30 min of 40kg KB swing/95lb thruster blackjack, but EMOM do 2 burpee chins
Started with 20 swing and 1 thruster, time ran out at 8 swings and 13 thrusters
Notes:
I really liked this take on Blackjack. That’s one of those workouts that always sounds like it will be a ballbuster but I end up meandering too much during the execution. By throwing in those burpee chins EMOM, there was never a period of real rest. If I slacked between the swings and the thrusters, the timer would run out and I’d be on the floor doing burpee chins. Slight touch of Kalsu in that. If nothing else, I’m stealing this moving forward if I ever do another Blackjack workout.
Rolling my hip out with a LAX ball seems to be working magic. My forearms are SO mad at me over that re-rack from yesterday. Food is the soluton.
Just noticed the log you have in there for pressing - we have the same one at my gym and sometimes I find it better than standard OHP as a neutral grip feels more “normal.” Anyway…I remember trying the log press for the first time, but didn’t account for the learning curve in terms of how to breathe while executing the lift. After I loaded up some weight on there (not a ton as I was unfamiliar with it), I got it up on my legs, then onto my upper chest/front delts, pressed it and damn near passed out! LOL!
Strongman friends of mine said that happens to everyone when they first try pressing hahaha.
@littlesleeper There is no better plan! Haha. It’s definitely more in the spirit.
@Euphemism2009 The log is SO good at stealing souls! Reminds me of one of my favorite strongman moments.
AM WORKOUT (0330 natural wake up)
SUPER SQUATS Workout 8
(3) Incline DB bench/weighted chins
3x12x105s/2x15x15lbs
BtN Press/pull aparts
3x10x135/50 total reps
Breathing Squats/Pull overs
20x375/20x20
ASSISTANCE CIRCUIT Row into shrug into hyper into abs into GHR
18x115 Kroc rows
30 axle shrugs against strong short bands
60x180 reverse hyper
20 standing ab wheels
30 reverse hypers
POST WORKOUT SHAKE CONDITIONING
Tabata deadlifts w/155lbs
25 pushdowns
25 band curls
Notes:
I managed to heal up well enough to squat today, but I was not feeling happy about it. Left hip was far more game, but my forearms are pissed off from that re-rack on workout 7. I was surprised at how easily I could get the DBs in position to bench this morning, and getting in 3x12 was outstanding, but by the time I finished up with the BtN presses (3x10 on those is also awesome), my right forearm was telling me to stop. I was tentative approaching the squat, thought today might be a day for failure, but once I got the bar on my back and got through rep 3 I suddenly knew I was going to make it. It was a weird feeling to “know” so early in the set, but it was just feeling like a good day. My legs are awesome, my core is strong, it’s the little things that are the x-factors here.
Being able to return to Kroc rows is outstanding. The right tricep is taking time to heal, but I’m seeing good markers here. Same with those weighted chins.
Tabata deadlifts came about from a desire to not hold anything in a rack position, and it smoked me pretty good. Nice to get in SOME sort of deadlifting as well. I was trying to move fast on the first round, but after that discovered that moving at a conservative pace was still going to nuke me just fine.
Finished the day with a lighter tabata workout. Dips on the odd rounds, burpee chins on the evens. Was feeling a little green during TSD so went light to live to fight another day.
40kg bell. Each round, add a swing. Got through 30 rounds
Notes:
Exactly what I needed. Even pace, not too exhausting, didn’t play with the quads much, got the hips going. Connective tissues still a little pissy, but this didn’t push them too hard.
Hey dude, just wanted to drop in and tell you that the last few blog posts have been awesome and hit home. You seem to have a sixth sense of making a post just as I’m needing to hear it.
@The_Myth You absolutely know it! “One must imagine *Sisyphus happy.” When Chaos is the plan, there is no disruption of the plan. No one can impose their will upon the plan. “It is only after you have lost everything that you are free to do anything”…Tyler Durden…not quite as great a philosopher, haha.
Always a pleasure when you stop by.
Training Log: Entry 2677
AM WORKOUT (0348 natural wake up)
SUPER SQUATS Workout 9
Axle clean and strict press away/pull aparts
3x10x176/50 total reps
2 minute duck under drill while holding KB (stretched a resistance band across the rack, hold 45lb KB in goblet squat position, duck laterally under band and return for the full 2 minutes)
Notes:
Definitely hitting challenging levels of squatting here. I can feel muscular fatigue being a factor. Good to dig this deep: time to eat.
Very happy with that axle press. This program is blowing up my upper body.
On that note though, I may need to retire the dips for the second half of the program. I pretty much undid all the healing of this week with those 3 sets. Weighted bodyweight exercises always tear up my connective tissues, and this is no exception. As awesome as weighted dips are, there’s a reason they don’t feature heavily into my programming. I might consider floor presses, or TRX push ups. There’s no shortage of solutions.
Good to be deadlifting in some manner again. I’m still feeling the pain of the injury, but I think I just need to push my body to heal. The weight is a touch light, so I think the next way forward is paused SLDLs
Went back to my boxing days for the conditioning, just to do SOMETHING with the short time. Had the day off work, slept in a little, but was running short on time.
Plan to get in a little more intense conditioning than usual since I have the time, and Tang Soo Do later.
@The_Myth Always a fun bit of exploration there. And then we can talk about free will…or can we? Haha.
Got up at 0645, smashed 40 burpees over bar fasted, lived a full life, bonded with the kiddo watching “The Strongest Man in History”, prepped some meals, and then got this done
12 minutes, EMOM do 2 rounds of the following
Burpee into axle clean and press w/133lbs
Burpee chin
Front squat w/185
This was fantastic. I love how it forced me to execute movements without having time to set up: just grab and go. This is one of those reasons I don’t use cues with lifting: I don’t want to have time to think. And this is striking close to what “strength” is. You can’t be good at something like this.
12 rounds was right where wheels started falling off, but bigger thing was I didn’t want to spend more time than that training. This would be a great thing to do “'till death”
Oh yeah, brought some beef liver back into the meal prep this week. Firing on all cylinders. Mrs came up to me while I was doing some dishes, grabbed my arm and said “You look huge”. Go Super Squats.
Got up at 0608 because kiddo had a sports tournament we had to get to. Fasted 40 burpees over bar (actually sold the apparatus I was using to do this that was down in my basement, so burpees will become somewhat different for the foreseeable future), lived life, meal prepped, whipped up a junkfood feast to celebrate the Super Bowl (still made piedmontese grassfed hotdogs for myself, because it’s awesome), and did this while things warmed up
Fran into Axle Grace into Tabata ABCs w/24kg bells
I really dig going into Grace under fatigue. Yeah, going for broke on Grace is cool too, but it’s a solid test when you don’t want to do it any more and you still go for it. Maybe double Grace is the answer.
There is not enough food and not enough caffeine. Firing on all cylinders. Cannot be stopped.
@bigpappafrance Just realized I completely forgot to reply to you, haha. I’m a big fan of dips, but weighted dips just cause me grief. Love them as a bodyweight exercise though. But I’m definitely going to start saying I’m too strong for them, haha.
AM WORKOUT (0330 natural wake up)
SUPER SQUATS Workout 10
(3) Incline DB Bench/Weighted chins
1x12x110
1x9x1110
1x8x110/2x15x20lbs
BtN Press/Band pull aparts
2x10x140
1x9x140/50 total reps
Breathing Squats/Pull overs
20x385/20x20lbs
ASSISTANCE CIRCUIT Row to shrug to hyper to ab to GHR
22x115 Kroc Row
25 axle shrugs against strong shorts bands
51x180 reverse hyper
20 standing ab wheels
30 GHRs
POST WORKOUT SHAKE CONDITIONING
16 Tabata rounds of KB swings w/40kg bell, during 10 seconds off, unload plates and put away
25 pushdowns
25 band curls
Some TRX push ups
Notes:
Really focused on rep quality today, as I felt like it was slipping a little. Definitely getting into a challenging realm here. Digging deep and feeling some trepidation leading into the big set. Connective tissues are holding up well. Still some ache in the right forearm, but not nearly as bad as it’s been.
DB pressing is getting to awesome levels. Definitely getting a great training effect from it.
Really pleased with where the healing injury is. I couldn’t do an un-assisted chin when I started, and now I got a set of 15 with 20lbs added, and I’m back to Kroc Rows.
Conditioning did what I needed. Swings wiped me out and I got the gym clean.
