Alright, I’ve had some downtime on this work trip and it gave me a chance to plot out my return to training with BBB Beefcake to kick off.
Some things I’m stealing from my previous training phase: I’m going to lean off the week with squats, then do press, then BENCH, then deadlift to finish out the week. I do this for my intensification block and it just makes so much more sense to me. Lot of space between the squat and the dead that way, and I have the weekend to recover from the deadlift.
Between press and bench, I intend to do a prowler workout. Having found a space for the prowler has been a game changer, and it’s just the ultimate conditioning tool. When weather shows up, I can run “Snakehandler mass” instead, or some equivalent terrible WOD.
The day after deadlifts, I want to keep up with “Monument to Non-existence” It’s only 10 minutes, it absolutely floors me, and it gets in volume on movements that I deem to be valuable, ESPECIALLY in a gaining phase.
The day after that (typically a Sunday), I’d endeavor to get in some manner of weighted vest walk. Since that day and the day before would be my weekends, I’d kickstart the day with some manner of fasted conditioning as well, but that’s more ad hoc based on when I wake up and what the schedule is for the day.
I intentionally let daily work slide while I was in the diet break/fat loss, but it’ll come back in full form while gaining. 50 chins, 50 dips, 40 Reverse Hypers, 30 GHRs, 20 standing ab wheels, 50 pull aparts, 50 pushdowns and neck work. In addition, I will keep up the 5 minutes of ABCs daily until something shiny comes along, but I think 4-5 minutes of some sort of daily quick conditioning burnout is a fantastic bad idea.
As for the workouts themselves…
SQUAT DAY
On my squat day, main work will be a giant set of 5s pro squats, jumps and meadows rows. Rows are going to be a big feature in this plan, as they get de-prioritized later.
BBB work will be the usual. My goal would be to finish the second cycle doing 5x10 with 405. That just sounds fantastic.
Going to bring belt squats back in for a finisher. Having the landmine already set up for meadows makes this easy.
Reverse hyper and heavy abs to conclude
Conditioning could be a sandbag EMOM, swings and burpee chins, Tabearta, or whatever else fits the bill
PRESS DAY
Main work will be 5s pro and rotate between 3 approaches. On 3s week, I’ll use an axle and clean the first few reps of the set (1-5). On the 5s week, I’ll do log vipers. On the 1s week, clean once and press away. I may throw a superset of chins into this as well.
Supplemental work will be BBB. Thinking clean each rep on the 3s week, log vipers on the 5s, clean once and press away on the 1s. On the 1s week, I’ll superset rows when I’m done, whereas for the other weeks I’ll count the clean as the rowl.
Assistance will include shrugs against bands and Poundstone curls
Conditioning could be Grace, my Clean and Press/burpee chin workout, Cluster Bomb, Tabearta, or whatever else fits the bill.
BENCH DAY
Main work is 5s pro. 3s week, pause the first few reps. 5s week, pause every rep. 1s week, touch and go. Same approach with the BBB work.
BBB work will superset w/t-bar rows.
Assistance will feature my lat raise stripset and possibly a DB incline stripset.
Conditioning will be the same choices as press day.
DEADLIFT DAY
Main work is 5s pro. 3s week is a power bar, 5s week an axle, 1s week a Texas deadlift bar.
BBB work may alternate w/weighted dips for the 3s and 5s week. 1s week gets to be special.
Kroc rows and reverse hyper/heavy abs for assistance.
I’d like to include that Stone of Steel to shoulder/front squat workout I’ve been doing with this, either as more supplemental work or as a conditioning workout. Other conditioning choices would be some sort of swing/burpee chin combo or whatever else needs doing.
I’m liking how this looks for now. Only TM I know for sure would be setting squats to 520 so I can get my 405 BBB squat at the end of the second cycle. On that note, I’m thinking of going from 5s pro to 3s pro or bare minimum reps for the second cycle. That worked well last time.
This is clutch. Gotta remember it. Original plan was just Devil Presses and clusters, but I realized with my schedule today traveling home I might not be able to fit in the ABCs, so opened with them. Otherwise, to get the 40, after the 3 minute round you can go back to 5s of Devil Presses and 5s of Clusters and try to beat your previous mark.
I’ve gotten the hang of the DB front squat after so much exposure, which went a long way on those clusters.
Really just hammers everything. Solid hotel workout.
I can’t believe I forgot to list the most exciting part about this plan: I will be breaking out the Surge for this. I am PRIMED for an anabolic rebound: my body is champing at the bit for some growth. This should be pretty awesome.
I’m pretty pumped to see what you can do!!
Hey if I was going to run beefcake coming off a bit of a cut should I test maxes and go with a 85% training max or test a 10rm and reverse engineer it?
I haven’t known my 1rm since 2012, haha. I have just been using a training max since that time.
My approach has been to take a TM, plug it in, look at the numbers and, if I say “oh f**k…game on”, I go for it. If ita “oh f–k, thats impossible”, I lower it.
Yeah that’s kinda what I’ve been looking at myself. Just doing some calculations and it’s either a yeah I can do that or aww hell no!! I guess if you go too light to start you can always add on next cycle. Too heavy and you will know first week if your doing 3/5/1.
That was awesome getting to see your Strongman competition and get a glimpse inside of your head with that insightful write up! I’m impressed with how many different things you tackle in your training; conditioning, physique, strength, power… you’re a testament to what guts, Fortitude, and hard work can do for a person’s physicality. Additionally your mental strength and competitive nature are what truly make you a champion. I love the work I’ve seen you put in over the last year and a half I’ve been here and it’s so cool to see the fruits of that Training manifesting itself in competition. While weight cutting no less! I’m super impressed and excited to see where you go from here.
@davemccright huge props my dude, and very much appreciated. Game recognizes game, and you are growing into something fierce. I will clarify that I wasn’t weight cutting for this though. That’s something I havent done for strongman. Did it for powerlifting and MMA: won’t do it here. But this contest timed out perfectly with my 7 week diet break/fat loss. Next one, I will see where my weight falls. Especially with the new nutrition. It’s wild how my body doesn’t seem able to get below 185 now: definitely a good sign.
Just use the rep calculation of weight x reps x .0333 + weight. So, obviously, we use your 301 reps of 135, and voila, your 1RM is just shy of 1500 lbs.
@flappinit Hah! And 365 now! Oh my Thanksgiving this year is going to be nuts.
Came back home yesterday, unpacked and repacked to travel out to San Diego, got up at 0330 and hit up a fasted 5 minutes of ABCs with my 24kg bells. Got in 23. IT bands on both sides feel a little inflammed, but otherwise smooth.
Just gonna narrate this one. There’s a set of concrete stairs by my folks place. It’s 50 stairs with a landing every 5th stair.
I did 11 rounds in 19:45 of
10 burpees
Run up the stairs
5 prisoner squats at the top
Run back down
From there, I did 2 rounds where from the bottom, I did 5 burpees, ran up to the first landing, 5 prisoner squats, run up a landing, 5 burpees, keep alternating. When I got to the top, I’d do 5 burpees, then repeat the pattern going down each landing.
I finished those 2 rounds at a time of 29:45, at which point, I finished it off with one final run up the stairs
Great little metabolic hit first thing in the morning using what I had available. KBs are supposed to arrive later today, but until then I have lots of resources.
Also, got in a 1 mile run and 2 mile walk yesterday with the Mrs.
