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

Training Training Logs
1505

Ok excellent! They do seem like a great 1-2 punch for mass gain. I’ll try to take this week to find my training maxes and think about which program I really need right now.

I really enjoyed the BBB Challenge I did a few months ago, and it really feel like I made some monster progress on that, and like you are now, I was just hitting the minimum reps every session on the main lift. Yet, all of my maxes were climbing like crazy during the period. I’m sure with the amount of size you’re about to gain, your strength will be shooting up just insanely!

3 Likes
1506

The idea of just leaning out too easy really appeals to me as a former fat kid, and still relatively fat adult! I follow your training pretty closely, so I have a good idea, but if you have to give a roadmap to having a furnace as a metabolism, what would it be?

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1507

@mr.v3lv3t Grilled, sauteed, roasted, hell, even raw when they’re quality. After spending so many winters in VERY Northern North Dakota, I’ve really grown to appreciate fresh veggies. I’m secretly a carnivore diet enthusiast, I think the idea seems cool, but I can’t see myself giving up vegetables. Too much good stuff.

@davemccright I’m excited to see how it pans out for you. For me, maximal strength is just SO far off my radar that it’s a non-entity. I chased after that in my 20s, it was fun, but juice just isn’t worth the squeeze right now. I’m at a weird point in my psychology where numbers not only no longer excite me, but they honestly upset me. “How much do you squat?” Who cares: I wanna see how far beyond my limits I can push A weight with squats. I don’t care how much is on the bar: let’s see how far into the redzone I can push. Which was one of those things I liked about Building the Monolith: I’d take the widowmaker sets on day 3 and make them “true” widowmakers. It would be a different weight each week and I had no rep goal whatsoever: I’d just go until I couldn’t.

@Panopticum Appreciate you swinging by. It’s not about having a furance as a metabolism: it’s about the fact that NOT eating will always be easier than eating. One is inaction, whereas the other is action. To eat means to obtain food in some manner, consume it, clean up (assuming you aren’t an animal), and eventually digest and pass it. To not eat is to…not do any of that. When I was in San Diego, I was simply too busy to eat. We were always moving, always doing something, and so I did the easy thing and simply didn’t eat.

The other half of that would be, when given the opportunity to eat, don’t eat until fullness. Walk away from a meal still a little hungry. Which, again, is easier than stuffing yourself. It’s DOING less.

What really helps is having experience trying to gain muscle when your body DOESN’T want it. THAT is such hard work. You train until you blow out blood vessels, and then you force food into you to beat your body into growth. After enough of that, the fat loss is a vacation. FINALLY: we can ease off the throttle a little

AM WORKOUT (0335 wake up via alarm)

BBB BEEFCAKE Week 1, Workout 3

MAIN WORK

Axle clean and strict press away (plate change rest)
5xAxle
3x141
3x161
3x181 (continental)

SUPPLEMENTAL WORK

Axle clean and strict press (90 seconds rest between sets/superset all w/10 band pull aparts)
10x141 (clean each rep)
10x141 (clean first 9, press away)
10x141 (clean first 8, press away)
10x141 (clean first 7, press away)
10x141 (clean first 6, press away)

Total time: 18:30

From last set of press, go straight into assistance

ASSISTANCE WORK

Dips into pushdowns into hypers into abs into lunges into neck

Dips (stripset)
7x100lbs
4x75
4x50
7x25
22xBW (rest pause as needed)

25 pushdowns (10 w/monster mini, 15 w/mini)

Reverse hypers
40x90

20 standing ab wheels

Front rack KB lunges
10x24kg

Neck work

Poundstone curls
210xAxle

POST WORKOUT SHAKE

CONDITIONING

“LOST IN TRANSLATION”

As Many Rounds As Possible in 12 minutes of

  • 3 Axle Clean Each Rep And Push Press w/136
  • 7 Burpee chins

7 full rounds accomplished, time expired on the 1st burpee chin of the 8th round

30 GHRs

Notes:

  • First night in a long time that I slept until the alarm. A good sign.

  • Main work went decent. I’m satisfied with the TMs. 180 was heavy but something I could move. Rest was kept short due to time. Not much pop on the cleans first thing in the morning: noticed the difference when compared with later work.

  • I like the compromise I’ve come up with for the supplemental work for this week. 5s week will clean each rep, 1s week will be vipers, this allows for a little bit of everything. And it’s still a great metabolic hit taking the weight off the floor so many times.

  • Was good to get in some heavy dips on the assistance side. I really appreciate that movement. Another one of those things I’d focus on when my priorities change.

  • Lunges thrown in as a nice to have. Feel like it’s good to keep the single leg stuff in wherever I can. My legs feel absolutely nuked, so it’s been good to keep the bloodflow in.

  • The Poundstone curls are where I think I’ve experienced my first “Surge experience”. Typically, I get to about 120-130 reps and need to stop and recover, but this time I blew all the way through the full 210. Felt a degree of local muscular endurance I wasn’t used to. Perhaps the stuff works best with the bodybuilder-esque work.

  • I’ve come up with a cute name for this conditioning workout now, because it dawned on me that I’m doing “Floor to overhead” in 2 different styles. I’m taking a weight from floor to overhead, and then I transition my body from floor to overhead. Both are “right”, depending on context. Changed it up a little by cleaning each rep and using less weight. Also used a full grip instead of thumbless. Really focused on slashing time between the final burpee and the first clean. It’s just solid work: I was hurting.

  • ABCs are all I have left on the radar.

11 Likes
1508

The psychological switch that gets flipped when I’m gaining is wild that I have small concerns that I may have develop some form of manic/depression. I know I’m far more “down” when I’m losing, but I am also now SUPER tooled up about training. I’m excited to train, which isn’t to say that I’m ENJOYING the training, but the prospect of growing has me eager to get after it. I just wrote over 2000 words on the subject of gaining over on reddit, and I’ve been brain storming the prowler workout for tomorrow.

I’m going back to my roots and bringing back the strongman medley. The Kettlebells have been awesome to me, but I want something different. I plan to throw the prowler AND a keg into the truck tonight and do a LONG prowler drag/push of some variety, run back to start, LOOOONG keg carry, repeat until the valkyries arrive.

I cannot wait to see how much misery I can bring with that keg. I may even just do a keg day one day where I carry it as far as I can for 40 minutes.

Big thing is I have to remember I’m coming back from 10 days “off”. It’s too easy to just run myself into the red.

7 Likes
1509

Don’t forget to turn around at 20 minutes…lol

4 Likes
1510

Brian Alsruhe actually has a great challenge workout with that premise.

Carry as far as you can for 10 minutes. Rest for 3. Carry it back a further distance.

In my case, distance would be pacing a parking lot, so I’d be going for max laps, but at one point it doesn’t matter: you’re going on a vision quest, haha.

3 Likes
1511

Now you are making me think about taking my green barrel for a long walk. I really dislike you sometimes :wink:

2 Likes
1512

From one of his “Corona” books was a similar challenge, iirc it was 10 minutes of walking lunges, rest two minutes, try and beat your number in 8 minutes. Funny thing about it was, I came pretty damn close to accomplishing that goal and probably would have if I went for a 9th minute.

1 Like
1513

@simo74 The best part about taking gear for a walk is you want to get it back home somehow. Good incentive not to quit!

@mr.v3lv3t Brian has SO many good bad ideas. I need to pick up some of his conditioning books.

PM WORKOUT (1700)

26 ABCs in 5 minutes using 24kg bells

Notes:

  • Absolutely was NOT feeling this workout, which tends to be when I shine. Funny that. I’m walking around like a toy solider. Legs nuked.

  • On that note, this is what trouble looks like

4032×3024 3.57 MB

Let’s go

7 Likes
1514

I’d suggest his Corona and Corona 2 programs for a purely conditioning hit.

I have a whole mess of them and there’s some great ideas in the other programs, but those two are 100% conditioning focused.

I stopped by your blog and it dawned on me I hadn’t been there in quite a while. Some great entries to catch up on. Really appreciated the Suffering and Moped vs. Spaceship pieces.

1 Like
1515

How heavy is that keg ?

1 Like
1516

@mr.v3lv3t Much appreciated dude. He released some pure conditioning books recently as well from what I remember. He’s really churning out some stuff. And glad you’ve enjoyed those recent pieces I wrote! Been a good time for writing.

@simo74 Last time I weighed it (which was over 5 years ago), it was right around 100lbs. Good chance it’s grown a little heavier as the sand absorbs the local humidity.

AM WORKOUT (0327 Natural Wake Up) FASTED

CONDITIONING

Prowler loaded w/90lbs
100+lb keg
Distance: Unknown, but FAR. Length of a very sizable parking lot. Far enough that, 3/4 of the way through I say “f**k me how far IS this?!”

  • High handle push the prowler
  • Run back to start
  • Carry keg to the prowler, press keg overhead
  • Backwards drag prowler back to start
  • Run back to keg
  • Carry the keg back to start, load onto tailgate of truck, unload

That’s 1 round

I did 4 full rounds, and then did a high handle push straight into a reverse drag back to start, finishing at 40 minutes on the dot

From there, went 2 full minutes of loading and unloading the keg into the tailgate of the truck. Got 20 reps in.

Slammed an egg white and protein shake, drove home (3 minute drive) and sped unloaded the truck, straight into

  • 23 ABCs in 5 minutes w/24 keg bells (Going EMOM, I went 5-4-5-4-5)
  • 15 minute daily work circuit: 5 chins-5 dips-2 standing ab wheels, EMOM do 2 Double KB snatches w/24kg bells, once 10 rounds is done, do 50 band pull aparts, 25 pushdowns, 40 reverse hypers w/90lbs, then head down to the basement and get 30 GHRs done

Notes:

  • This was pretty awesome. It’s got some legs. I’m remembering being a strongman, but I appreciate the spin I’ve given it. Something I never cared for in medleys was the break between them. Running it continuously like this is solid. It’s got elements of “Last Castle” in it too.

  • Made it a goal to never set the keg down on the carries. The prowler had some stops, but the keg was always carried.

  • The tailgate load is pretty low, but still nice to mix up the stimulus a touch on this. Solution next time might be some level change work. Burpee onto the keg and THEN load it.

  • If I REALLY get froggy, I might bring out more toys and lined them up along the path to switch up the stimulus. Carry the keg half the distance, then pick up some farmers or KBs or something else. Lots of room to play around with variety.

  • That return home conditioning circuit is a great cherry on top. ABCs after all this work is always an eye opener, and I’m glad I got in all my daily work, as now all I have left is Tang Soo Do tonight.

  • No Surge because I’m sticking with my principles of conditioning being done fasted, but next time I might just pack the Surge to have AFTER the conditioning work. That should actually work out well.

8 Likes
1517

My green thing is around 90lbs, so hearing the weight of yours, you have now unknowingly (or maybe you did know because you sometimes seem to read my deepest thoughts) convinced me that walking up and down for 10 mins followed by a 3 min break and then another 10 mins is the workout I must do this weekend.

1 Like
1518

I’ve been running the ABCs in 5 minutes and I’m enjoying it. Doing it with 16s just to get myself battle worthy

One thing I can’t shake about the tabata style KB sessions is the adrenaline and fear that overwhelm your body while performing them

3 Likes
1519

@simo74 Outstanding dude: can’t wait to hear how it goes!

@ChongLordUno Hell yeah! There’s something empowering about being able to determine WHEN you experience the 5 worst minutes of your day. No matter the weight used, 5 minutes on those ABCs is going to be brutal. And combined with the sheer insanity you’re bringing with the rest of your training, I know it’s transforming you into something horrifying.

AM WORKOUT (0317 natural wake up)

BBB BEEFCAKE Week 1, Workout 4

MAIN WORK

Axle Bench Press
5xAxle
3x156
3x211
3x246
3x271

50 chins total accomplished in between sets, plate change rest periods

SUPPLEMENTAL WORK

Axle bench press
5x10x211

  • Pause the first 5 reps of the first set, then press away. First 4 of the second set, First 3 of the third, etc.

SUPERSET w/

Head supported bent over double KB rows
5x12x24kg

  • 90 seconds of rest between sets, forgot to check total time after last set, but it was 20 minutes and 20 seconds after I finished up my dips (more on that later), so well within time. On that note, I went straight from the last set of the rows into my assistance work.

ASSISTANCE WORK

Dips into raises into pushdowns into pull aparts into hypers into abs into neck

Dips (stripset, no rest)
3x105
3x80
3x55
4x30
37xBW (rest pause as needed)

Lateral raise stripset (no rest)
20x20lbs
20x10
20x5
20x2.5
20xEmpty hands

25 pushdowns

50 pull aparts

Reverse hyper
40x90

20 standing ab wheels

Neck harness work

30 GHRs

POST WORKOUT SHAKE

CONDITIONING

“BEAR CALVARY”

image
image700×560 75.9 KB

300 bodyweight dips. EMOM, do 2 Bear Complexes w/95lbs

Finished within 25 minutes

Notes:

  • Bench remains the day I’m the least excited about. Like taking my vitamins: I know it’s good for me, so I do it. 270 was heavier than it should have been, but my press ability tends to fall apart when I’m this lean. I can feel my shoulders being unstable in a LOT of what I do.

  • The pause bench strategy for the BBB work was absolutely perfect. 10th rep of all sets was a near grinder. Thanks once again Paul Kelso.

  • Original plan was t-bar rows, but I let laziness dictate the plan. Just didn’t want to set-up the landmine and compromise training floor space. The KBs answered the mail. I’m very much a “bodybuild the back” guy. I don’t need heavy weight: I focus on technique, contraction and squeeze. And if you look at my back, it works for me.

  • I woke up much earlier than usual this morning and this workout is on the shorter side, so it gave me a chance to really push on the conditioning. I came up with that evil little plan while drinking my shake. Wanted to get in more pushing volume and get some knee flexion but keep the hips/PC on the low side since tomorrow is a deadlift day. Also wanted something of a “so there” for the people that complain about the 200 dips in Buildnig the Monolith and “junk volume”. It honestly wasn’t terrible. I think a slightly heavier Bear complex might be the answer the next time. Or, or course, burpee chins. Level changes tend to be game changers, but I wanted to get in more dips.

  • On the above, allow me to say that I am, in fact, the monster under your bed. I will do a full bench workout and close it out with 300 dips, and you will watch me come back minute after minute to just keep slamming rep after rep. There is no stopping this.

  • On the Surge front, another round with the lemon drop. 20oz water, 1 serving, start it 15 minutes before the workout, finished around the 3rd set of supplemental work. I’m thinking next week I’ll go empty stomach surge only, and then, after that, go to 2 doses (1 before training, 1 during). Just ease my way into things.

  • ABCs are all that’s left for today.

9 Likes
1520

I honestly haven’t even thought about a second dose. I’ll definitely be curious your experience.
I like Surge a lot; I just haven’t felt a need for more.

1521

For sure dude. I’m looking at the dosage instructions they’re advocating for the challenge itself in that direction. Things may change as well depending on what I observe, but I’m trying to Dan John this and phase things in and out through the course of the journey.

It’s nice that I already have an established history with this program, so I can observe changes as they unfold.

1 Like
1522

Absolutely. Minimize variables

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1523

Just had the most amazing terrible idea that I need to log before I forget it: Malcolm X all the supplemental work for the 5s week. Go for time PRs.

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1524

Not sure what that is, now I’ve gotta look.

1 Like