Which is why I need to block out the noise and focus on fitness and performance
The lengths one has to go to in order to acquire a ripped physique naturally are, over time, unrealistic and require a certain personality type which is bordering on the spectrum.
Fitness goals are measurable, simple to apply and fun!
Physique goals are a one way ticket to a mental disorder in my humble opinion of course
See, just personally, I don’t agree with this. When I look at Golden Age bodybuilders, my brain doesn’t register them as “strong”, it registers them as well-sculpted and large. But for some reason, not strong — even though I know they are.
I kind of equate it to bears and gorillas vs lions and panthers. If I look at a big cat, their muscle definition is incredible, but they don’t scream “strength” to my brain. A bear or a gorilla, however, automatically makes my brain think “Oh fuck.”
Again, I know they are strong, but my brain doesn’t register “big” as “strong”.
^ This is probably why.
I agree with the rest of your post 100%, but this especially — at least for me.
Good session overall. Front squat Hise shrugs are a bitch, but damn did I ever feel my entire upper back light up.
Also realized I’m not gripping anything tight enough, which was causing elbow pain by putting undo strain on my wrists. Time to add some wrist/grip work back in.
Unrelated to this session, but training in general: I’ve made a few adjustments to diet and sleep. Namely, more of both. I’ve upped protein and calories by eating between 1.75 to 2 pounds of meat almost daily, in addition to having 500ml of whole milk and 36g of protein powder before bed (in addition to a usual 250-500ml of whole milk I usually drink a day, and my preworkout protein shake on the weekends). I’m also eating WAY more carbs post-workout than I was before. Sleep-wise, I’m now getting minimum 8.5 hours, but usually 9 to 9.5 hours. Before I was averaging about 7.5. All these things combined are really helping me combat the physical stress from work, parenting and training.
Start time: 2045
Garage temp: -1C after ONE HOUR of heating. Fun.
Power snatch
worked up to 140x3
Back squat
3x8 @ 245; 20 Hise shrugs on last set
Bench
worked up to 200x5
EZ bar bent-arm pullover & press
2x12 @ 85
Kneeling band pulldowns
50 reps
Kneeling band crunches
50 reps
Notes:
Not the greatest session. Power snatches were all over the place, and I actually clipped my forehead with the bar on my last rep because I mistimed my pull. Think I’m gonna switch from Volume & Strength to a simple 5’s pro w/ 5x5 FSL for the O-lifts until this cycle is over. I’m in more of a “powerlifting” phase at the moment and focusing on my squat and bench now anyways. Oh well. Can’t win ‘em all.
Bench was moving great and the pullover & press blew up my tris, chest AND lats, so I wanted to end on a high note. Decided to just do some band work for my final assistance lifts, so that I was still getting some work done instead of just skipping it.
Wiggled a few things around, so now on my barbell days I’m training all my lifts (power O-lifts, squat, bench). Felt so good to use just a barbell for 90% of the work. Simplified a lot of stuff. Love it.
Needed to use the belt on squats today. Hard morning and didn’t eat enough so I wanted all the help I could get.
Decided I don’t give a fuck how many chins I can do. I’m only using them as a back strengthener anyways, so as long as I’m getting quality reps, I’m happy.
So, I recently learned that the weekly recommended amount of cardio is 150 minutes. WHAT. Not that I’m absolutely concerned with hitting that metric, but I know I could use more cardio. I’m going to add two additional cardio workouts to my week, both 20 minutes, in the evenings on Monday and Saturday (barbell days). Combined with the 2 40 minute sessions I do after work on Wednesday and Friday, that’ll bring my weekly total up to 120 minutes. Figure 4 cardio sessions and 3 strength sessions is a good ratio.
2 min work/4 min rest, 2 sets per side @ 24kg (53)
Single kettlebell snatch
1 min work/1 min rest, 4 sets per side @ 24kg (53)
Clean SLDL (3020 tempo)
4x6 @ 235
SS W/ hanging leg raise, 4x10
Notes:
This kettlebell work definitely doesn’t challenge my cardiovascular system, but holy smokes does it ever challenge my muscular endurance. Which is great, because that’s what I want! Kettlebell cleans are surprisingly taxing on the biceps, and by the time I was done the snatches, everything from my lats to my traps was roasted. Forearms were fried too. And oddly, my feet?
Had originally planned to do some biceps work too, but all that kettlebell work was taxing and long, so I figured I’d just do my planned back and abs work and call it there. I’ll do biceps/extra stuff on the weeks where I’m just doing the long duration (8 min) stuff, because that’s the only KB exercise I do on those days.
Just as a thought exercise: why? What purpose would it serve in your training? Because, for me, looking at what you’re currently progressing on, that workout would just be superfluous exercise.
I’m not saying “don’t do it”, but it would be very similar to me taking one day out of, say, @T3hPwnisher ‘s training and thinking, “I’m gonna do that!” Forgetting the fact that it probably serves a purpose in a larger training plan, and isolating it removes much of it’s intended effectiveness.
Also, do you also plan to steal my post-workout recovery for that session? Because it’ll require you to eat around 1/3rd of your daily calories, take a nap, have a contrast shower, and foam roll.
Anna, this sounds like the equivalent of walking the wrong way on an escalator. Sure, you’ll be doing stuff - maybe even working hard - but you won’t get anywhere.
You’re young. Listen to the experience around you. We want to see you do well!
So so SO not the purpose of the work-rest ratio in that workout.
It’s not conditioning (or, at least how many see “conditioning”). The purpose isn’t to obliterate myself so badly during those 2 minutes that I NEED those 4 minutes. The point is that I work hard and continuously, getting quality reps, for the whole 2 minutes, then use the 4 minutes to fully recover. If I’m not 100% fully recovered in those 4 minutes, or reps start getting sloppy during the 2 minutes, then I either need to dial back the rate of reps, or extend the rest period.
I know I’m kinda coming across as gatekeeping here, but I’m just trying to show you that it might be wiser to instead ask someone the “why” before consuming the “what”. “Why” is always more important.
Another enjoyable session. Definitely need to work on getting my elbows higher in the snatch. Been warming up with hang high pulls and tall muscle snatches, which are helping.
Bent arm pullover presses are quickly becoming my favourite upper body accessory. Lats? Check. Triceps? Check. Chest? Check. Such a great exercise. Credit to @T3hPwnisher for recommending me Powerlifting Basics by Paul Kelso, which is where I got the exercise from. Supersetting it with 1-arm rows just blew up my whole upper body. Loved it.
Really unfocused this workout. Weights all moved well, but it was dragging on longer than it should have.
Power snatches were supposed to be from the hang, because I’m trying to use variations for my supplemental work. Another example of not focusing.
Gripped the shit out of the bar on front squats and it made all the difference. Kept my arms strong, which kept my shoulders stable and elbows up, which in turn kept my back and core tight. Crazy how something and simple as a tighter grip changes everything down the chain.
Focusing on tempo instead of reps for chins now, because I’m dealing with some elbow pain. Just doing as many as I can with a slow eccentric. Gives immediate pain relief from elbow snags.