 98 | 99.5 |
| Waist | 94 | 94 | 96 |
| Hips | 112 | 113 | 110 |
| Quad | 67 | 69 | 66 |
| Calf | 41 | 42 | 41 |
| Shoulder Circumference | 134 | 135 | 136.5 |
I looked back at photos and the quality/angle of my pics from 2018 isnāt very good and itās not a fair comparison. But based on the numbers, my rear and legs are down an inch or more, and my upper body is up a similar amount. Looks like Coach CTās muscle migration theory is alive and well.
Hereās a crude photo comparison. The size of the photos didnāt allow for a side-by-side. This is June 18th, 2018 vs July 28th, 2025.
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8.10.25 C1 W3 D1
Deadlift
135 x 5
185 x 5
235 x 5, 5
255 x 5, 5
275 x 5, 5
Reverse Lunge (Smith)
105 x 5 ea x 5 sets
Close-Grip Pull-Down
180 x 10, 10, 10
200 x 7
superset with
DB OHP
55 x 10, 10, 7
Sled Fun
Tank M4 Sled Level 3
25m x 8 trips
Total Time: 10:05
The M4 sled at L3 is way harder than the Ethos sled + 100. I can cover 25m in 22-24 seconds repeatedly on the Ethos, but 30 seconds was tops on the M4 sled. It sucks that the resistance increases if you speed up. I mean, itās a great workout, but in terms of trying to decrease time, itās not my favorite thing. I was huffing and puffing and talked myself into quitting at 8 sets instead of 10. I hit the 10 minute mark so the overall duration was still on target.
Iāve decided to stop hitting my full sessions on work days. The humidity is high here and Iāve been getting very hot and sweaty and thatās not ideal at work. Iām going to use that time for isolation work. Iāll hit abs, arms, calves, and anything else that doesnāt get enough love during these full body sessions.
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8.13.25 C1 W3 D2
I failed to get to the gym during my half shift the other day.
Deadlift
185 x 5
235 x 5 x 3 sets
Bench
135 x 8
185 x 6
220 x 4
255 x 2
280 x 2
Lying Leg Raise
3 x 15
Hang Power Clean
155 x 3
175 x 3
195 x 2 x 3 sets
Machine Bench
150 x 20+9+7
Wide Grip Cable Row
180 x 16+7+5
I was supposed to do a circuit of DB Bench, Rev DB Fly, and KB Swings, but I wasnāt feeling it today. Went off script and hit cleans and double rest/pause on a push and pull.
Sled Fun
Push 25m/Pull 25m x 10 total
Tank M4 Sled L2
Time: 10:45:
Also, I found out I got to new coaching job for girlsā flag football. Itās new to our district and we can thank the Chiefs for sponsoring us and getting us started. Itās a sweet gig, but I have no idea where to start. I know the skills my girls will need, but the playbook is foreign. Iām struggling to find something we can all understand easily. Anyway, itās going to cut into my usual training schedule. The pay also has me reconsidering my part-time jobā¦ Anyway, all good things and Iām excited and overwhelmed. Thereās a lot to do and not much time to do it.
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8.16.25 C1 W3 D3
I donāt really know how this resembles 5/3/1 so Iāll probably just keep counting the weeks of this type of training.
Leg Ext
85 x 6
100 x 6
115 x 6
130 x 6
145 x 6
160 x 6
175 x 3
175 x 9+4+4+3+3+2
Machine Crunch
130 x 12
Felt the ab cramp coming again. Iām not going through that on leg day again.
Machine Leg Press
210 x 10
310 x 15+10
Machine OHP
100 x 14+5+3+3
HIIT Mix Machine
This is the machine @littlesleeper picked up.
Push
Level 4 x 20 sec on, 20 off x 10
Decent conditioning. Legs didnāt feel bad but I was breathing heavy.
First two days of school are in the book and thanks to a modified schedule, the days felt like 12 class periods instead of 7. Top it off with hours of work creating a flag football playbook and Iām spent. As you can see from my training, Iām losing my gusto. Circuits are not appealing and itās easy to talk myself out of them if Iām going to do the sled. I shouldāve trained yesterday but I didnāt. Iām working my part-time job tomorrow and will have plenty of time to train. I decided coming into this that Iād lift back-to-back days so I called an audible mid-session today and decided to do all push so I can pull tomorrow.
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In case you missed this at the top of the page:
- overfat - yes, I am but just barely. (stomach measurement exceeds 50% of my height)
- walk four flights of stairs in 45 seconds? Iām pretty sure I can do this.
- 40 unbroken push-ups. Not quite.
- 10 minute mile on a treadmill set a 6.0 mph? I think I can do that.
It was nice to see some health markers that didnāt insult my manhood. And as Iāve been telling myself, I need to clean myself up a bit. Iām working today and plan to hit the posterior side of my body with some deads, maybe some pulls, leg curls, pull-downs, and maybe some rear delt stuff. My quads are trashed from yesterday, but my glutes avoided any damage so I may see if I can find a way to target themā¦or Iāll just wait til Tuesdayās session.
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8.17.25 W4 D1
Lying Leg Curl
75 x 10
90 x 10
105 x 10 (left hammy started to cramp)
Deadlift
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
245 x 5
265 x 5
245 x 5
265 x 5
285 x 5
Went with a kind of wave loading approach today.
Hang SGHP
135 x 5
145 x 5
155 x 5
165 x 5 moved okay but felt like Iād slow down if I added weight.
Lat Pull-Down
180 x 10 x 2
180 x 13+5+3+3
Cable Rope Press-Down
40 x 50
Cable Curl
40 x 40
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8.19.25
Flag football is consuming a lot of my time and brain space in these early days. That means even though I have time to train, I donāt want to. Therefore, I will probably be looking up one of Wendlerās two days per week programs and running with that.
Deadlift
135 x 5
185 x 5
245 x 5 x 3
Bench
135 x 8
185 x 6
225 x 3
255 x 1
285 x 1
285 x 1
Iām on the 315 max step, but that first single with 285 felt as thought 30 more pounds is a long ways out.
*Incline DB Press
75 x 10 x 3
Incline DB Row
75 x 10 x 3
Sled
Ethos sled + 100 lbs
Push 25m/Pull 25m x 5 laps (10 trips)
Time: 11:10
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I think Iām leaning towards this for my near futureā¦fresh out of the OG 5/3/1 book. Unfortunately, the Monday squat and front squat will be replaced with John Meadows style leg extension and leg press. I demonstrated squats with the bar this week and it hurt my back (still able to deadlift, though). The week 2 Monday session safety bar squat will be replaced by Smith Machine Front Squats (maybe).
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8.22.25 Randomness
I had time and plans to train after school, but I was gassed. Iām not a morning person, but I had a staff meeting at 6:45am Tuesday, practice at 6am Wednesday, slept til 7am yesterday, and had practice at 6am again today. I skipped my workout today, but that means I get to work out tomorrow!
But the purpose of this post is purely based on things of the past. If youāve been around here for a half decade or more, you might remember the Mantathlon Challenge. I refer my performance occasionally if I want to feel bad about myself. I recall hitting my bodyweight on bench which was close to 2 plates (225 lbs) at the time for double digits. Well, Mr. Ego stepped in today and made me feel better.
I had a student who is a big kid (think football lineman) who hit a 405 deadlift yesterday. No surprise to me, but I havenāt touched that weight in quite a while. Well, today he got pinned on bench by 225. So I laid down and unracked it ice cold and hit it for 10 reps. I had to pause a bit between reps once I got to 6 or 7 (never racked it, just took a couple breaths), but I havenāt hit double digits in years! I weighed 244 lbs in the middle of the day, but hitting two wheels for 10 made me feel better. 
Fat guy benching is better than skinny guy benching (based on fat me vs. lean me).
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8.24.25
5/3/1 - 2/2/2 - C1 W1 D1
The weeks ought to go fast in terms of logging because there are only two workouts per week. And I changed my mind and went with the newest version of two days per week. Itās 2 days of lifting/2 days mobility only/2 days conditioning. Iāll probably double up and do conditioning on lifting days when I can, but today wasnāt one of those days.
Leg Extension
6 reps with 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, 150, 165, 180
4 reps with 195
then 25 total reps with 195 - 10+6+5+4
Single-Leg Leg Press
180 x 15R/15L/10R/10L
ow
Meadows-inspired leg extensions and leg press will still replace squats.
Wide-Grip Cable Row
160 x 10
170 x 10
180 x 10, 10, 10
170 x 10
superset with
Bench
135 x 5
200 x 5 x 5 (5/3/1 x 5)
Good Morning
95 x 8 x 3
DB Crunch
50 x 10 x 3
Lat DB Raise
30 x 10 x 3 sets
These three were done in circuit fashion.
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Hey man, mind shedding some light on how you made the career transition to your current employment? Being able to teach some manner of physical education honestly sounds pretty rewarding to me, and Iām nearing the end of my current employment and thinking about āwhat I want to be when I grow upā
Were you able to find some sort of transition program, or did you carve your own path? Certain certs you needed? Anything you can divulge would be awesome.
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