4/6/21
Week 1, Day 1
MS
The front squats exposed me today…badly. The ratios I’ve seen listed say that for FS to HBBS should be about 80-90%. And for FS to LBBS between 65-80%. I was trying to be conservative and went on the bottom of that range to start with. It was too heavy, really. Dropped down on the last set to less than 50% of what I would have been doing on a LBBS.
A lot of it is probably upper back and core strength. I’m sure in some way it’s all connected to the middle back muscle tightness and posture issues.
Additionally, a couple of sets in I started to have discomfort on the outside of my knee area. The front squats exposed some IT Band issues or muscles connected to those probably in my hip and glute areas. Maybe some tightness on the quads too.
All in all, today was very humbling. Hopefully the soreness will be out of my knee by later in the week. Going to be doing some treatment and corrective exercises for this.
One positive is that I very much liked the switch to Pendley Rows. Honestly, as much as today’s experience with the squats sucked and made me feel like a complete bitch, I’m choosing to view it as an opportunity to shore up some obvious weak areas.
Front Squat 3 x 5 x 115 lbs, 1 x 5 x 100
Pendley Rows 5 x 5 x 90
Dips Machine 5 x 5 x 150
Finisher:
Two Handed KB Swings 1 x 40 x 50 lbs
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4/8/21
SE
Took yesterday to work on issues with the knee.
Wasn’t sure how today was going to go. Popped a dose of ibuprofen before heading to the gym. Was pleased to be able to complete the strength endurance circuit. We’ll see how things go in a couple of days. Hoping to be able to squat this weekend.
On the strength endurance circuit I’m going to use the Alpha protocol of progressing from 3 x 30 to 3 x 40 to 3 x 50 week to week this time around. The one modification will be the elevated pushups. The 3 x 50s would be too outside of my rage to be realistic. So the numbers will be different on that. Also a couple of changes in exercise selection.
Three rounds of:
Elevated pushups 15 reps
Box step ups 30 reps per side
Band Face Pulls 30
Two Handed KB Swings 30 x 50 lbs
I wanted to add the face pulls to address upper back strength and the box step ups to get some unilateral work.
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4/9/21
Tried to break back into the running a little easy with the knee a little bit sore still. Walked about 5 minutes. Ran about 17 and then walked a couple more.
4/10/21
Week 1, Day 5
MS
Front Squat 5 x 5 x 100 lbs
Dips Machine 5 x 5 x 150
Trap Bar Deadlift 3 x 5 x 225
Pendley Rows 5 x 5 x 90
For finisher alternating rounds of the following:
3 x 10
Single Arm KB Snatch (25 lbs each side)
Elevated Pushups
Band Pull a Parts
Doubled up on knee sleeves on the right side. Had a little discomfort but made it through okay.
I did a couple sets of clean grip and three of cross grip. I want to work towards doing predominantly clean grip.
I just added about 20-25 lbs to what my training max would have been on Sumo Deadlift for the Trap Bar Deadlift and it felt pretty easy. Probably should have went a little heavier.
AM Weight 218.4
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4/11/21
Week 1, Day 6
Knee was worse today following yesterday’s session. Was supposed to be an endurance day. Just took the dog for a walk to get some activity in. Tomorrow is a day off. Hoping the rest helps.
4/13/21
Week 2, Day 1
MS
Knee is still tricky but made it through.
Front Squat 5 x 5 x 110
Pendley Rows 5 x 5 x 95
Dips Machine 5 x 5 x 160
Finisher:
Two Handed KB Swings 50 lbs 30/20/15
AM Weight 218.2
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4/15/21
SE
Three rounds of the following:
Elevated Pushups 20
Box Step Ups 40 per side
Band Face Pulls 40
Two Handed KB Swings 40 x 50 lbs
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4/16/21
Endurance
Treadmill Run of 30 minutes.
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4/17/21
MS
Front Squat 5 x 5 x 110
Dips Machine 5 x 5 x 160
Trap Bar Deadlift 3 x 5 x 245
Pendley Rows 5 x 5 x 95
Finishers:
Single Arm KB Snatch 3 x 10 x 25 lbs per side
Zercher Carry 55 lb sandbag for 3:30
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Still some discomfort in the knee but today was the best day since I tweaked it.
On another note, the last couple of weeks has been a reminder of how much better trap bar deadlifts feel to me.
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4/18/21
Endurance
Walking with weighted vest for 45 minutes or so.
Limited the duration somewhat as I had already push mowed for about an hour earlier.
AM Weight 218.6
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4/20/21
Week 3, Day 1
MS
Front Squat 5 x 3 x 120
Pendley Rows 5 x 3 x 110
Dips Machine 5 x 3 x 180
Finisher: Two Handed KB Swings 50 lbs for 100 total broken up as 40/30/30
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4/21/21
Week 3, Day 2
Was supposed to be an endurance day but I was extremely limited on time so I did a HIC session instead. I figured some off script conditioning was better than no conditioning.
Hill Sprints - 5 total.
Haven’t measured the actual distance but it’s probably 80 - 90 m.
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4/22/21
Week 3, Day 3
SE
Three Rounds
Elevated Pushups 25
Box Step Ups 50 per side (Was having some trouble on last set on right side due to the landing with the knee so I started stepping up and down on the same leg . So I stopped counting on that last little bit and just went until the leg felt pretty wiped out.)
Band Face Pulls 50
Two Handed KB Swings 50 x 50 lbs
I hit 100 total swings as a finisher with the 50 lb KB earlier in the week and completed the 3 x 50 today on the circuit so I’ll move up to the 55 lb KB next week for any two handed swings.
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4/23/21
Week 3, Day 4
Recovery
Did an easy 15 minute walk.
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4/24/21
Week 3, Day 5
MS
Front Squat 5 x 3 x 120
Dips Machine 5 x 3 x 180
Trap Bar Deadlift 3 x 3 x 275
Pendley Rows 5 x 3 x 110
Finishers:
Rotating sets of Elevated Pushups and Band Pull a Parts with little to no rest.
Descending from 10 to 1 reps with the last set of Band Pull a Parts going to 25.
Decided to throw in one set of OHP in false hope that it wouldn’t aggravate the shoulder. 
Somehow I lost count on sets of FS and PR so I played it safe and threw in an extra set I believe but we’ll still call it five.
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I hate when I do that. On the 10x5 I use the Dave Tate washed meathead method of marking them off with a chalk block 
I need to try something. I’m bad for doing it.
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4/25/21
Week 3, Day 6
Endurance
Walking with weighted vest at 20 lbs for 1:50.
4/27/21
Week 4, Day 1
MS
I worked out at home today instead of the gym due to an obligation this morning. So I had to make an alteration.
Front Squat 5 x 5 x 100
Pushups 5 x 10
Pendley Rows 5 x 5 x 95
No finishers today. The squats and pushups were super set.
The knee is slowly improving little by little. Had very little issue with it today on the squats.
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