I honestly couldn’t be more amused that my legacy is doing curls
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@mr.v3lv3t And on top of all that: I forgot to do the weighted dips! I’ve got a plan to tackle them for tomorrow.
@TrainForPain dude, jacked arms are the BEST legacy! “I don’t care that I die: I just wanna make sure that, when they bury me, they gotta use a BIG goddamn box!”
Video. Right away, the comments on it are maddening, haha.
Plan tomorrow is gonna be SSB for the squatting, viking handle landmine rows, then either landmine belt squats or reverse hyper leg extensions, GHRs or reverse hyper leg curls, loading pin dip belt calf raises, hanging leg raises. Solid.
I’ve got my 10 mile run the day before Easter, so I’m gonna make that day the “higher calorie keto day” per the Apex Predator diet. I’m legit having so much fun playing around with nutrition again. Rules and limits bring about creativity. In that regard, @anna_5588 I think you’ll dig the “keto rocket fuel” I’ve come up with for my pre-race meal.
Gonna do 2-3 whole eggs, each cooked individually similar to eggs Benedict. Topping them will be sunflower seed butter and avocado, and I’m thinking about mixing in some grassfed butter as well.
No Frankenfoods: stuff you can actually grow and kill. My first instinct was keto toast and low carb wrap burritos. It’s good to fight those instincts.
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I gave the Tower of Babel a whirl
Forgot how relentlessly brutal it is man
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The yoke is a really legit anchor point for that viking press set up huh? One of those viking attachments has been on my “to buy” list forever. I keep punting on it because I don’t have a spot to set up something like that on my basement. Interesting having the bands attached at two different points too, different resistance curve. Killer workout dude.
@ChongLordUno Looked absolutely brutal dude! Always appreciate the nod.
@mr.v3lv3t totally viable! I am so pleased with all the options it opens up. And thanks! A little barbarian engineering at work, haha. Like Kalashnikov: I am too stupid to know it won’t work!
Total “get to yes” afternoon. Came home with just enough time to knock out 300 push ups and 300 bodyweight squats (I am doing prisoner squats, as they feel more natural…what does that say about me?) in 13:48. Best time so far. Turned right around, picked up kid from school, made dinner (Metabolic Drive “oatmeal” for me, as today is a pure shake day), got in my 4 missing sets of dips while I set up the gym for tomorrow’s workout, drove kid to sports practice and got in my 2 mile walk over the rockiest most uneven terrain I could find in 37:27.
Dips shook out to 5x135, 6x135 and 2x5x145. The fact I can rock up to a set of 135lb weighted dips with zero warm up with my hair on fire immediately after eating has me in a good way. I am a big fan od what I am.
These walks may turn into runs, as I have trained for about 2+ hours today. When I can bring the dog and kid along its one thing, but this is a LOT of training. Still: day 1 officially in the books. Already pivots for the week, to include a 10 mile run on Saturday, but
Chaos is the plan
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I know this isn’t your profession, but I’ve read a lot about “anytime readiness” for “tactical athletes”. (Side note, I loathe that term.) But seriously, the ability to move heavy weights and have awesome conditioning is imprecise. The ability to do it on a moments notice without a 20 min mobility routine and warmup? That’s just dangerous. Nice work brother.
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Major props from you @atlas13 ! And totally getting it. “On demand” is huge for me.
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@asmonius Appreciate you dropping by and the kind words dude! There is a lot of gravity in them. This place has given me a LOT, so any chance I have to give back is valuable. Hope I can continue to contribute in that way!
AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm, much better night of sleep)
PLAGUE OF STRENGTH’S FAMINE ROUTINE Day 2
SSB Squat (3 min max rest between sets)
Warm up
- 3xBar
- 3x135
- 3x205
- 1x315
Worksets
- 4x3x405
- 33x205
- 150 pull aparts between sets
Viking handle landmine row (90 seconds max rest)
- 6x20x50lbs loaded
Reverse hyper leg extensions (90 seconds max rest)
- 3x25x90
Reverse hyper leg curls (90 seconds max rest)
- 3x25x90
Calf raise/leg raise superset (90 seconds max rest between calf raises, leg raises done during rest period)
- 2x25x105
- 1x25x80
- 2x25x55
- AMRAP leg raises
Completed in around 70 minutes, followed by 300 push ups (not timed)
Notes:.
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These were the best feeling heavy squats I’ve had in a LONG time. Knee and hip are both doing well. Hip gave me a few playful warning shots, but when it came time to lockout and walkout, it performed, and that’s where I struggle before. These were absolutely “hingey” squats, with my fishing rod technique, but I got in a solid grind and moved heavy weight. Got in those pull aparts just because I can’t sit still for long, and they’re never a bad idea, but it’s not part of the program.
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Deathset afterwards was phenomenal. I was torn on wearing a belt. I know Jamie is big on not wearing one in training, but given my hip was finally feeling better, it seems liked a good idea to keep it on. Very pleased with the depth I was hitting, and absolutely screaming through at the end. MAY have another rep in there. I’m thinking chasing after that with this program will be pretty clutch.
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Those rows are light yet, after that deathset, they’re enough. It dawned on me how much “Viking stuff” I’m doing on this program with the handle, and given the premise is the campaign season of humans and draws heavily on the Vikings, I’m leaning into it now. Probably time to break out some more Viking gear and just own it. Also coincides well with eating meat off the bone for the Apex predator thing. Honestly, I’m just plain having fun here. “Being that which does”, and LARPing as I train. But I’m kicking myself for having not gotten a set of handles before.
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As much as I wanted to do other things than the leg extensions and curls, I also wanna give the program a fair shake. The reverse hyper totally answered the mail here. I feel like, for the sake of time, I’ll make this a superset next time. Ran it as prescribed just to get a feel for Jamie’s intent here. The curls were a little too light, while the extensions were just right.
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DID make the calf raise and leg raise a superset against protocol just for the sake of time, and I didn’t see the leg raises interfering with the calves. I legit haven’t directly trained calves since 2010, when I did a 2 month run of DoggCrapp. It showed, because I was in agony. I’m starting to think Jamie DIDN’T make a typo and today IS supposed to be 5x5 calf raises, since he has 5x25 later in the week and this was borderline crippling. Also probably a dumb idea to do the week I have to run 10 miles, but last year I did 100 reps of squats in 9 sets the day before, so I’m pretty good at bad decisions. Actually had the SSB still loaded in the rack when I did the leg raises, which provided me a slight backstop to keep from swinging too bad.
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300 push ups knocked out just to get them out of the way for today. I owe 300 bodyweight squats and a 2 mile walk.
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I am INCREDIBLY sore. All those folks that say you don’t get sore after you’ve trained for a while are pretty goofy. Low calories and high workload. Yesterday I complied with Jamie’s Famine nutritional protocol to the full extend. Took in around 195g of protein via Metabolic Drive, which shook out to just around 1000 calories total. Not planning on making a habit of that, as I’m still family manning it, but I had a unique opportunity to give that a try yesterday. Hunger wasn’t a factor, but I do wonder if this is why I’m feeling so sore. Also engaged in a “wake and shake”, since it’s not something I’d want to do while the Mrs is around. Got up to pee in the middle of the night, had a shake ready to go, slammed it and went back to bed. It wasn’t bad. Nice to get in a midnight meal. I can see that being pretty effective for gaining.
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Let’s flesh out Day 6 ahead of time
Basically taking all those things I end up adding to other programs and throwing them all into one day.
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Mat pulls: 1xAMRAP w/double rest pause (ROM progression over course of program)
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Landmine Viking handle Kelso shrugs: 3-4 sets
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Belt squats: 1xMassive dropset (200-175-150-125-100-75-50-25-Axle)
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Axle shrugs against bands: 1xAMRAP
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Reverse hypers: No real plan
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Kroc rows: 1xAMRAP w/115lbs
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DB bench deathset: Either do 1 set of max reps w/unloaded handles or a slingshot dropset
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Lateral raise deathset
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Poundstone curls: 1xAMRAP
That looks like a lot of training, but it’s mostly single set stuff. Also means it’ll be easy to cut stuff out if I’m running low on time.
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Do you do the Surge as one of the shakes on training days? I know you’d been kind of saving carbs as a cheat code when needed. I’m definitely keeping some semblances of this plan - maybe leaning more into “family man” - and I’m wondering if I’d do better with the extra Metabolic Drive in that instance.
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Still no Surge: just Metabolic Drive the whole way
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Managed to get in my 300 squats at work, and then got in a 2 mile walk with the kid. Had my first solid meal in 48 hours: 3 chicken drumsticks and 1 giant wing. I’m seeing crazy leanness and shoulder veins. Also discovering there just plain isn’t enough black coffee in the world.
Came up with the idea of “pizzadillas” for the kiddo for dinner tonight. Tortillas with pizza sauce/cheese/toppings, folded over and cooked in our quesadilla maker. It was a total hit. Every once in a while dad comes through with the kid cuisine.
I am still incredibly sore. Jamie really is onto something with this. Scheduled program deviation tomorrow, jumping to the bench workout instead of the Day 3 workout, just due to work/life schedule.
Treated myself to some new minibands for all the pull aparts I need to be doing, as you can most likely see in my videos that my current one is falling apart. Also a pair of black strongman shorts, because black goes with everything.
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AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm) SEMI-FASTED: Had a 1 scoop protein shake at around 0200
PLAGUE OF STRENGTH”S FAMINE ROUTINE Day 3
Axle bench press
WARM-UP
- 5xAxle
- 3x136
- 3x226
WORKSETS (2 min max rest between sets)
- 2x2x321
- 1x3x321
- 1x2x321
Behind the neck press/Band Pull Apart Superset (2 min max rest between sets) [Program deviation: supposed to be military press, no band pull aparts prescribed]
- 6xAMRAPx115 (Believe it shook out to 12-9-8-8-7-7), 2 second hold at lockout each rep
- 6x25 band pull aparts
20 minutes of dips (15-60 seconds between sets)
- 300 total (ran 5 seconds over to accomplish)
Concentration curl/Hanging Leg Raise Superset (ran as a circuit, no rest, program deviation)
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1x20x22.5lb KB handle
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2x20x15lb DB
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1x20x10lb DB
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1x20x10lb DB w/fat grips
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5xAMRAP Leg Raise
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1 mile walk
LIFE/BREAKSFAST
- 1 mile walk
Notes:
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For bench weight, I took my TM for 5/3/1 and ran with that. Hitting a triple on the third set speaks to how I’m still “warming up” through the worksets. A product of the early training and lack of warm-ups. It’s good to get a feel for heavy weight in the hands again. My triceps are in a perpetual state of soreness from the daily 300 push ups, so that’s an x-factor.
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Intentional deviation going with the BtN press vs Military. Jamie’s prescription is “perfect form”, and I felt like picking the BtN press would be a better regulator for that. Knowing myself, I can turn a military press into a circus act, but pressing behind my head keeps me more honest. This absolutely blew up my shoulders, especially when paired with the pull aparts, which is just something I do because they make me feel better.
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Intent on the dips is as many sets of 20 as possible, which I held onto for about 5 or so. After that, 15-18 was about standard. I saw 300 within my grasp with a little over a minute left, so I just cluster-set it to get there.
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Total “strongman moment” there doing KB concentration curls sitting on a 12” log. Seeking the approval of @TrainforPain on that one. Trying to save time by combining the leg raises and concentration curls. The handle was nice, but too heavy for quality work. I liked bringing out the fat gripz at the end there, and will most likely make that the way forward. Once again: dusting off old toys.
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I honestly thought today would move faster looking at it on paper. I got in a mile brisk walk/slight jog immediately post training, made breakfast for the kiddo and I, got to work early and walked another mile before actually coming in. Got that done, and plan to do the push ups and squats like a mini conditioning workout later.
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I am getting stupid lean, and the nutrition remains stupidly simple to comply with. There’s assurance in knowing that I’ve got the right medicine in my system to keep me from totally tanking from this approach as well. Caffeine is still way high, and I’m still sleeping well, so that’s awesome. Did another “wake and shake” and used that to be able to just roll straight into training this morning.
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You’ve always got it.
I had to watch that - it was awesome! So much 90s throwback in one scene there: the clothes, the grips, doing concentration curls to begin with! Arnold told us to do those, everyone, and we listened and prospered.
All around great stuff, as always. I’m curious about what you’re doing here (I’m typically familiar with the coaches/ programs you run); I’m going to check this out - thanks for continuing to open new doors for me.
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Hell yeah dude! I was seriously contemplating throwing on the lifting gloves to seal it. I love that $5 DnD shirt that I got totally looks like something from a metal band, haha.
This is the program with associated link
The nutritional protocol he recommends during “Famine” maps on incredibly well with the Velocity Diet, but more 1.0 than current. Still: highly recommend the read, and really, the whole package he includes on his site. Fair warning: Jamie is INCREDIBLY vulgar. Definitely NSFW stuff. But his mindset gels so well with me when it comes to training and nutrition. No calorie counting or weighing food, very little reliance on percentages, very much just “ad hoc” kinda stuff.
And always happy to share!
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300 push ups and 300 prisoner squats done in 13:56. Did a Juarez Valley approach through the first 150, then just 10-20-10-20-10-25-25 to finish
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AM WORKOUT (0400 wake up via alarm) Semi-fasted: 1 scoop protein shake consumed at 0030
PLAGUE OF STRENGTH’S FAMINE ROUTINE Day 4 (Technically Day 5, running out of order due to schedule)
Explosive axle rows (2 min rest between sets)
WARM UP w/136 and 226
WORKSETS
- 4xAMRAPx296 (Mostly triples)
Front squat to straps (2 min rest between sets)
- 6x4x275
T-bar rows (90 seconds rest) [minor program deviation: calls for machine rows]
- 4x20x75lbs loaded
- 2x20x75-50-25-axle triple dropset
20 minutes of chins w/various grips (30ish seconds between sets)
- 22x5 for a total of 110 reps
Calf raise/hanging leg raise superset circuit (program deviation: not written as a superset circuit)
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5x25x55 calf raise
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5xAMRAP hanging leg raise
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300 push ups in under 10 minutes
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1 mile walk upon arriving at work
Notes:
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I still suck at rows. No churching it up. I may have had a bit more in me if I was willing to really throw my hips into it, but already it was a circus act. I’ve contemplated making this a log row for a future workout, since my ROM is already stupid and at least that way the limit can be by design. On the plus side, my torn tricep/lat is holding up fantastically here. This was a good test of that.
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I liked that front squat set up. Going to the straps definitely kept me honest, and the degree of fatigue I was experiencing became readily apparent.
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T-bar rows answered the mail as far as being able to hit a triple dropset, and it really doesn’t take much weight to achieve the effect with sets of 20 here.
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I originally planned sets of 8 on those chins, and immediately realized that my pulling muscles were so exhausted at that point that sets of 5 was enough. I had a thought of doing this EMOM, which would have netted me 100 total, which seemed paltry in 20 minutes. 110 wasn’t much more of a victory, but proved some sort of point. Perhaps I’ll try 6s EMOM next time.
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Supersetted those calf raises and leg raises to save time again. My calves are SO incredibly sore from the previous time. I’ve absolutely been neglecting them, and I’m sure this focus on them will be beneficial.
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I honestly expected this day to be one of the faster ones, and it’s actually the longest one yet! Can’t trust how things look on paper. Barely had time to squeeze in the push ups. Got in a 1 mile walk before work so I could go walking with my kiddo later today and know I had met the 2 mile requirement, and I’ll get in my 300 squats at some point. I honestly really dig all the additional requirements of this protocol, as it’s forcing me to get creative.
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Still getting stupidly leaner by the day. And 300 push ups a day is really getting my upper body tight.
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Wake and shake continues to be a pretty solid thing for me. I like how I can just roll right into training in the AM.
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Last night, for Tang Soo Do, we broke out nunchucks (nunchaku if you’re a pedant). I couldn’t restrain myself: had to bust out my ninja turtle skills. But otherwise, I was absolutely dead. Zero pop or drive. I’m doing a fantastic job driving myself into the ground here.
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Ok I finally got through those articles. Interesting writing style: I’ve not seen drug addiction and prison time used quite so much to illustrate health and fitness points.
Anyway - right you are; very much his version of the V-Diet. I think what we’ve all really learned is how hard it actually is to diet off all your muscle if you’re still training.
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Interesting sums Jamie up for sure! Haha. But that’s what I appreciate. There are more than enough clinical dudes out there: show me the lunatics!
And absolutely true. Keep protein high, train hard and you’ll be fine. And in that regard, I’m learning from this diet just how few calories I “need” to train hard and get by. These lean periods are good for lesson learning.
So many stories are “losing all my muscle” are really stories of just how easy we can delude ourselves into thinking our “size” is muscle.
The old school dudes already knew that wasn’t true. There’s a great passage in “The Complete Keys to Progress” where two dudes are talking and one says “What’s the most important thing to having an impressive physique?”
The other guy says “Muscle”, and the first guy goes “That’s too obvious: think harder”
And the second guy thinks and goes “Bulk: sheer powerful bulk!”
They KNEW that, yes, of course you’ll have muscle, but to be “big”, to take up physical space, you needed some fluff too. But somehow we conflated the fluff WITH the muscle.
EDIT; Oh hey, video finally came through.
DOUBLE EDIT: Oh my goodness Jamie commented on my video and said my rows look good! Haha. That honestly just made my day.
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You even have a ninja turtle back to compliment the Pwnchucks.
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