1lb of ground lamb, 1lb ground venison and 1lb of ground rib fingers (beef) mixed with 1 pasture egg and some Redmond salt, placed in my “meatball master” for meal prep
EDIT: No idea what the context is here but I love it. Juggernaut, Hulk and Hercules
Little more info for the day: my kid woke us up at 0600 with the most famous childhood phrase “I just threw up”, so I’ve been keeping it low energy for the most part. Got in the mat pulls while they took a nap, getting in my push ups and squats, and just eating well and being on dad mode. My Valkyrie got to Tang Soo Do today and won her bracket in sparring, so there’s a good chance the trophy is coming home.
Great day for food. Chicken thighs 99 cents a pound, so I got 10lbs, cooked up a few for work and vacuum sealed the rest. 20 minutes in an air fryer at 390 with spray duck fat and redmonds salt.
3.5lb “corned beef” brisket from Costco. Didn’t use the seasoning pack, just some Redmonds salt. 1/2 cup of water and tsp of liquid smoke, 55 minutes in the pressure cooker, take it out, pat dry, spray with spray duck fat, 10 min in air fryer at 350, let rest for 10 min. Perfect meal prep.
Axle clean and strict press away
5x113
5x133
5x143
18x113
Buffalo bar Squat
5xBar
5x155
5x205
5x245
SUPERSET (squat-pull) short rests
Buffalo bar Squat
5x5x275
Band pull apart
5x20
Chins and dips circuit
Started w/10 chins and 20 dips, then 2-3-5/4-6-10 until total of 100 chins and 200 dips
Time: 51 mins
10 minutes of extra work
3x10 standing ab wheel
50x180lb reverse hyper
1x12 GHRs
BREAKFAST
Very short walk w/dog
Notes:
Goal for today was to move quick, since the weights were light. Very short rests on those squats. I’m still not squatting very quick, but I attribute that to the early morning stiffness.
Solid pump from the chins and dips.
Happy with the assistance exercises I chose with the extra time. Prioritizing what matters.
Had an enjoyable carb up meal last night of a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich on homemade sourdough. Jarlsburg swiss and Applegate no sugar added bacon. A few tater tots as well, and 3 of my wife’s cookies, with some local honey smeared on it and some fairlife skim for dunking and drinking. A little light on carbs and calories, but I’ve been eating big in general.
@EmilyQ Thank you! You can see the comedy in me referring to her as my “wolf” during my Cimmerian chronicle, haha. She’s 13 and absolutely has teenage attitude. She loves her walks though, primarily because, when they’re over, we get “meat treats”. For me, it’s some beef liver, whereas for her it’s whatever leftover meat we have in the fridge. This icy/snowy weather has been a bummer for her in that regard.
5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH Week 2, Workout 2 (Conditioning) “Middle Aged Mutant Ninja Turtle”
30 minutes of 30 second rounds
Boxing
KB swing (47.5lb KB)
6 count burpee
Rope skipping
After that, 15 minutes of EMOM basement suicide springs w/10 prisoner squats and 10 push ups at end
Stair jumps
BREAKFAST
Short walk w/dog while wearing 50lb vest
Notes:
I am really liking this day. I’m “remembering” being an athlete. It’s hard to not lift SOMETHING when I have the chance to do so, but this is just bridging so many gaps and hitting so many marks. Getting in those swings at least scratches the lifting itch a touch.
This is very close to the Devil’s Trinity from Tactical Barbell, but rather than a rest period, I implemented rope skipping. I’m clumsy enough that I can rest with rope skipping, since I’m often recovering from a failed skip.
It’s amazing how I feel like I’m punching so fast and then I watch the video and it’s like someone put me in slow-mo.
Getting in those basement suicides at the end was a good closer. I wanted to get decently gassed, and got in some good bodyweight work. Prisoner squats on the daily have been awesome for my mobility.
Trying to remember to get in jumps when/where I can. Another big hole in my athletic game.
Dog got another short walk because I had a med appointment this morning, wherein I got some great results on my vitals. Once again, keeping in mind I’ve been eating a practically all meat diet with a LOT of salt.
Tang Soo Do is on the schedule for later tonight.
EDIT: This was way too awesome not to steal. Totally satisfies so many nerd quotas
As an aside, nice bit of ‘meditation’ of sorts… we finished this one the other day (borrowed from a mate who loves jigsaws).
How big is your basment! Weights setup leaves minimal free space it seems based on most vids, but now there’s another ‘fighting’ space down there! Coudos again sir.
@doddfrank Hey thanks so much man! I appreciate you saying that.
@raven78 Oh man, no joke, I am pretty sure Ninja Turtles are drugs for me, because anytime I see they, the dopamine center of my brain lights up like Christmas, haha. I am sure that puzzle would put me over.
And I actually lift in my garage rather than my basement. But the BAS is set up in my basement utility room. It most likely explains why perception is a bit weird, haha.
Earned a stripe in Tang Soo Do tonight, alongside the Valkyrie.
AM WORKOUT (0415 wake up via dog, snoozed for 4 minutes)
5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH Week 2, Workout 3
SUPERSET (dead-bench)
Low handle trap bar pulls
5x175
5x275
5x325
3x5x365
Axle bench press
5xAxle
5x161
5x186
5x5x211
KB rows (short rest)
2x15x40kg
12x40kg
2x10x40kg
Poundstone curls
100xAxle (82 without stopping)
Finished within 48 mins
Extra work
3x10 Standing Ab Wheel
Neck harness
Lateral raise dropset
20 GHRs
50 KB swings w/47.5lb bell
Breakfast
1.5 mile walk w/dog (no vest)
Notes:
It’s still amazing how awful the low handle feels. My right knee feels a little dorked up from the final set. Was trying to push rep speed a little bit today, since it was the lighter week.
Got a solid pump on the rows. It’s bitter medicine: I feel better when I take it.
Figure I’ll keep the weight the same on the curls and just push to get as many reps as possible without stopping until I can clear the full 100. Solid bicep pump
Woke up a little earlier, so I got in a little more assistance work. Happy with the choices I made.
Able to get in more of a walk this morning with the dog. She’s staying in good shape.
Along with getting that stripe in Tang Soo Do last night, it was just a good class in general. I was complimented on my kicks, primarily because we were hitting pads and I was really able to come out with that. Hitting air isn’t the same. I imagine a part of it too is just not being completely beat to hell from lifting allowed my hips to open up a little.
Our favorite local BBQ spot is doing a food truck here at work, so my lunch is going to be that today. That said, for anyone curious, that brisket I made is absolutely phenomenal, I’ve been eating it all week and I can’t wait to make another one. I’m gonna try my hand at a non-corned beef one sometime and see how it turns out. I like the corned beef ones (without the seasoning) just because they’re pre-cut and “reasonable” sized, but I’ve got a bone saw and a vacuum sealer, so a traditional sized brisket shouldn’t be a big deal.
Mrs hit me with the feedback every dude loves “You’re looking bigger” And then, of course, because that’s such a taboo among her gender, she went on “I mean, you know what I mean. You don’t look fatter. I actually don’t think it’s possible for you to put on fat.” Not even Valentine’s Day and she already knows exactly what to say.
AM WORKOUT (0415 natural wake up, snooze for 7 minutes)
5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITH Week 2, Workout 4 (Conditioning)
75 kb swings w/20kg bell
2 mile walk w/80lb vest at 2.8mph average
100 prisoner squats and 100 push ups in 5 minutes (sets of 10)
BREAKFAST
1.5 mile walk w/dog (no vest)
Notes:
I keep falling back in love with this program. Biggest thing about this day is how I DON’T have to think about it. Didn’t need to come up with some crazy conditioning protocol: just put on the vest and go walk dummy. I hit those swings at the start just to jump the heart rate a little, and because swings are awesome, and got in some of my daily squats and push ups at the end. In truth, I intended for more, but one of my ear buds fell out in my garage and I had to spend 5 minutes looking for the damn thing. Chaos continues to be the plan.
Speed was the same as last week, but took on more hills. Also used a different vest. Yes: I have many different weight vests: I am diseased. This one was the Ironmaster vest, which I like more than the CAP vest because the weight sits high on the lungs vs around the hips, so it adds to the challenge.
My right knee is still feeling junked up from yesterday. Gonna make high rep squats tomorrow super fun.
Weather has gotten really nice, so hopefully this means more family walks in the future. But tonight is Tang Soo Do.
EDIT Never seen such a hench looking Colossus before
3x10 Standing ab wheel
Lateral raises
Neck harness
Notes:
Really tried to move quick today, and it worked out. I had finished everything except for the widowmaker in about 27 minutes. That’s just lightning.
Right knee is pretty swollen, but by the topset of squats things were ok, and it didn’t present any pain in the widowmaker. In the aftermath, it’s swollen again.
I was pleased to actually run into some resistance on that widowmaker. It checks that a 20lb delta was going to present some challenges. I had a few more in me after 75, but with the knee being wonky, it seemed like the prudent move to rack. I definitely got some value out of it.
Next week is definitely going to be a challenge. Time to eat.
Tang Soo Do last night was a decent focus on the basics.
I absolutely love what Steve Pulcinella replied to here on Dave Tate’s facebook page
I noticed details this time with your squatting I hadn’t before. I’m impressed at how little movement there is of your lower back and hips at the very bottom. A slight bit of rounding under on a rep or two, but basically nothing. I’ve been trying to see how far I can go down before that breaks down for me, and comparing it with heels flat versus elevated. With heels elevated it stays stable; with heels flat I can go all the way down (which I thought was a good squat in the past), but I’m seeing how the low back loses that stability. Anyway, I was impressed with what I saw, even as fatigue set in.
On a completely different note, what do you get out of a widowmaker set these days? The mental challenge, sure, but what kind of physical effects.
@LoRez Hey I appreciate that man: thanks so much! It’s pretty different for me to receive praise on my form, haha. This style of squatting is still quite new to me, so I’m figuring it out.
In that regard, it’s one of the benefits of widowmakers: more reps, more practice. But along with that: holding a weight on the spine is one of the most effective anabolic triggers I know of. It tells the WHOLE body that it needs to start growing, and long durations of it really send that signal. Also why I find weighted vest walks a solid move. We’re telling the body “we need to get bigger to support these loads”.
Ah, I see. I did have similar feelings about heavy squat lockouts and overhead lockouts in the now-distant past. I certainly felt it (I really want to say “felt it in my bones”, but literally I felt it everywhere but my bones…) but I never stuck with it to really validate that idea. I wasn’t sure if I was just beating up my connective tissues unnecessarily.
But using a lighter weight and moving with it may do that better and “safer”. Like the heavy-ish farmers walks I did before. I’m sticking with a plan right now, but I’ll keep this one on the backburner.
Absolutely dude! Brian Alsruhe has talked about this idea before as well, with the yoke being another great tool to make use of it. It’s why I think Super Squats “works”, along with Mass Made Simple…and really Deep Water when you think about it. Super Squats artificially increases the duration of the bar on your back by forcing in those deep breaths between reps. MMS approaches it by just plain upping the rep count from 20 to 50. Deep Water accomplishes it by giving you 10 sets worth of work under the bar, and with the reduced rest times OR reduced sets, density improves.
