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

[T3hPwnisher]

AM WORKOUT (0320 natural wake up)

Axle continental and push press away
5xAxle
5x156
2x206 (1 rep PR from last week)
1x206

Axle clean each rep and strict press
19x156 in 6:20

GIANT SETS (press-dip-raise-pull): Sets 1 and 4: trap bar, 2 and 5: incline, 3 and 6: flat bench

Trap bar press
10x135
9x135

(3) Incline DB bench
10x85
8x85

Axle flat bench
10x235
7x235

Dips
6xFailure

Plate lateral raise
3x16x10lbs
3x15x10

Band pull aparts
6xFailure

25 pushdowns

Poundstone Curls
207xAxle

POST WORKOUT SHAKE

CONDITIONING:

10 minutes, AMRAP of

3 Axle clean and push press away w/156lbs
7 burpee chins

6 full rounds, timed out in the 7th

30 GHRs

Notes:

• My elbow legit felt like it split in half on the second rep of 206. Was the only thing preventing me from going for more, because other than that it was a good set. My continental has gotten faster. It’s legit just an issue of coming in to this “cold”. I can feel the issue mending over time, it’s just taking a while, primarily because I’m abusing it so frequently. Deadlift workout this week will most likely push it hard again, but we’ll see. The conditioning I’ve been including has been giving me a chance to groove in a few more reps.

• The strict presses afterwards were much more productive than last week. Smooth pop on the cleans and the pressing was strong. Actually went 5lbs heavier than I was supposed to, primarily because I didn’t want to use different plates.

• Giant sets felt pretty strong. Remembering all my tricks for benching.

• Garage is still an oven, and the heat is definitely making fatigue shine through. Really felt it on the conditioning. I was dying early in the second round. Made a point to minimize time between the last burpee and the first clean. Sometimes it robbed the presses, but met the goal of gassing me.

• ABCs later, prowler tomorrow, weather is supposed to cool down slightly.

• I am getting excited to gain again, which shows just how beneficial these breaks are, because I know I was sick of gaining when I was done. I feel my body just itching to grow, and it’s hard to shut it down so often. I’m the master of self-denial, but I recognize when the system is fired up. I went through and figured out the squat TM I wanna use for Beefcake. If I want to end my second cycle squatting 405 for 5x10 (and I really REALLY do), I’ll need a TM of 540lbs. That may mean using bare minimum reps, or 3s pro for the main work. Great time to learn some lessons.

[oldbeancam]

@T3hPwnisher

Garage is still an oven, and the heat is definitely making fatigue shine through. Really felt it on the conditioning. I was dying early in the second round. Made a point to minimize time between the last burpee and the first clean. Sometimes it robbed the presses, but met the goal of gassing me.

The heat makes it unbearable, but the sweat makes it that much worse. I go through about double the amount of chalk in the summer time because my hands are drenched

[T3hPwnisher]

@oldbeancam No joke! I meant to mention that one of the exciting x-factors for that stone of steel workout I was doing was how sweaty I was through it. REALLY made the surface slick.

---

PM WORKOUT

24 ABCs in 5 minutes w/24kg bells

Notes:

• I am really firing on all cylinders here. 24 in a tired/fatigued state is awesome. I definitely have some room to grow.

• I meant to mention that, this morning, I found a lat vein. This is when I’ve reached “this is getting stupid” levels of lean. Saw my second ab vein a few days prior as well. It’s all been nickel and dime changes getting me here.

[T3hPwnisher]

AM WORKOUT (0345 wake up via alarm) FASTED

8 rounds of

• Prowler harness pull w/90lbs loaded
• Run back to start
• 10 walking lunes w/24kg KBs, farmers walk remainder of distance to prowler

1 round of

• Prowler harness pull w/90lbs loaded there and back

Done in 41:55

POST WORKOUT SHAKE

Drive home, speed unload truck and do 21 ABCs in 5 minutes w/24kbg bells

Notes:

• Last night, the tornado sirens went off and we got weather alerts of 80mph winds. I was curious if prowling was even going to happen this morning based on weather, but the real significance of that is that I had a rough night of sleep. We got pelted with wind and hail, the aforementioned sirens, lightning, thunder, and my dog was shivering in the bed like a giant cellphone set to vibrate. A bit of comedy in that my alarm went off (I gave myself an extra 10 minutes to sleep in), my wife says “I’m just going to get some more sleep and train later”, I reply “Yeah, that’s the smart move” and then promptly get up and head out the door. At least I own it.

• The weather DID mess with the workout some. Traction was tough to get, and I was working hard on all those harnessed pulls. Definitely good for my truck pulling ability. Honestly, I needed to include the harness more in my prowler work, it’s just different, which is awesome. Jim Wendler talked about the value of pulling with a harness on.

• Lunges were a total circus act on the slippery parking lot.

• Cut out the lunges/carries on the final part of the workout for the sake of time. It was a good finish to just pull for all I was worth.

• Ending with the ABCs is still clutch. Getting in 21 in the state of fatigue I was in was a solid win.

• Tang Soo Do is on the radar tonight. It’s one-steps, so I’m telling the Mrs to watch me tap early and often. My elbow is feeling better. Not 100%, but moving in the right direction, and getting cranked on is NOT what it needs right now.

[T3hPwnisher]

AM WORKOUT (0330 natural wake up)

Log clean and strict press away
5xLog
5x120
5x150
5x170
2x200
4x200

Axle clean and strict press away
14+6+6x141 (12 deep breaths between sets)

GIANT SETS (press/dip-dip-raise-pull) Odd sets BtN press, Even sets dips, 75 seconds between sets

Behind the Neck Press
2x10x120
9x120

Weighted dips
2x10x92.5
9x92.5

Dips
6xFailure

DB lateral raise
4x13x20
2x12x20

Band pull aparts
6x15

20 standing ab wheels
40x90 Reverse hyper
25 pushdowns
Neck work

POST WORKOUT SHAKE

CONDITIONING:

7 rounds of
• 3 Axle clean and push press away 156lbs
• 7 burpee chins

In 10:30

Notes:

• Head spins were an issue for log this morning. Came near passing out on both the topsets. Heat is most likely screwing around with my electrolytes. I’m also eating less food, which means fewer opportunities for salt intake. Something to watch for. Managed to get redemption in the follow-up axle sets and the supplemental work.

• I am hit and miss logging the fact that I’ve reduced my rest times on the giant sets from 90 seconds to 75. It’s only 15 seconds, but it definitely makes a difference.

• Still a fan of that conditioning workout. I made it a point to go straight from the burpees to the clean, and straight from the clean to the push press. My “Monument to Non-Existence” is teaching me the value of killing transition times. The difference between a clean right after a burpee vs a clean 15 seconds after a burpee is a BIG difference.

• I torqued my elbow minorly in Tang Soo Do last night but it seems to have bounced back quicker. I’m healing, but slowly.

• In that regard, planning on an audible tomorrow for deadlift day. Last week, the max effort pull ripped my elbow in half. I’m not going to get stronger between now and the comp, and this has already been a great cycle for my pull, so instead of trying to take 475+chains for a ride, I’m thinking of settling in with 405 and going for max reps.

• ABCs on the agenda for later

[Sam2]

@T3hPwnisher

10 minute EMOM

Every minute, so 2 Stone of Steel to shoulder (alternate sides), then KB front squats w/24kg bells. Start with 8 front squats, then 7, 6, etc. On round 9, it boils down to 2 SoS to shoulder, rest the remainder of the minute, finish out w/2 SoS to shoulder

I borrowed this idea for my conditioning yesterday and really liked it (“liked it” may be the wrong choice of words but it definitely had the desired effect!)

[T3hPwnisher]

Outstanding dude! Like is definitely a weird word for it, but I get you. I really appreciate it for what it is, and it’s definitely going to be a regular feature moving forward. Glad it found you well.

[T3hPwnisher]

Let’s do a quick headspace check-in why not.

• I am excited about my upcoming competition. I am excited THAT I am excited. I genuinely thought I was done with the sport and the passion had died, but this competition is exactly what I’ve needed. It is local, the events have been a mystery (I still don’t know what it is that I’m doing come the 25th) and, in turn, I haven’t been able to train specifically for it. I’ve enjoyed being able to just do whatever I want to do and plan to just show up and do my best. To the point that I’m going to train regularly leading up to the day of. Considering that, the VERY next day, I fly out for a work trip that then ties into some vacation time in San Diego, leaving me at about 10 days without the weights (unless I sneak in something quick in between my return home and my flight out the next morning), I’ll get plenty of time off AFTER the comp.

• I am NOT excited about weighing myself FOR this competition. I had gone so long without doing it I didn’t realize just how toxic having that number in my life had been. In general, I find I just greatly dislike numbers these days. I don’t like answering questions about how long my training takes/will take, how many reps/sets, how often, how much, etc etc. I find all of that confining and limiting, and, ultimately, I start bending to the numbers. Brian Alsruhe talks about how he doesn’t wear a fitness tracker because he’s the kind of guy that would get up at 0300 and go walk up and down the stairs to make sure he “got his steps”, and I’m the same way. My binary nature makes it such that I can either have ALL numbers or NO numbers, but moderation is a struggle.

• But, in that regard, I’ll have no issues making weight at my current projection. Even on my “heavier” weigh ins, I’ve been underweight, and that was a non-fasted weigh in as well. Which is good, because my goal upon starting strongman was to never put my family through a weight cut.

• Snack plan for the day of is a reflection of how much my life has changed. Used to be I’d go through a box of Pop-Tarts and some minidonuts and uncrustables. Now, plan is to bring some Finibars that have been hanging out in my basement for just the right opportunity, along with some protein and keto bars, a jar of sunflower butter, and enough caffeine to kill a flock of hummingbirds.

• I’m also excited to start eating to gain again. Psychologically, it’s hard to spend so much time/effort training knowing that it’s not “building”. Intensification helps, because I get the novelty of realizing all that strength I built, but nothing will beat the sensation of feeling myself grow with every meal and every rep.

[creative_name]

@T3hPwnisher

I am NOT excited about weighing myself FOR this competition. I had gone so long without doing it I didn’t realize just how toxic having that number in my life had been. In general, I find I just greatly dislike numbers these days.

I relate to this a lot. Especially during my wrestling season, being on a scale multiple times a day just gets grating. Sort of a necessary evil with a weight class sport though, I guess.

I recognize that I’m the exact sort of person who’d stumble headlong into disordered eating if I overdo the tracking/weighing side of things, so it’s always a fine line to walk.

@T3hPwnisher

burpee chins

Is the chin-up itself part of the jump here, or do you jump to the bar and then do one?

[T3hPwnisher]

Wrestling and combat sports definitely show their hand in me in this regard, haha. And at the time, it was so normal to be weighing myself 3+ times a day, but once I stopped, I realized how much it took away.

@creative_name

Is the chin-up itself part of the jump here, or do you jump to the bar and then do one?

I’m afraid I don’t understand the difference. This is a burpee chin

Burpee pull ups

For my current set-up, the bar is too low to jump to, so I do a 5 count burpee rather than a 6 count, but when I have a set-up that allows for the jump, I jump to the bar.

[creative_name]

@T3hPwnisher

I’m afraid I don’t understand the difference

Probably could’ve phrased it better, but the video got the point across. Thanks.

[T3hPwnisher]

Definitely dude! I feel it’s the logical “evolution” of the burpee. It makes it REAL full body, and is just the perfect compliment to just about everything. If I need an all-in-one bang for my buck bodyweight workout, it’s what I go for. ONLY issue is that it’s easy to dog it if you choose to. Long gaps between burpees, or between the jump up and the jump, or the landing and the next one. Have to do your best to keep yourself honest.

[T3hPwnisher]

PM WORKOUT (1800)

25 ABCs in 5 minutes w/24kb bells

Notes:

• Hitting 25 so consistently is bonkers. I was fatigued and hurting AND, in the 4th round, I got 4 instead of 5 before setting down the bells to breathe…which meant I had to get SIX in the final round. I did in the very last second, which tells me that 26 is absolutely viable with this approach.

• Bar is loaded for deads for tomorrow. Champing at the bit.

• @boilerman I found my NEW favorite Piedmontese product

I totally dug the traditional all beef hot dog, but I had these tonight and they are absolutely superior. Less greasy, just full on flavor. The Mrs gave it the ultimate vote in saying “I can’t taste the difference”, which is a win when comparing grain and grassfed, haha. Definitely going to make these a regular feature come my growing time.

And yes, I realize I’m TOTALLY a cheap date, haha.

[boilerman]

Oh no. More stuff I want to try, haha. I’m getting my box of stuff on Monday, maybe there will be some in there!

[T3hPwnisher]

AM WORKOUT (0320 Natural wake up)

Texas deadlift bar touch and go deadlifts
5x155
2x225
1x315
15+4+4x405 (12 deep breaths between sets)

Rest pause deadlifts: 15+4+4x405

12 rounds EMOM: Odd minute deficit deads, even minute SSB squats

(3) Deficit deadlifts
3x8x315
3x7x315

SSB Squats
3x8x205
3x7x205

Unbroken circuit: Shrug-shrug-pull-neck-hyper-abs (no rest between movements)

Axle shrug against short strong bands
1x42

KB kelso shrugs
15x24kg

50 Band pull aparts

Neck work

Reverse hyper
45x360

30 Standing ab wheel

50 dips
25 pushdowns
30 GHRs

POST WORKOUT SHAKE

CONDITIONING:

15 rounds EMOM

First 10 rounds:

• 2 Stone of Steel to shoulder
• 5 burpee chins

Last 5 rounds

• 2 SoS to shoulder
• 4-3-2-1-5 burpee chins

Notes:

• Going for max reps 405 was absolutely the correct call. My elbow was ever so slightly achy this morning, but feels great post workout, whereas last week I about tore it in half going for a heavy max effort pull. 15 for a topset is a bit hard to swallow knowing my previous PRs, but I keep remembering that this is a first thing in the morning pull, practically no warm-up, practically fasted. In that frame, it’s f**king phenomenal, and I’m proud to say I can do that.

• The pride continues with that first EMOM workout, getting 3x8 and 3x7. I cannot express how challenging that pairing is, and highly recommend folks give it a go if possible. The heart does flip-flops.

• Still using that new shrug technique and still digging it.

• Conditioning was similar to what I did earlier in the week with the KB front squats swapped with burpee chins. Got me some more back work in. I was finishing each round with a little less than 10 seconds left, and after 10 minutes could no longer “beat the clock”, so transitioned to the countdown. Absolutely mauled me, and the elbow still felt strong, so I got in some loading practice.

• Stepped on the scale after my shower and was 183.6. Given I had my hot dogs last night, that’s an awesome weigh in, and I saw separation in my abs that looked like an anatomy chart, so I know that the scale doesn’t tell the full story.

• ABCs and Tang Soo Do tonight. I’m working a late shift on Saturday, which will throw things off ever so slightly schedule-wise, but not terribly so. Contemplating making burgers for Father’s day.

[T3hPwnisher]

PM WORKOUT (1725)

25 ABCs in 5 minutes w/24kg bells

Notes:

• So now this is apparently just something I do. That’s pretty awesome. In fact, in “getting after it” history, I came home at 1715, where my wife had a Jimmy John’s turkey unwich waiting for me, I wolfed it down, shucked off my work clothes, hit the ABCs, stumbled into the house, threw on my dobak and left for Tang Soo Do by 1732. Hell yeah.

[T3hPwnisher]

Slept off and on until 0630 and hit the following workout fasted

5 minutes of ABCs w/24kg bells (23 complexes done)
5 minutes of burpee chins (32 reps)
3 minutes of ABCs w/24kg bells (9 complexes)
Burpee chins until 50 reps complete

Total time: 15:30

Plan to get in Monoument to Non-Existence II, and then I work a late shift tonight, so things get a little wonky from there.

[simo74]

That sounds like 15 mins of pure hell. Did my first session with my plastic barrel today and it gave me a new perspective on your own keg work. I am now more certain than ever that you may be part cyborg.

[T3hPwnisher]

@simo74 It was definitely a great way to kickstart a Saturday! Absolutely appreciate the sentiment: love watching you get after it as well. Your kids are fortunate to have such a positive physical role model.

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PM WORKOUT (1330)

“Monument to Non-Existence II”

18x225 front squat
18x225 squat
18x225 SSB squat
18x225 deadlift

Monument to Non-existence II: 18X225 Front squats, 18x225 squats, 18x225 SSB squats, 18x225 deadlift

Immediately mow the lawn for 50 minutes

Notes:

• This one was THE gut check. You can see me pause on the third rep of front squats, and that’s because I came VERY close to blacking out and dumping the bar. The bar slipped on the 18th rep, which you can see in the video as I zercher-rack dump it. And then those SSB squats…it’s been a LONG time since I felt like quitting THAT hard in the middle of a workout. Took a LOT of lies and Jedi-mind tricks to get through that. The deads were surprisingly gentle: probably because I had yesterday’s workout to compare it to. THIS is the workout: I NEED this.

• I am VERY proud of how quick I transitioned between movements on this one. No playing with the belt, no feeling sorry for myself: just charge ahead.

• Night shift on the radar. Will probably hit a short workout right before I head out, just to get my body primed for activity.

Oh geeze, how could I forget this amazing photo of dinner tonight

Piedmontese sirloin, egg whites, sautéed onions, mashed cauliflower, romaine salad, air fried zucchini, local sweet corn, tomatoes. Just amazing.

[tlgains]

I’m only assuming but whatever song is playing in the background has to be from a snes game or something. Kind of off topic, but it’s awesome how to listen to video game music dude, I do as well but I’m pretty self-conscious about it.

Love the dinner too pic, it’s veggie…uhhh… veggie tastic!