congrats
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Wave 3: Dwarf, Day 6
Agility: Ball Throws, 10 pounds, ~100 reps all ways
Press: x20, x12, x10, x8 @ 95
Trap Bar Dead: 2x20 @ 135
Trap Bar Shrug: 2x20 @ 135
BTN Press: 2x10 @ 95
Leg Ext: 5x10 @ 125
Suitcase Carry: 8 laps @ 45
Chins: x15
Dips: x15
Abs Machine: x50 @ 125
Burpees: x20
Note: A tonic day today. I’ve been neglecting agility work, carries, and bodyweight stuff, so I focused on those today. Felt good. Tomorrow’s my challenge day for this block, so we’ll see how that ends up. I’m planning to do some KB conditioning afterward, but who knows. Tomorrow evening we’re hosting a Mabon celebration, with homemade meat pies, Welsh cakes, and blackberry juice, so I’m quite looking forward to that.
Morning weight: 290
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Wave 3: Dwarf, Day 7
Challenge: The Climb Up Weathertop
4.12 miles, 1:13:52, 849 feet elevation gain
Next time I’ll be sure to bring some nice crispy bacon. This was good though. Worse than the last time I did it a couple years ago, but I’ve got an extra 30 pounds I’m carrying around, so. Great view, nice clean air up there, and I could see my house. Good challenge for this block.
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Wave 3: Ranger, Day 1
Walk: 1.2 miles
Wave 3: Ranger, Day 2
Row: 1000m, 4:44
Wave 3: Ranger, Day 3
Bench: x30 @ 135 (PR)
CG Bench: x15 @ 135
PS Curls: x25 @ 45
BB Rows: x15 @ 135
Press: 2x5 @ 135
Hammer Curls: 2x5 w/50s
Chins: x10
Note: This week is going to be a little haphazard; I’ll be traveling with my 3-year-old for the rest of the week and genuinely won’t have much flexibility for actual lifting. Will try to do some hotel room conditioning and bodyweight stuff, as well as a bunch of walking. Might even sneak in a run. Regardless, it’s the last week of the block, so no harm in a moderate deload as long as my diet is dialed in. Today’s session was good, just some nice upper body stuff and a sneak PR on bench.
Morning weight: 291
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The Dúnadan
Who’s that Stranger in the Corner?
Block Review
Time to evaluate and review my first block of the Dúnadan. I won’t bother detailing the final few days of the last week: I walked ~25,000 steps per day, swam in the ocean, and ate a lot of meat. I also got to experience the absolute joy of a three-year-old meeting for the first time: Jack Skellington, Mickey Mouse, Jafar, Elsa, rollercoasters, and the ocean. It was a pretty incredible and memorable experience. And now that I’m back, time to end this block with a review and move on to the next one.
Goals
- Fat loss (295 → 277)
Didn’t meet the goal of 277, but I’m sitting around 288 right now I think, so not nothing. - 20-mile week
- 8-mile run
- 30-minute 3-mile run
I didn’t do any of the above running goals. I have to remind myself that at this bodyweight I need to focus on mileage and losing weight first, then hit more specific running goals. - 8:59 mile
I did do this one, though it was on a treadmill rather than outside, which was what I’d hoped for. - 1500m row PR (current is 6:49)
Knocked this down to 6:22. - Bear Complex x15 for time (set PR)
PR was set for 6:03. - 10RM PR Front Squat
- 10RM PR BTN Press
Did not do either of these 10RMs, though I did improve both lifts. - Hit 100 PS curls
Yep. - Isolate triceps and quads
Did pretty good at this. - Nutrition: 2000–2250 kcal, 1 gallon of water, 150g protein, lots of vegetables, no idle snacking
Calories were higher, but overall I did way better at nutrition and hydration than I had been. - Improve sleep and meditation
Mostly. Could still improve.
PRs
- Bench: 275x8, 185x20, 135x30
• CG Bench: 275x5, 185x20
• BTN Press: 225x2 - SSB FS: 275x3
- 1000m row in 4:19, 1500m row in 6:22
- Grace WOD in 4:09
Challenge
Weathertop: 4.12 miles, walk/hike, 849 feet elevation gain, good view.
Bodyweight Work
Chins: 360
Dips: 80
Ab Wheel: 55
Pushups: 135
Situps: 50
Ab Machine: 255
Burpees: 90
Dead Bugs: 50
Thoughts
I am very pleased with how this block went, and with the program’s framework in general. I set some excellent PRs, improved my conditioning, lost some weight, and successfully validated this approach to training. I also identified a couple improvement to make to the framework—setting block goals for bodyweight movements so I don’t fixate on just a few; adding more complexes and agility movements; doing carries, bodyweight work, and agility first so that I don’t skip them too often; deciding how to allocate Elf/Dwarf/Ranger priorities in a given week or wave; increasing focus on nutrition, sleep, yoga, and hydration so that they don’t fall by the wayside; identifying block and wave goals early so I know what I’m working toward. I’ll continue to make iterative tweaks to the program as I go along, but I’m very pleased with the Dúnadan and I think it will absolutely satisfy my needs.
I’m now on Day 3 of the second block, which I’ll outline and start logging in its own post.
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I really like this post. Some goals, I made progress toward them, where I didn’t I know why and I’m ok with it and/or will change some stuff, and overall what I’m doing is working.
Glad to see the balance.
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Appreciate that dude! Yeah, I’ve found that if I try too hard to connect specific results to specific elements of a program, I often end up wrong. Sometimes the connection is pretty clear, but most of the time there are so many factors going on that you could run the exact same program again and get different results.
So I’m trying to just make minor tweaks and adjustments as I go along, but mostly trust the process. It’s clear to me that this program will work for making me stronger, better conditioned, and more athletic, so I don’t really need to worry about the particulars too much. The balance of everything is a key component for me, and as long as that continues to happen, I’m happy.
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The Dúnadan
The Ranger of the North
October 1–December 2
- Main lifts: bench, squat, deadlift, press
- Supplementary lifts: close-grip bench, front squat, RDL, BTN press, push press, trap bar dead
- Accessories: triceps extension, hammer curl, lateral raise, pulldown, seated row, goblin squat, leg press, leg extension, KB swing, calf raise, clean, DB press, Poundstone curl, BB row, glute kickback, adductor/abductor, snatch, one-arm press
- Complexes: bear, ABC, 1-5
- Carries: sled push/pull, goblin, KB rack, overhead, suitcase, bear hug
- Agility: tire flips, ball throws, battle ropes, jumps
- Bodyweight work: pushups, situps, ab wheel, ab machine, dips, chins, burpees, dead bugs
- HIT: Grace, Cindy, Kalsu, EMOM bodyweight stuff, BB4K
- LISS: rowing, treadmill, stationary bike
- Yoga, lots of walking, swimming, cycling, sports
- Challenges: The Falls of Rauros, the Wilds of Arnor
Goals
- Fat loss (288 → 270)
- 20-mile week
- 8-mile run
- 30-minute 3-mile run
- 8:59 mile outside
- 1500m, 2000m, 3000m row PR
- Bear Complex x15 PR
- 10RM PRs for Front Squat, BTN Press, CG Bench, RDL, and Trap Bar
- Hit 150 PS curls
- Isolate triceps, abs, and quads
- Shoot for 50 reps/week of all bodyweight work
- Nutrition: 2000–2250 kcal, 1 gallon of water, 150g protein, lots of vegetables, no idle snacking
- Improve sleep and meditation
- Do more yoga
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Wave 1: Elf, Day 1
Yoga: 25:07
Wave 1, Elf, Day 2
Walk: 1.67 miles
Wave 1: Elf: Day 3
Run: 1.2 miles, 14:37, treadmill
Bench: x10 @ 135, x10, x5 @ 225
Trap Bar Dead: 3x5 @ 225
Glute Kick: 2x10 @ 100 (each leg)
Bear Complex: x10 @ 95
Ball Throws: x100 w/10 (all ways)
Chins: x25
Abs Machine: 2x25 @ 125
Wave 1: Elf, Day 4
Walk: 1.79 miles
Front Squat: x5 @ 135, x2 @ 185
Push Press: x5 @ 135, x3 @ 185
PS Curls: x105 @ 45
Pulldown: 2x25 @ 100
Calf Raise: 2x25 @ 200
Complex 1: 4 reps, 1 round @ 135
Chins: x10
Note: Decent start to this block. My goal for the Elf week of the first wave is just to go through the motions. For the Dwarf week I’ll up the intensity, and by the Ranger week I should be back in full stride. I was really lagging today—low on sleep, early workout, etc.—so I did some basic movements, hit a couple prescribed goals for the week, and called it good.
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Wave 1: Elf, Day 5
Walk: 1.82 miles
Wave 1: Elf, Day 6
Run: 1 mile, 9:39, treadmill
Press: 5x5 @ 135
RDL: 2x10 @ 135
Triceps Ext: x30 @ 100
Leg Ext: 2x15 @ 100
Shrugs: 3x10 @ 135
KB Rack Carry: 4 laps w/30s
Tire Flips: x10 @ 80
Burpees: x10
Chins: x50
Wave 1: Elf, Day 7
Nap: 2 hours
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Wave 1: Dwarf, Day 1
Walk: 1.2 miles
Wave 1: Dwarf, Day 2
Run: 0.6 miles, 5:00, treadmill
Bench: x10 @ 185
CG Bench: x10 @ 185
KB Swings: 5x20 @ 53
Press: 5x10 @ 95
Triceps Ext: 2x10 @ 150
Bear Complex: x5 @ 95
Suitcase Carry: 5 laps/hand w/45
Chins: x25
Note: Had my sights set higher for the bench, but I did it last and the weights felt heavy. Good work put in today, definitely upped the intensity from last week. The run was just because I knew I didn’t have the fortitude for half an hour of running so I decided 5 fast minutes were acceptable on a Dwarf week.
Morning weight: 291
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Wave 1: Dwarf, Day 3
Walk: 0.66 miles
Wave 1: Dwarf, Day 4
Run: 2.1 miles, 24:29, treadmill
Row: 1000m, 4:49
Squat: x5 @ 275, x5 @ 315, x5 @ 365, x2 @ 405
Front Squat: x5 @ 145
PS Curls: x110 @ 45
BTN Press: 2x10 @ 105
Adductor: 2x25 @ 50
Chins: x10
Dips: x10
Abs Machine: 2x25 @ 125
Note: Nice to do some heavy squats for the first time in a little while. Everything felt really good during all the squats: bracing, sitting in the hole, stretching back up, breathing. After the set of 365 I pivoted a little weird and twinged something in my adductor. I’ve got some habitual tightness on my left side in the psoas/ilias/adductor range, especially if I’m not doing yoga, which I haven’t been; anyway, the feeling wasn’t anything new or worrisome, and I still loaded up 405 (though kept it at the double just in case), but I was paying more attention and noticed that when I rerack, I tend to step forward on my left foot and lean most of the weight there while I make sure to hit the hooks. I tested it just holding the weight and could definitely feel the emphasis in the aforementioned area. So at least I’ve got some actionable info going forward—might not cure the problem (which isn’t a big one), but at least now I’ll stop doing that and likely avoid future twinges more often.
In any case: solid effort this time, particularly with running and PS curls, very fitting for a Dwarf week.
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Wave 1: Dwarf, Day 5
Press: x5 @ 135, 5x5 @ 155
Sumo Dead: 2x10 @ 155
Clean: 2x5 @ 155
Shrug: 2x10 @ 155
Leg Curl: 2x10 @ 100
Complex 6 (5 sandbag to shoulder/10 KB swings): 3 rounds w/ 50 and 53, respectively
Bear Hug Carry: 10 laps @ 50
Box Jumps: 2x5 @ 24"
Chins: x25
Note: I do love just picking a weight on the bar and manipulating exercises, sets, and reps to get in some quality work. Overall a solid session. I have rarely done sumo deads so just going to LP them for a while to groove the movement. The complex was nice; the box jumps were nice. I will probably push running/proper conditioning to tomorrow. Oh, the twinge from yesterday is mostly fine now, which is good news.
Morning weight: 290.2
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Wave 1: Dwarf, Days 6 & 7
Did some walking, spent some family time, some bodyweight stuff before bed that I didn’t log.
Wave 1: Ranger, Day 1
Nap: 1:45
Wave 1: Ranger, Day 2
Run: 0.6 miles, 6:37, treadmill
Row: 1500m, 6:38 [1000m in 4:18 (PR)]
Bench: x25, x15 @ 135
CG Bench: x11 @ 225 (PR)
Press: 2x5 @ 135
Front Squat: 2x5 @ 135
Row: 2x10 @ 135
Bear Complex: x3 @ 135
Chins: x15
Morning weight: 289.6
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Wave 1: Ranger, Day 3
Run: 1 mile, 11:25, treadmill
Deadlift: 3x10 @ 225
Sumo Dead: 3x5 @ 225
BB Curls: x90 @ 45
Triceps Ext: x50 @ 85
Leg Press: x25 @ 365
Sled Push: 4 laps @ 180
Ball Throws: x100 all ways @ 10
Chins: x10 (including 2 @ 60 via KBs)
Note: Well, those BB curls were supposed to be PS curls to 110, but I just didn’t have it in me, mentally or physically. Probably my grip was tired out from the deads beforehand. I’ll retry later this week. Made up for it with the single set of triceps work. Good day overall.
Morning weight: 289.6
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Man, I’ll tell you what: When I was doing my year of Poundstones, I was shocked at just how often grip was the challenge in those sets.
Nice work, regardless: 90, 100, 110, … At some point the actual number doesn’t matter any more—you DID some work!
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I’m glad to hear you say that, because Poundstones are often such a mental test that I worry I’m just giving up—certainly that’s been the case before, haha. But 45 reps of double overhand deads (though not terribly heavy) were probably enough to compromise the grip; it felt like it was being wrenched out of my hands the last 15 reps.
I’ve done ~125 before and I’m shooting for 150 at the end of this block, but your point is spot on—ultimately, anywhere in the vicinity of what I’m doing is getting some work in and giving me a lovely pump, so I’m accomplishing my real goal, haha.
Also, just checked out your year of Poundstones—what a killer achievement dude, nice going! Some good lessons learned from that experience, I’m sure. Inspiring.
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Wave 1: Ranger, Day 4
Walk: 1.67 miles
Wave 1: Ranger, Day 5
Row: 2000m, 8:56 (PR)
BTN Press: x12 @ 115 (PR), x10 @ 135 (PR)
Press: 3x3 +1 @ 185
KB Swing: 5x10 @ 80
Glute Kick: x30 per leg @ 75
Calf Raise: x40 @ 250
Bear Complexes: x15 @ 95 in 3:49 (PR)
KB Rack Carry: 4 laps w/53s
Jumps: x10 @ 24"
Chins: x20
Abs Wheel: x10
Note: Man, what a solid workout. Checked off a block goal with the BTN 10RM (initially tried 115, then figured I’d be good for the jump). I probably have more in me for that, but I’ll call it good for this time and chip away down the road. Also tremendously proud of that bear complex PR: that’s 2:14 off my previous best, which is huge.
Morning weight: 289.8
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Wave 1: Ranger, Day 6
HIT: Burpees x5 & KB rows x5/hand @ 35, 5 rounds in 5:21
Squats: x5 @ 225, x13 @ 315 (PR)
Press: x10 @ 135
Pulldowns: 2x15 @ 100
DB Press: x15 w/50s
BB Curls: x25 @ 45
Note: Nice short session today. Handy little PR on squats was nice, the rest was just checking boxes. Did the remaining BB curls so at least the week’s totals are right. I’ll hit them Poundstone style next week. First wave of this block is mostly done, and it’s gone well. Next two waves should have lots more cardio and conditioning while lifting gets hit with a bunch of high-rep sets.
Morning weight: 290
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Wave 1: Ranger, Day 7
Walk: 0.77 miles
Wave 2: Elf, Day 1
Walk: 0.67 miles
Nap: 2.5 hours
Wave 2: Elf, Day 2
Bench: 3x8 @ 185
CG Bench: x10 @ 235 (PR)
Triceps Ext: 2x25 @ 125
Leg Ext: 2x25 @ 100
BB Curls: x50 @ 45
Complex 4 (row-clean-press-squat-GM-BTN): 4 reps, 3 rounds @ 95
Overhead carry: 10 laps w/45 plate
Chins: x10
Abs Machine: 2x25 @ 125
Note: Pretty pleased with this workout. Hit my targets on all the strength stuff. Didn’t have time for conditioning/cardio, but that was expected and I’ve planned for it later in the week. Upper body feels like a brick right now. In a good way.
Morning weight: 290
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