JUGGERYOKE Week 4, Workout 1: Log and Front Squats
GIANT SET (log-squat-pull)
Log clean once and push press away
5x3x170
5x3x165
3 reps per set total, often broken up. I got 2 reps on the 9th set and did 4 on the 10th to compensate
Front squat
10x3x215
Band pull aparts
10x10
GIANT SET (dip-chin-abs)
Weighted dips
5x3x115
Weighted chins
5x3x35
Hanging leg raise w/10 lat shrugs
5x5
Notes:
Overall I am satisfied with how this went. I was able to push hard and get in a lot of heavy reps. I was primarily struggling with balance issues with the log: Iād clean too hard and fall backward, or not enough and press off the belly and have the log too far forward. Ultimately, Iām a little gunshy since I borked by knee on the log cleans 2 weeks ago and Iām still feeling the effects of it. Iām wearing heavier knee sleeves on this workout to keep the compression, and that goes a long way. The front squats themselves are solid, but the bar is sliding off my right shoulder due to the imbalances there. Wearing a shirt to get something a little grippy on the contact point.
Got in my carb-up meal last night after 2 weeks without. Rigatoni-based cheesy pasta dish with some garlic texas toast and then some homemade peanut butter cookies with some other goodies mixed in and a mug of fairlife skim milk. Prior to that was my typical awesome breakfast and not QUITE eating like an a-hole at the pizza buffet, carnivore style. They actually had a brunch option there, so I got another big helping of scrambled eggs, some burnt bacon, and then the toppings of several cheesy pizzas. I stopped before being totally stuffed, and this combination all worked out well this morning where I came in feeling strong and not sick, bloated or toxic. Itās been pretty awesome finding out what works best for me. Carbs from GOOD sources go a long way. We use quality ingredients at home, vs the sugary chemical laden junk I was loading up on before. And Iām seeing the positives of the carb-up as well: already looking fuller and more vascular. I was SUPER flat before. Cool to see all the nutrition manipulation workout.
I got full video, but having upload issues. Will post it later, along with some additional thoughts.
20 minutes of burpee chins, EMOM do 1 standing ab wheel
125 Burpee chins total (4 rep PR)
GIANT SETS: curl-crush-abs: run as a circuit
KB hammer curls
5x3x32.5
Skullcrushers
5x3x115
Hanging leg raise w/10 lat shrugs
5x3
1.5 mile brisk walk
BREAKFAST
Walk w/dog
Notes:
Not quite as beat up coming into this one, and I was pretty amazed with that rep PR on the burpee chins. Iām getting into better shape, and Iām seeing the benefits of the carb load. Just from the video thumbnail I can see how much more defined I look, and I noticed it last night. Iām thinking my 3 day PSMIF (Protein Sparing Modified Intermittent Fasting) protocol last week achieved a sort of āmini-famineā effect when paired with 2 weeks of missed carb ups. Feels like I hit the reset button without having to do a full 2 week approach. That might be something to think about in the future. Still fun to play around with nutrition.
My schedule is a little nutty today, so I got in walks where I could.
JUGGERYOKE Week 4, Workout 3: High Pulls, Bench and Squat
GIANT SET: Pull-bench-pull (performed in a circuit)
Trap Bar High Pulls
6x5x170
Axle incline bench
6x5x171
Band pull aparts
5x20
GIANT SET: Bench-abs-raise
Axle pause bench press
6x1x241
Standing ab wheel
5x6
Lateral raises
3x8x20
2x10x10 (full ROM)
Buffalo Bar Squats (3 min on/1 min rest/3 min on)
1x49
1x39 (4 rep PR from previous best)
1 mile walk
Breakfast
Walk with dog
Notes:
Knee is feeling solid. Achy, a touch wobbly, but very performance ready and capable. I was actually pretty shocked when the timer ran out on the first set of squats and I was only at 49, as I felt like I was moving even quicker than my previous attempt. The PR on the second set was a good compensation. But on that note, I do imagine squat style played a role in it, as my heels are practically touching at this point. I keep bringing the stance in closer and closer to see what happens. Itās been nice playing around and developing strength at new angles, especially going beltless through it all. This program has been good for lesson learning and getting out of my comfort zone.
The flat bench work is really coming along. Those and my dips. This program has been pretty solid for my horizontal pressing, although I also wasnāt doing ANY of that for the 6 weeks I was doing Easy Strength, so perhaps that plays a role.
The improved knee health also allowed me to be a bit more explosive and consistent with the high pulls.
Schedule remains nutty, so getting in walks where I can.
Iām on a 5 day streak of no coffee or energy drinks. Iāve honestly just plain lost my taste for them. They donāt sound appealing any more. Observing no decline in capabilities: I imagine my tolerance was so high they werenāt āworkingā any more. But also no withdraw symptoms either. Really think Iāve just hit another cornerstone in healing.
Had a repeat experience last night: I had a little bit of Oikoās āTriple Zeroā greek yogurt, which I consider in the realm of ādirty carnivoreā, as itās mostly good, animal based stuff but still has a little bit of trickery in it. Both times Iāve had it, within minutes, I start sweating profusely, much like when Iād overdo carbs on a cheat meal. Thereās only 5g of carbs in one of these, and I had like a 3rd of a container, so I canāt imagine itās a carbohydrate response, but SOMETHING in my body receives this and starts triggering the metabolic rate. Interesting data point.
Iāve been reading your logs for awhile. Iām pretty sure āout of your comfort zoneā IS your comfort zone
The energy drink/coffee thing is interesting. Iāve been around one a day for over a decade; at least since I could afford the habit. I donāt get any āenergyā effects unless itās late at night.
I used to think I was drinking them for the caffeine, but after Bang came out, with its zero calories, I realized it wasnāt about the āenergyā at all. I liked the flavors but they didnāt sit well.
Turns out I was using them as a āfoodā. It was a way to get calories in the morning before my body could handle real food. So now I tend toward the juice based ones. I drink them for the calories and for the flavors.
Anyway, what I actually stopped in to ask was a Dan John question, about his āsome people are pushers, some are pullers, some are hingers, some are squattersā idea. Iāve always known you to be pretty good at all of those. Iām curious which category (categories) you see yourself as best/worst at. I think itās pretty obvious Iām not a presser, lol.
Appreciate you swinging by dude. I definitely have things I gravitate toward as far as my comfort zone goes. I found that when I did my āTo Valhallaā run. Right away, direct ab and arm work vanished from my programming, and horizontal pressing took a back seat. These sorts of programs force me to do those things.
Iāve always done the zero carb/low calorie drinks, and for a while I was just drinking for the flavor, but something in my guts and brain are telling me ānoā right now when I even think about having any additional caffeine, so Iām just listening to that.
Iām honestly surprised you think Iām a good squatter: my squat style was an abomination for a LONG time. Iāve recently switched to high bar for a new challenge, but low bar squats done by me were effectively a hinge rather than a squat, because I am REALLY good at hinging. I am totally built for that, since I have practically no upper torso and long limbs. Because of those long limbs, Iām not great at pushing, but Iām REALLY not great at pulling (rows and chins). For rows, trying to get a decent torso angle is tough because of the long limbs, and I do better when I elevate the implement off the floor a touch. With chins, itās a long way to travel. Pushing, I tend to be stronger at, especially dips (which some folks canāt even do, so there may be something to be said about body construction there). So Iād call myself a push/hinger, similar to what Dan equates himself to, which is why I believe high rep squats are so effective for me to gain mass: mass gaining is about doing the thing youāre BAD at, while strength gaining is about doing the thing you are GOOD at.
GIANT SET (crush-curl-ab/pull): performed as a circuit
Axle skullcrushers against monster miniband
10x10x58lbs
Axle reverse curls
10x10x58
Hanging leg raise w/10 lat shrugs
5x5
Monster miniband pull aparts
5x10
Poundstone curls
100xAxle
(OFF CAMERA)
Tabata interval short distance keg pick up/carries w/KB throws on the 10 second rest interval
Walk
Breakfast
Walk w/dog
Notes:
@TrainForPain ās favorite day of the program, haha. Gotta dig my X-men headband.
Made an effort to hang my head off the bench on the skullcrushers when possible to really increase the ROM. I caught myself raising my head to meet the axle, which kinda defeats the purpose. Trying hard to keep my elbows in place on both movements and make the arms the real driver.
Getting a slightly better pump on this. Part of me imagines the issue I run into is itās day 4, which means Iām pretty far away from the last time I had any carbs. But Iād honestly rather have this day be the dud vs the others. In general I think Jamie really structured this program well.
Poundstone curls are not prescribed, but hitting them after 10x10 axle reverse curls is absolutely incredible. I might finish out with some band pushdowns next time too to get that tricep pump.
That conditioning workout I came up with was outstanding. The last time I did the short distance keg carries with the burpee chin it didnāt quite hit right, but this one was brutal inside of 4 minutes, and afterwards I did the Dan John thing and just put the bell down and walked out the door. Trying to just get in the walking where I can in my schedule.
On that note, got in a little walk/run with the family last night as well.
Training has been pretty meh lately, so I was reading some old chaos n pain articles. Ran across the 5 minute squat finisher so I threw it in after some db clean and presses and push ups. Left me more gassed than I like to admit.
Long story short, after catching my breath I realized how much of a breeze it would have been for you so I decided to come check up on you and see how youāre killing yourself these days. Not to my surprise the intensity is high as always and youāre lean as hell!
@TrainForPain Thanks so much man! Always appreciate praise from the One-Man-ARMy, haha.
@alex_uk I am a healed man, which has made these things possible, haha.
@oldbeancam Great to see you around dude! Been thinking about you. Sounds like a killer workout. And man, itās been wild being this lean without even meaning to. Apparently, this is just where my body wants to be. But Iām sure incinerating all the food I eat with this insanity of training helps, haha. Keep in touch!
AM WORKOUT (0405 wake up via alarm)
JUGGERYOKE Week 4, Workout 5: Squats and Shrugs
GIANT SETS (Squats-shrugs/press-pull/abs)
Buffalo Bar Squat to straps
15x1x285
Trap Bar Shrugs
8x3x455
2xAMRAPx365 (17,14)
Axle clean and strict press away
4x7
1x4 (getting those missing reps from 4x8)
Band pull aparts (alternating between to the front and overhead)
10x20
Hanging leg raise w/10 lat shrugs
5x5
CONDITIONING
Tabata short distance keg carries w/KB throws on the 10 second rest
Breakfast
Walk w/dog
Notes:
This is the day I ādreadā in the program, because it beats the holy hell out of you the whole time. Heavy squats and heavy shrugs are brutal. I kept the squat weight the same as last week, but that was 10 sets vs the 15 for today, so I felt like it was the right call and still a form of progression. I felt a few crackles and pops in the right knee around set 10, but itās otherwise moving in a good direction and was up to the task for today. Getting under that bar 15 times is good practice for set up. Shrug ROM seems to improve through the workout, most likely as my upper back loosens up.
Appreciate how strong my pressing is getting with this protocol. I imagine that benching day is actually a contributor there, bringing up weak areas.
Did a repeat of yesterdayās conditioning workout and got it on video. Itās really just amazingly awful.
Came into this feeling pretty beat up and flat. Once again, with the carb loaded up there is a bit of a wave to ride in the training, and by the end of the week Iām feeling the flatness. If I was truly interested in max performance, Iād probably do a mid-week bump upā¦or if I really REALLY wanted max performance Iād just always be loaded up on carbs. But as far as what fits me best: once a week has been working.
Hit a sleeping PR, only waking up once in the middle of the night (good time for wake ān shake), and then once 10 minutes before my alarm went off. Sleep quality and quantity have really turned a corner, which has me consuming less caffeine, which, in turn, has me sleeping better. Great positive feedback loop. Going a bit further into the realm of TMI, Iāve adjusted my bowel schedule and no longer need to dedicate time pre-training to that. One of the biggest positive qualities of this dietary change has been digestion. When I was running Super Squats last year around this time, I had somewhere like 6 movements a day, and it was always a painful world ending experience. These days, it tends to be 1 a day, and not nearly as traumatic. Feeling good feels good.
Tang Soo Do tonight, wild saturaday ahead, and then the Mrs departs for 6 days and itās just me and the kiddo. Mrs. is gonna make the kid a big casserole to eat off of all week while Iām gone, which is clutch. Iām thinking of doing a Famine week to make my life a little easier, and it times out exactly right with my 4 weeks on/2 weeks off protocol. Dinners will still be solid food meals to share that experience with my kid, but otherwise gonna be a lot of egg whites and lean meats.
Holy cow, I had no idea you ran Jamie Lewisā Juggeryoke before.
Very few changes. I am using the trap bar for the high pulls and shrugs. The pull aparts are all additional work. I did a set of Poundstone curls yesterday for a first. Otherwise, thatās it. I do conditioning work afterwards, and I have a ROM progression deadlift Iām doing on the ādo whatever you wantā day.
Were you doing the 5-6 day version or the 3-4 day?
It was the 3-4 day one. Ran it before I started the log, I think the main things I was noticing were the high rep squat sets and the poundstone curls. Not that youre not allowed to change things but as I looked through it I was like āhuh, I dont remember all this stuffā
The high rep squats are in the 3 day; done on the same day as the 10 set squats. But I am running the 5 to 6 day, which might be why it looks different
