More Trouble Than I Am Worth: Chaos Is The Plan (T3hPwnisher Log)

Training Training Logs
5080

@TrainForPain thanks man! Definitely taking some pride looking at it.

@Stormblessed Happy you swung back man, and nothing wrong with not wanting to jump into carnivore. The foods you listed sound like solid choices: the big thing is I would prioritize protein intake there in order to satiate that “nutrient hunger” and then move toward the other stuff from there. Let protein fill in the “big rocks” and let the other stuff be the sand and pebbles that fill in the rest. What Mark was talking about there refers to a “protein sparing modified fast”, which is what I employ daily as a means of intermittent fasting. I think it’s a great balance between full on fasting and traditional eating, especially if one has ambitions of building/keeping size. Dr. Kevin Stock has spoken on this topic as well FROM a carnivore perspective no less, since fasting tends to be big in the carnivore community primarily BECAUSE hunger is so satiated, it can be too easy to under consume protein and lose out on some muscle.

But, interestingly enough, Robert Sikes (the Keto savage) has also spoken to the protein sparing benefits of ketones in the body, and has accomplished some very effective body composition outcomes on a protein amount that many would consider “low”, so there’s all sort of approaches out there that work.

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5081

Great job on the deck!

Nice rear delts.

That’s a great back yard for a dog.

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5082

You just hit me with like the hat-trick of compliments right there: thanks man!

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5083

Both you and your deck have some awesome before-and-after pictures. Great work on the 20-rep squats. Lying to oneself about how many reps we’ll hit before continuing is such a helpful way to get through the set sometimes.

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5084

@PowPowPunishment Always high praise from you. I still remember your initial “before/after” post you made here on t-nation under a previous handle that blew up. You’ve had an incredible journey yourself. And too true: mastery of self-deceit is so key, haha. It’s amazing how talented we can become at that.

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5085

Actually a fair bit of training for a weekend. Slept until 0700, got up, did 6 rounds of squats and push ups, had an awesome breakfast and then got in some mat pulls

(2) Mat pulls: 8+4+2x426

Actually felt pretty strong for these. I think the week away helped. The warm ups were smooth, and I didn’t hurt much compared to how I typically feel on these. May have gotten my hip pain managed.

I walked my dog after this, ran some errands, Mrs and kiddo had an appointment together, so I hit up axle grace and then went for a 90 minute walk in 100 degree heat

That’s definitely a slow axle grace time for me, but I’m 10+lbs lighter than I typically am when I do my best on this. Just want to get more time with the axle, as it will be in my next comp.

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5086

Another great weekend day. My Valkyrie slept until 0900, and I lay dutifully beside her, since I simply can’t sleep that long. I actually woke her once we got to 0900, just because I knew she wouldn’t want to sleep the entire day away, but it was about 12 hours of sleep, which she needed to help recover from her recent allergic response, so I was delighted. I got in my push ups and squats and we went out to breakfast at “First Watch”: her favorite spot, I got a great omelet, some sunny side up eggs and some pork sausage.

I had to fight all my meathead instincts and take weight OUT of my sandbag, because it was a 250+lb beast, which was fitting when I was a 200lb athlete, but now I need it a little lighter for my current weight class, so I took 50-ish pounds out and took it for a test

You can see how much I’m sweating: It was over 100 degrees with our heat index, and just being outside had me pouring. I imagine some of that played into how awful this felt, but I’m also just out of practice. Couldn’t get the bearhug off the floor, so I went with a cross carry off the floor and bearhug from a platform. Also tried some throws with the bag. The goodnews is, I’m so bad at throwing that I don’t have to worry about accidentally throwing it into the street, so I can practice this at home for now.

Got in a 45 minute walk after this, and cooked up a wonderful steak dinner for the family. Piedmontese filet mignon for my Valkryie, piedmontese center cut ribeye for myself and piedmontese grassfed sirloin bavette for the kiddo. All well received.

This was a decent pilot week for the program, but I did a poor job prioritizing my grip training. I need to make a point of bringing that in. Simply hanging from a bar will go far.

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5087

Love First Watch. Nice variety of protein sides for a breakfast/brunch place.

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5088

Definitely some solid choices there, but my family and I are pros, haha. I get the omelet, which comes with greens and toast. I substitute the fresh fruit for the greens and get my toast with the butter on the side. Valkyrie gets the “trifecta”, which is a waffle, eggs and meat. Kiddo get the chocolate chip pancake and meat.

All the food comes, and I give the kiddo my fruit for their breakfast sausage, and give the Valkyrie my toast in exchange for her eggs and sausage…and I keep the butter, haha.

In the end, I’ve got a plate of meat and eggs, Valkyrie has her waffle and toast, kiddo has the pancake and fruit, and we’re all happy.

9 Likes
5089

AM WORKOUT (0410 wake up via alarm)

PHYREXIAN DREADNOUGHT Phase 3, Week 2, Workout 1

10 minutes EMOM axle clean and strict press away w/136lb
2x5
1x3
1x2
6x3

SSB Front squats
4xBar
4x115
4x135
4x185
5x255
20x185

Hang from bar, chin every 30 seconds
2 minutes total, 3 chins accomplished (dropped at the 2 min mark, did not complete chin)

ASSISTANCE

3x10 standing ab wheel
15x115 Kroc row
25x115 SSB good morning
23xAverage Bands Axle Shrugs
50 band pull aparts
100 Poundstone curls w/axle
Neck Harness

BREAKFAST

Moderate walk w/dog

Notes:

  • Stupidly hot in the garage this morning. Multiple triple digit heat days in a row with high humidity. You can see how much sweat I’m accumulating, and I was able to wring out all my clothing when it was done. I imagine some of that had a fatiguing effect on me.

  • Original intention was to go 10x5 on the presses, but reality quickly hit me. Settled on triples. I can see Heburning this up: 10x3, then 1x4, 9x3. Then 2x4, 8x3. Etc. Just good to get in some volume. Everything else is going pretty well for me, but my pressing is falling off. I figure bodyweight is the biggest contributor there, but I also imagine I need more pressing volume than I do squatting/deadlifting volume. I think there may be something to the idea that the bigger/stronger muscles need less volume because they lift so much damn weight that they need more recovery, while the smaller muscles need more volume to make up for the lack of tonnage moved. Whenever I try to make things equal, it doesn’t work out.

  • Progress on the front squats. 2 reps on the heavy set and the widowmaker. Still dealt with bicep cramping on the heavy set. May need to try a different rack set up. Sweat also just made it slippery. Still good effort and effect.

  • Was good to bring in that Dan John special for the hang and chin. That should help with grip strength. My left elbow is feeling a little pissy, and I’m thinking not trying to push my chins on top of everything else is probably a solid idea. I’ll still get in volume where I can, but I need to keep the goal the goal and prioritize my ability to perform.

  • Lotta leftover time for assistance, so hit a lot of stuff. Those Poundstones were brutal at the end: just exhausted and had to fight for every rep after 30.

  • As I was walking yesterday, I was thinking about my goals. I’m really appreciating leaning out, primarily because it’s easy and I get nearly instant feedback on it. I eat less food, I get leaner. However, I know that, for my last strongman comp, I came in way too damn lean and didn’t have any of the strength I needed. In that regard, I think I’m going to keep leaning out for the remainder of this month, check what my bodyweight ends up at, and then allow myself to grow into the competition in September. I think I’m going to stick with the Dreadnought protocol, since it’s modular and working for my goals, but I can ramp up the good food to allow me to get a little stronger.

  • EDIT: Ended up getting in a few throws and doing another 2 minute hang drill with the chins. Gonna Easy Strength these things. That said, the feels like was 107 when I did it, so I was still pouring sweat.

  • Had my carb up meal tonight: first one in 2 weeks. Tuna Casserole and 4 of my wife’s homemade oatmeal peanut butter butterscotch chocolate chip cookies with some local raw cinnamon honey. Something that’s pretty cool since becoming fat adapted is that I actually DO experience satiety when I eat carb rich foods now. Before, the floodgates would open and I’d instinctively start binging once the sweet/carb taste hit my tongue, but now I slow down, enjoy/savor each bite, and when the meal is done, thought I COULD eat more, I walk away.

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5090

AM WORKOUT (0410 wake up via alarm)

2 minutes hanging from a bar, chin every 30 seconds (3 accomplished)
75 KB swings w/57.5lb bell
2.85 mile walk w/80lb vest (average pace 2.9mph)
65x270lb reverse hyper
50 band pull aparts

BREAKFAST

Moderate walk w/dog

Notes:

  • I’m moving slower on the walks these days. I’m going to attribute it to heat fatigue. We’re finally seeing a break in it. Yesterday, simply being in my garage for 5 minutes had me pouring sweat.

  • Opening up with the hang was a solid move. Really want to get the most I can out of my grip while I can. May need to start experimenting with hook grip and see what I can do there. 2 minutes has been my limit each time. I’m sure I can build up.

  • Swings AFTER the hangs was pretty interesting. Grip was fatigued so I had to use a lighter touch. Seemed to allow me to really focus on the hip drive.

  • This is, once again, such a lackluster training day yet exactly what I need it to be. It’s the most tonic workout I can do: reset the hips with swings, restore with the walk, bring up the back with the hypers.

  • Tang Soo Do tonight. “Wildcard/cardio” day. Should be some decent workout. Tomorrow I get to do my creativity hyung, which will be cool.

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5091

AM WORKOUT (0410 Wake up via alarm)

PHYREXIAN DREADNOUGHT Phase 3, Week 2, Workout 2

30 minutes EMOM

Round 1: 3x236lb axle zercher squat from floor
Round 2: 3x120lb weighted dip
Round 3: 3x55lb weighted NG chin
Repeat

Finish off with

Trap Bar Pull
18x405

ASSISTANCE
3x10 standing ab wheel
Lateral raise dropset (40x10lb, 40x5, 40x2.5, 40xEmpty Hands)
50 band pull aparts
50 band pushdowns
2:10 holding 225lb trap bar at lockout

Notes:

  • I’m in a weird spot with this workout, as I look forward to it because it’s the most consistent one of the bunch and I know what’s coming, but it’s also a total slog to get through. The EMOM keeps me honest, and these zerchers are definitely bringing up my everything. I think the Trap Bar chaser at the end is the most redeeming part of it. It’s like the dessert for the workout: I have to eat all my food off my plate before I get to have it, but the prospect of beating the log book on it each week is pretty awesome. This was a 1 rep PR, and puts me at 10 reps up from when I started, whereas the zerchers are up 10lbs from previous, dips are up 2.5lb, and chins are just wherever they fall on that particular day.

  • Had a little bit of right hip pain this morning, which I thought was going to make the zerchers suck, but they ended up alright. It showed up more on the trap bar: didn’t feel right until rep 7. You can see I’m cutting the lockout a little short prior to that moment. I know I have an issue that, when I’m chasing a particular rep goal, I’ll short the earlier reps to save myself for the later. Have to watch for that, but I’m satisfied enough with the effort. Didn’t run into the issue of wanting to vomit during the trap bar this time, so that’s a plus.

  • Assistance was light due to time, but got in the stuff I needed. I could have lasted a little longer on the trap bar hold, but I could feel my calluses starting to pull away, and I’m too early in the training cycle to deal with that nonsense.

  • Tang Soo Do last night was a decent workout. Lots of bodyweight stuff.

  • I actually went and pulled the trigger on a strongman grip shirt. Never thought I would, but Cerberus had a good deal on it, and I’ll admit that the design was just really cool. This should be good for my upcoming comp: between the axle and the carry, it will have some use, and I can see myself benefiting from it in my training as well.

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5092

AM WORKOUT (0410 wake up via alarm)

I’m going to narrate this one, because it was kind of involved. This was an events day sorta approach.

I took my 100lb keg, prowler and throwbag out to my prowler training space, that has a .05 mile straight away (which is about 265’ apparently)

I did this for 3 rounds: Walk the 100lb keg as far as I could carry it, turning when I’d hit the end of the straight away. Once I put the keg down, I’d run back to the start, take the throw bag, and throw it as many times as I needed to reach the keg. I’d then run back to the start, backwards drag the prowler to the keg, load the keg onto the prowler and backwards drag it back to the start, then run back to the throw bag and throw it back to the start.

The first round, I did a horizontal carry with the keg and made 1.25 full trips (so .125 miles traveled). Second round I tried a bearhug carry and only managed to get about halfway down the strip. Final round, I went back to the horizontal carry and managed to get all the way down and halfway back.

The bearhug carry seems non-viable for max distance: crushing my lungs while trying to carry something as far as I can doesn’t seem to work well for me. Additionally, we ARE allowed to re-lap the implement, as long as it doesn’t touch the ground, and the horizontal carry works better for me there. I’ll continue to train both styles still, but I’m finding my preference.

Had a real “ah hah!” moment with the throw bag and figured out how to let the bag’s weight throw ME through the 360 degree spin to generate more speed/momentum. It’s like riding a wave. That should be valuable for the future.

The backwards drags were nice. Always quad intensive, but sparing otherwise. My lower back was a little angry with me coming into this, most likely from some Tang Soo Do shenanigans, but at the end I was feeling pretty solid.

In general, I like all the stuff that was in this workout. Loaded carries, drags, and throws. Dan John would approve. It wasn’t terribly taxing on the conditioning, and I think for the future I’ll include some sort of burnout on it, but still easing into this and figuring it. Same reason I’m using such a light keg: I want to rebuild my ability to endure the suck first and THEN start going harder.

In that regard, I did pretty good on just plodding along for as long as I could. My initial run with the keg was over 4 minutes of carrying. Great impact on the grip too. The keg isn’t a sandbag, no, but the muscles involved in being miserable are the same.

Final Tang Soo Do class of the week is tonight. I’m taking the day off work tomorrow to take my kid out fishing and do some other stuff, so I’ll be able to sleep in.

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5093

Just did a MASSIVE write up of what I’ve been up to through the past 15 months. Lotta lessons learned.

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5094

Love that approach and sounded like a fun session. When you carry the keg do you carry it horizontal or n an angle where one hand is on the bottom ad the other on the top surface (hard to explain). I always found on an angle was easier. See pic below

image

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5095

He Pwn,

Very cool write up about your transformation!

I am thinking about picking muay thai back up in the future (not too intesive. 2 or 3 lessons a week, not going real hard).

Do you have some tips for combining lifting/conditioning and martial arts? I would like to continue lifting to be strong, and not just as S&C for muay thai

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5096

@T3hPwnisher, we had a brief discussion on Jamie Lewis’ feast famine ferocity. I’ve gathered all the information as far as nutrition and training with the exception of feast nutrition. Do you have it in this log?

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5097

@simo74 I’ve heard that referred to as “staggered grip”, and that’s the best one for me for carrying because it gets the keg out of the way of my hips compared to when I use an equal grip. But the latter is better for loading in my experience.

@Panopticum Thanks so much man! To clarify, in this situation, lifting is the primary goal and Muay Thai is just something on the side? Can be considered as conditioning? Understanding primary goal is helpful.

@believer423 When you ask “do you have it in this log?”, are you asking if I describe Jamie’s prescription for the Feast in this log, or my own specific approach to the Feast?

AM WORKOUT (0505 wake up via wife’s alarm)

PHYREXIAN DREADNOUGHT Phase 3, Week 2, Workout 3

Open with 1 minute of 176 axle continental and push press away (3)
Then 5 1 minute rounds of 155 axle continental and push press away (3-4-5-5-4 from what I recall)

ZENO Squats
5x315
3x315
2x315
1x315
5x275
3x275
2x275
1x275
21x225

2 1 minute hanging sessions

3x10 standing ab wheel
50 band pull aparts

Notes:

  • Slept in because I took the day off work to be with my kiddo and it’s been an awesome day.

  • Split the workout in half: got half done with the Valkyrie got ready for work, other half when she left. It was honestly hard to find the drive to start back up again, so I was delighted with how the Zeno squats turned out. God, this thing ALWAYS works: I REALLY need to quit quitting it. It’s just like ROM progression: any time I try something else, it’s just not as good.

  • Strugglebussing on the continentals today. Lower back was pretty stiff: think it was all the Tang Soo Do. Shirt was slippery as well. Maybe that grip shirt will be helpful. Once I got things in place though, I felt REALLY strong on the push presses. Starting to find my groove on them again.

  • Satisfied with the depth on the Zenos and the strength in general. Getting a 1 rep PR on the widowmaker at the end was awesome. Went back to my old trick of counting 5s vs straight to 20. It works.

  • Kept assistance work light, because I wanted to finish up before my kiddo got up. We had a great day together as a result. Got in a short walk with the dog. Didn’t get in my throws: was rained out.

  • Grip was fried when I tried to hang. Tested out hook grip. It kinda works: I’ll have to look into athletic tape on my thumbs to really maximize it.

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5098

Yes, muay thai would be for fun/conditioning, being big and strong would be the primary goal

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5099

@T3hPwnisher All I can find is 20 cal per pound of bodyweight. Ideally, looking for Jamie‘s version. I have a feeling you made it carnivore :slight_smile: