Fell a little behind on your log. Nice job with Brian’s program, his templates are no joke!
I’m with you on the hatred towards running, but it’s always fun to have a strict goal to work towards in the form of competition, especially with friends.
Music to my ears.
Yeah that’s the main thing, though I think it’ll be less of a competition in the sense of “how well can I do it” and more of a “can I actually do it” scenario.
I’m entertaining the notion of a novice/first-timer strongman competition at some stage in 2019 though for similar reasons. Would certainly be a challenge given I’ve zero access to any implements…
Yeah, true enough. I would tend to argue it would still be a sort of competition against yourself! Even in my recent powerlifting adventure, it has been more about hitting PRs than beating anyone on gameday.
That does make things a bit more difficult!
Why do you hate running so much? The mechanics of your body not ideal for running?
If there isn’t serious mechanical issues, I would give it a go. Make training more suited for your goals… add in 400m sprints , shorter sprints and hill sprints. Nothing will burn fat off you like shorter distance sprints.
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It’s super boring and very hard. I don’t mind shorter sprints but I hate distance running.
206.3 weigh-in today. Going to track on a weekly basis as well; not looking to gain more than a couple of pounds a month on average.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Lat activation
Main Giant Set
8x Yates rows @ 50kg
8x bench @ 50kg
30s flutter kicks
6x Yates rows @ 57.5kg
6x bench @ 57.5kg
30s flutter kicks
4x Yates rows @ 65kg
7x bench @ 65kg
30s flutter kicks
Assistance Giant Set
Four rounds:
5x incline DB bench @ 20/22.5kg
5x chest-supported rows @ 40/45/50kg
20x pullovers @ 25/27.5/30kg
Technically the second time I’ve run this, but the first time “properly” doing so.
It’s tough, especially the squat days. Week 2’s squat day is absolutely vile with a brutal AGS after a tough volume set.
I’ve been a little bitchy about the 10m conditioning afterwards, though I’ve done it most of the time; it is actually “optional” in the program so I’m not too bad for not doing it but for Wave 2 I want to be consistent with it.
Well, “want” is a strong word…
Up to 207.1 today. Average weight gain this week has been .4lbs which is about what I’m after.
That said I am going to a food festival today so I expect a temporary spike tomorrow and Monday.
Cardio
5k run in 33:48
Awful pace, but at this stage I’m just happy to have done it. Who the fuck invented hills?
Still 207.1. Food festival was actually a bit shit compared to last time so didn’t majorly gorge.
Recovery
30m elliptical
Purely to get the blood flowing. Knee hated the run but should be good now.
Still around the same weight with a 207.5 weigh-in today.
Haven’t been sleeping very well recently as my girlfriend has some chest infection which keeps her coughing all night. Hopefully I’ve escaped getting it myself as I still feel pretty good.
Roll on Wave 2! Essentially the same giant set setups and assistance/conditioning but with heavier weight.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Glute drills
Strongman Conditioning
EMOM (10m):
3x burpees
100ft loaded carry
Power-walked the first few then realised ‘wait, I can run’ and then ran the next few until the last couple which knackered me out. Still pretty light at 30kg.
Main Giant Set
8x deadlifts @ 100kg
10x hanging leg raises
8x KB snatches each hand @ 12kg
6x deadlifts @ 115kg
10x hanging leg raises
8x KB snatches each hand @ 12kg
6x deadlifts @ 130kg
10x hanging leg raises
8x KB snatches each hand @ 12kg
A joint-rep PR at this weight, which is pretty good as last time I didn’t do it after 10m conditioning and two giant sets. KB snatches were heavier this time around as well.
Assistance Giant Set
16x above-the-knee deadlifts @ 110kg
14x DB rows @ 30kg
10x situps w/5kg plate
Two rounds:
16x above-the-knee deadlifts @ 120kg
14x DB rows @ 30kg
10x situps w/5kg plate
Conditioning
Skipped as I’m to run 5k again this evening and today kicked off with some conditioning anyway. Was meant to be EMOM squat cleans and I didn’t think my knee would like doing that then a run later. Generally Monday conditioning will get done but I think this one can be left out.
Up to 209.2 today, which I think is just a bit of bloat as my body has realised it’s getting an extra 700-1,000 calories a day more than it was used to.
Or maybe I’ve gained 3lbs of muscle in a week. Let’s go with that one.
Today’s workout went well: increased weight and/or reps on everything.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 rows
Lat activation
Main Giant Set
6x weighted pullups (2.5kg)
6x kneeling press @ 35kg
8x wipers
4x weighted pullups (5kg)
4x kneeling press @ 40kg
8x wipers
2x weighted pullups (7.5kg)
6/7x kneeling press @ 45kg (lost count)
8x wipers
Strongman Conditioning
Funfair dumbbell*: two rounds each arm, AMRAP 60s.
22.5kg - 7/6/6/6 reps
*It’s like a circus dumbbell, but much smaller.
Assistance Giant Set
Four rounds AMRAP in 30s:
Z press
Lat raises
Facepulls
Upped the weight on everything except the bands and managed some extra reps as well.
Metcon
AMRAP empty bar press, 50ft bear walk
AMRAP empty bar press, 50ft crab walk
AMRAP empty bar press, 50ft gator walk
Shoulders just gave up midway through the gator walk which was basically just crawling at this stage.
Water weight or whatever gone, down to 207.5 again today. A pretty decent rate of gains at 3,500kcal or so a day.
Warmup
None. Probably should do one. Snatched an extra 30m sleep instead.
Conditioning
5K run in 34:05.
Piss-poor time, but hillier and in worse weather than the last run. The training program on the app wanted me to do a 10:04/km pace for this. That’s walking, so I decided I could probably go a smidge faster…
Hill training is going to be pretty key for this 10k given that the course elevation looks like this:
How brutal is that 8k mark going to feel?
Not really concerned about time anyway, I just want to get to the point of being able to actually do it. If it takes me two hours so be it.
Oh, and a footnote: I felt horrible all day after the last 5k but I’m grand now just a few hours after this one. Obviously “runner’s high” is something that people have made up to convince themselves they actually like running, but I am experiencing “runner’s not-feeling-like-shit” now and I’ll take it.
Had an appalling driving lesson just there so fortunately the gym went well. PR’d everything in either weight or reps. Have you guys tried eating? It’s super-good for lifting. Give it a go.
That said, woke up at the same 207.5 today. Knee feels fine despite one day of running and another of squats and lunges. Happy with the adaptation.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Glute drills
Main Giant Set
10x squats @ 65kg
12x standing crunches
6x burpees
8x squats @ 77.5kg
12x standing crunches
6x burpees
9x squats @ 90kg
12x standing crunches
6x burpees
Assistance Giant Set
Three rounds:
12x good mornings @ 40/45/50kg
12x leg extensions @ 35/40/45kg
10x walking DB lunges w/15kg DBs
Metcon
Deck of cards workout until 52 cards or 25m. Not gutted to have been so pushed for time as to not make the full 25m.
Down to 206.8 today. Disappointing bench top set (equalled last time though so could be worse) but everything in the AGS was heavier and I got the conditioning done.
Warmup
Flexible Five
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Main Giant Set
8x Yates rows @ 50kg
8x bench @ 50kg
10x leg raises
8x plate halos
6x Yates rows @ 57.5kg
6x bench @ 57.5kg
10x leg raises
8x plate halos
4x Yates rows @ 65kg
7x bench @ 65kg (meh)
10x leg raises
8x plate halos
Assistance Giant Set
Four rounds:
15x neutral grip DB bench
15x bench dips
20x tri ext.
Metcon
5x burpees EMOM for 10m. Fill the rest of the minute with banded flyes.
This was awful and I’m not sure whether or not to be happy that I got through it or shamed that I did so poorly; I was running on fumes at the end. I wanted to give up at minute #3, once I got to #5 I thought I could push to #7 and once I was there I figured I may as well finish but by that stage the burpees were just slumping to the floor and standing up while the flyes were basically imperceptible movements of the arm.
Back down at 206.8 today.
Warmup
Quick walk
Cardio
8km run (fair few walking intervals tbf) in 1:03.
Hated that. Lot of hills.
Forgot to weigh-in today.
Warmup
Flexible Five
100 pullaparts
50 dislocates
Cardio
45m elliptical just to get the blood flowing and recover a little.
Had a pretty anabolic night of sleep and woke up at around 210 (didn’t weigh at the usual time).
Glutes were outrageously sore from the Saturday 8k and oddly my triceps are still very DOMS-y after Friday.
PR’d everything today.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Flexible Five
Main Giant Set
10x deadlifts @ 90kg
10x situps w/10kg plate (up from 5kg)
30s KB swings w/16kg (up from 12kg)
8x deadlifts @ 105kg
10x situps w/10kg plate
30s KB swings
11x deadlifts @ 120kg (solid rep PR)
10x situps w/10kg plate
30s KB swings
Hit 9 last time, and previous non-giant-set-best was 10 I think.
Assistance Giant Set
AMRAP in 12m:
10x deficit deadlifts @ 80kg
10x hyperextensions w/5kg plate
10x Yates rows @ 40kg
Got to the fifth round today; last time was just about into the fourth and the first time midway through the third.
Metcon
1 mile odd object carry
Whacked an old car battery and some books in a carry-on suitcase and had at it. Pretty horrible on the lower back.
Remembered to weigh myself today; 210.0 on the nose.
I’ve gained 2.1lbs over the past 28 days which is basically exactly what I’m after so I will continue to aim for the 3,500kcal mark.
Warmup
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Flexible Five
Lat activation
Main Giant Set
8x chinups
8x seated press @ 32.5kg
6x Roman weighted chair halos
5x Turkish getup each side
6x chinups
6x seated press @ 37.5kg
6x Roman weighted chair halos
5x Turkish getup each side
4x chinups w/5kg weight
9x seated press @ 42.5kg (PR, at least for this program. Possibly ever.)
6x Roman weighted chair halos
5x Turkish getup each side
Increased weight on all the other movements too. Turkish getups are pretty hard even with baby weights.
Assistance Giant Set
Four rounds:
Waiter walk (left)
10 pushups
Waiter walk (right)
10 chest press
Had to start taking pushups from the knees on the third set, which was annoying because I did them all last time. That said, the MGS was all heavier this time and I think the chest press was a bit heavier too so overall probably an improvement.
Metcon
10/8/6/4/2 reps KB swings/KB rows/KB snatches/KB stepups all without putting down the kettlebells.
Done. Did not enjoy it. Will be even harder next time once I up the weight on the KBs. Joy.
Up to 210.4 today but had a cheaty Chinese last night so on the bloated side.
Warmup
Flexible Five
Jumps, high knees, all that good stuff.
Conditioning
Hill “sprints” with walk/jog intervals. Unpleasant.
Anyone who knows a bit about this feel free to chime in.
I have Weds/Sat/Sun free for running training because I’m not going to push aside my lifting for it.
I’m thinking that, given I’m in the middle of town and can’t do trail runs before work, the following schedule makes sense:
Weds: hill training
Saturday: trail runs
Sunday: distance road and/or trail runs
I’ve got some Salomon Speedcross Varios coming because my current shoes are crappy road-only Nikes. They should knock a good 10 minutes off my 10K and then I can start setting some world records… right?
I’ve forgotten my exact weight this morning but it wasn’t shocking.
I think today was the worst session I have ever had. I was lying on the floor between sets of the AGS and it took me about an hour from getting home to get my life together.
Especially bad after yesterday’s hills. No major PRs but increased the weight on some stuff.
Warmup
Flexible Five
200 pullaparts
100 dislocates
Glute drills
Main Giant Set
8x burpees
6x squats @ 75kg
30s hollow rocks
8x burpees
4x squats @ 90kg
30s hollow rocks
8x burpees
5x squats @ 100kg
30s hollow rocks
Best set at 100kg is 7 reps fresh so not too shabby.
Assistance Giant Set
Four rounds:
8x Bulgarian split squats each leg (25kg)
16x walking lunges (20kg)
8x DB Romanian deads (32kg)
Metcon
1 pullup, 2 pressups, 3 box jumps, 4 mountain climbers
Add 1/2/3/4 reps until you’re doing 5/10/15/20
Up to 211.4 today. Not sure if I’m gaining too much too fast but I’ll measure the waistline periodically and see. It’s all about the pursuit of being an Absolute Unit now anyway.
Today went well with a bench rep PR, especially nice as the last one wasn’t mid-giant-set.
Warmup
100 pullaparts
50 dislocates
Lat stuff
Main Giant Set
10x landmine rows
10x bench @ 45kg
10x Russian twists w/20kg plate
30s manmakers
10x landmine rows
8x bench @ 52.5kg
10x Russian twists w/20kg plate
30s manmakers
10x landmine rows
11x bench @ 60kg
10x Russian twists w/20kg plate
30s manmakers
Assistance Giant Set
Four rounds:
12x DB row
8x CGBP
10x floor press
All increased in weight.
Metcon
Pressup Challenge: 1, stand up, 2, stand up, 3, stand up… up to 10. Didn’t get to 10. Closer than last time though!
