Very nice. Killing it.
2 Likes
Thank you. I’m trying. 
1 Like
Same! I love walking Louie, but I’m bundled well beyond comfortably running, especially given that the boots that keep my feet warm and dry are not appropriate. Meanwhile, I’m loving my indoor workouts so much.
1 Like
12/7/25
5/3/1 The Triumvirate Circuit 2 Week 3
Training max 55 lb.
Ball throws 10# 3 x 15
Fire hydrants 3 x 15
Warm up
40%
50%
60%
Military press
40 lbs. 75% x 5
45 lbs. 85% x 3
52 lbs. 95% x 11 rep PR
Seated DB Press
15# 5 x 15
Pull-up 1, 1, 1
Chin-up 2, 2
I fixed this. I am now doing a proper military press.
I was unable to keep invasive thoughts out of my head during this session and as a result got no enjoyment from it. I’m hoping this doesn’t persist throughout the day. Maybe food prep and scrubbing down a bathroom will numb my brain enough to get through. If not maybe I will try a long walk or a run later.
6 Likes
Well I was certainly not suggesting you needed to. But again, no idea what your definition of military is in this case.
Content warning: the following is a brain dump. Feel free to skip if you aren’t interested. I really wouldn’t blame you. Lol
I’m in need of a brain dump. I’m not looking for advice (although it is always welcome), I just need to clear my brain and maybe gain some insight into my own thoughts.
I am completely torn between the desire to get a fuck ton stronger and the desire to be thin. This is extremely frustrating. In theory I am aware that I need to eat and gain some level of weight in order to gain muscle and strength. This makes perfect sense in my brain. Then I look at my food intake and the scale slowly drifting up. My brain goes into panic mode. I am aware that this is from years of conditioning to chase a number on the scale without regard for health. When I begin to panic, this knowledge is useless. It is making it extremely difficult to set proper goals. I have to force myself out of this thought pattern to be able to move forward. So, I need to remind myself that strength and health are the goals. I have to eat more to support the strength goals. I eat clean food so my diet is staying healthy (mostly) even if my calories are increased. Its ok if my body isn’t perfect. I look pretty good in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt which makes me pretty happy and my husband is a randy man who’s desire for me is limitless. I really couldn’t ask for much more. So, moral of the story is that I need to continue with a clean diet and eating to support strength gains. I will not be going for a cut goal in the challenge. I will be going for gains. My brain feels a little bit better. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
14 Likes
12/8/25
145 lbs.
Circuit workout
20 lb. Kettlebell swings x 15
20 lb goblet squats x 5 down to 1
Push ups on knees x 5 down to 1
3 rounds.
Took about 20ish minutes. It’s possible that I repeated the set of 3 twice on the second 2 rounds. Not sure why I can’t keep track when I get to 3. Probably distracted by the music. Either way I really enjoyed this. I’m glad I did my brain dump prior to my workout. It was nice to just lose myself in the work. Focused on the movement.
I very much liked that. Please feel free to send more.
6 Likes
I’ve been doing stages/phases, as I believe @unicornsandrainbows is. The three of us seem to be oriented similarly - to panic about weight while desiring strength and performance and also being hungry.
Here’s my weight since Jan 2024. I can tell you that my log at the higher weight reflects almost entirely positive attitude, with the exception of occasional “still 10 lbs over where I want to be.”
6 Likes
Glad you enjoyed the Humane Burpee! I’ll share some more Dan John goodness sometime for sure.
Regarding the gaining vs leaning thing, for myself, I make a policy to only use the scale when the goal is fat loss. During periods of gaining, I don’t track bodyweight, (baring my VERY recent [as in, as of a few months ago] forray into weight tracking, which honestly is a reflection of me getting a better relationship with the scale.) Instead, I focus on the number on the bar, and making IT go up, and then just eating so that it happens. And funny enough, when I do this, I’ll have some weeks where the weight stays the same or even trends down a little, but I’ve learned that, over enough time, the weight eventually tracks up without me needing to force it to happen. But this way, I only celebrate wins: I’m lifting more weight, hooray!
And then, when it’s time to lose fat, THEN I hop on the scale. And then I get to celebrate the wins of the scale dropping. And to complete the cycle, so that I don’t get bummed out by weight on the bar dropping, I’ll switch my lifts to new ones that I don’t have experience with, so I have no baseline to compare against. It’s like, if the deadlift from 405 to 385 during a fat loss phase, I’ll get freaked out and abandon the whole thing. But who knows what I’m “supposed” to do for a close stance deficit axle deadlift.
6 Likes
This is essentially how I’ve worked things during my 1st cut, build phase, and now 2nd cutting phase. I don’t think I clarified above where I posted my weight graph, but I did the '24 challenge to lose weight and shift more of my focus to strength, then when I got my weight to a comfortable place increased strength goals, started using the Girvan programs, and let myself gain. I didn’t mean to gain as much as I did, but it’s been a learning process for me. Still, my log, which I reviewed this morning, shows me happily building strength and only occasionally noting increased chub. I also noted in my log at the height of the regain that I was still feeling happy with my body visually compared to the very start of the graph. Able to see more muscle, feeling good, etc.
I’m ready to eat more again - my t-ransformation goal will be to get stronger. I would like to stay off the scale for that, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to.
3 Likes
This is where I struggle too. Unless I’m completely off the wagon. Then I avoid the scale like the plague.
1 Like
Not anymore!
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Same here!
2 Likes
We shall kill it together.
1 Like
Bet 
1 Like
Right there with you.
I found my self nodding along to every line of your brain dump. Gaining after so many cuts is a tricky mentally. I have to chant almost daily, abs are cool, running fast and picking up heavy things is cooler.
I understand the panic completely. This is week six of my gain, and I’m up 2lbs from starting weight. But it hasn’t been linear, I was holding steady for 5 weeks and have now shot up 2lbs. Which of course makes my brain go: “we are getting fat! Back off the calories!”
Yet I am also sitting here, the day after leg day, after lunch, chain chewing gum to keep myself from going to the food trucks a block away for a 2nd lunch.
3 Likes
12/9/25
5/3/1 The Triumvirate Circuit 2 Week 3
Training max 175 lb.
Warm up throws and fire hydrant kicks.
Trap bar Deadlift
130 lbs. 75% x 5
150 lbs. 85% x 3
165 lbs. 95% x 8
Good mornings
55 lb. 3 x 12
Sit-ups
5 lb. 3 x 15
Shortened my accessories as I had an extra early morning at work. Felt pretty good about my deadlift today. I’m feeling strong. Forgot to look at my innards when I got to work today. Something in my abdomen felt like it was currently or was trying to rip open while doing situps. So that was less fun than I would care for. I’m very much hoping that it isn’t my hernia trying to pull back open. I like all of my organs firmly within my abdominal cavity.
Anywho, today is a good day.
11 Likes
12/10/25
Circuit
Round 1:
Goblet squats 20 lbs. 5-1
Sit-up 5 x 10
Renegade rows 15 lbs 5-1
Round 2:
Goblet squats 20 lbs. 5 x 10
Sit-up 5-1
Renegade rows 15 lbs 5-1
Round 3:
Goblet squats 20 lbs. 5-1
Sit-up 5-1
Renegade rows 15 lbs 5 x 10
Got a good sweat going. Good workout.
10 Likes
12/11/25
5/3/1 The Triumvirate Circuit 2 Week 3
Training max 90
Ball throws and fire hydrant kicks
Warm up sets
Bench Press
65 lbs. 75% x 5
75 lbs. 85% x 3
85 lbs. 95% x 12 pretty sure this is a rep PR.
DB incline Bench Press
20 lbs. 5 x 15
DB Row
20 lbs. 5 x 10
Feeling pretty good about this session. My husband asked me if I wanted him to spot me. Since we have safety bars I’m pretty sure this was more of an motivational spot than a physical one. I was glad to have it. My goal was 11 and I got 12. I will credit the old man with the extra rep. I think he’s proud of the effort that I am putting in and that makes me want to work harder.
One more day of work to survive and then I have a 4 day weekend. Very much looking forward to it!
Today is a good day.
16 Likes
You’ve got this!
1 Like