Man, when I get a more permanent set of digs, it’s going to be bad news, haha.
PM WORKOUT
Treadmill run
Incline: 1
Speed: 7.0
Distance: 1.1 mile w/21lb vest, .4 miles without
Time: 12:52
Notes: Very gradual improvement here, but it’s something, especially considering I’m running these as 2 a days.
Found this in my e-mail today
I knew it was advertised as a level 2 competition, but I wasn’t too sure if I actually qualified. Pretty cool news. I think I might try to make it this year.
Congrats man 
That’s awesome, congrats!
Great news. Glad for you.
Congrats man, well deserved, and I hope you take it!
Nice!! Congrats man.
@mortdk @BEAst_in_I @biker @mr.v3lv3t Thanks all!
@strongmanvinny2 Thanks man. I’m seriously leaning toward it. It’s happening right around my birthday, so it might be my present to myself. You gonna be there? I know I’ve been trying to meet up with you and @Alpha for a while now.
AM WORKOUT
GIANT SETS
(10) Chain suspended buffalo bar squats
5xBar
5x140
5x190
5x230
3x280
1x330
1x380
1x410
5x460
Keg bear hug and carry
2x182
1x187
1x192
1x197
1x202
Dips
6x22
ASSISTANCE
Neck harness 45lbs
4x35
Band pull aparts
4x20
Buffalo bar squats 270lbs
1x20
Kroc rows 105
1x18
Notes: Those squats felt incredibly heavy today. My last warm-up set felt like a workset. Getting those 5 in was a solid victory. I’ll keep blaming it on the weightloss, but as long as I can keep a solid effort up, it’s just going to put me in a good way when the weight goes back on. I’m really happy with how the keg carries are progressing. It lights up my back something fierce and is challenging me in a different way. I might keep this in as supplemental work even post competition. Just an easy way to get in some moving between sets. Really focusing on letting the shoulder dip on the Kroc rows.
Woke up at 193.4.
PM WORKOUT
Front Squats
5xBar
5x95
3x135
1x185
1x225
REST PAUSE (12 deep breaths between sets)
7x275
4x275
2x275
1x275
12+2x185
Notes: Schedule is jacked up this week, so getting in the training where I can. Slept 4 hours this morning, so this was a good “under fatigue” sorta workout. I’m really finding my groove on these. Legs were super pumped on that last set, and I had to rack it for a few seconds just to let them shake out a touch.
No weigh in this morning.
Do you realise this before, or during the workout and sort of harness the knowledge that you are improving your “under fatigue” fitness into working harder, or do you only think about it after your session?
The reason I ask is that I have been working out a lot earlier in the day, coupled with a job change and more hours of work and less sleep. This has been making my sessions quite a lot harder mentally, which is a good thing for my goals but I don’t think I realise it early enough for it to motivate me for my session.
I hope that makes sense…
Congrats!!
@Irishman92 I actually endeavor to train under fatigue whenever possible. I prefer not to train in a fresh state. Part of that is because it’s a natural way to govern how much weight I load on my body, but the other part of it is that it makes competition feel easier. It’s why I try to train first thing in the morning whenever I can, and if that’s not possible, I take consolation in training under sleep deprivation. Training fully rested and refreshed feels like cheating.
@duketheslaya Thanks man!
AM WORKOUT
GIANT SETS
Axle bench press
5xAxle
5x136
5x186
5x211
5x256
14x281
20x211
Pull ups
5x14
Band pull aparts
5x20
GIANT SETS
Axle strict press 123
2x10
2x7
1x8
Log cleans 180
5x3
Lateral raise
3x10x20lbs
2x10x15lbs
ASSISTANCE
DB curls 35lbs
3x10
Band pull aparts
3x20
Notes: Feeling a little fatigued from this week, but warm-ups moved real well up until the 255 set on bench, which was a little slow. Goal was 15 reps, got the 14th and didn’t quite lockout the right tricep. Hit the secondary goal of 20 for the backoff set. The log cleans were much more explosive than last week. Been watching some videos and realizing that I gotta just commit to launching the thing. Strict press is miserable that late in the training day, but I think I just gotta get back into the groove with it.
Woke up at 195.0. Eating and hydration schedule was a little wacky yesterday. Going to try to get a big carby meal today, since it’s been about 2 weeks since I’ve managed that. Expecting a significant weight spike that’ll drop over time.
LATE AM TRAINING
Treadmill run
Incline: 1
Speed: 7.7
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: 11:42
Notes: This was rough. Had to take a break at the mile mark. Lower back was pumped something fierce.
This might be the best tip I’ve gotten from following along your log, so thanks for that my man! Yesterday I managed a PR set + BBB workout, which prior to reading your work here, I’d have for sure put off until I felt better.
Mind if I ask how you assess your lifting volume? What kinds of gauges do you use to tell when you need more or less?
Glad it has worked out for you man. I’m all about raising your floor rather than your ceiling. If your worst day is better than everyone else’s best day, you’ll be downright dangerous on a good day.
For volume, the easiest way I control raising/lowering volume is by movement total, rather than reps or sets. That is to say that I’ll keep the core programming the same through out, but when I want to raise volume, I’ll do more assistance exercises in total. So, if the only lat work I was doing was 5x5 chins for example, when I want to raise the volume, I’ll keep the 5x5 chins but also do 5x10 lat pulldown on top of that. Once I’ve added enough movements, when it’s time to cut volume, I’ll start pulling them away.
I don’t use any gauges. The easiest measure is proximity of competitions. Immediately post competition, I’ll start upping the volume again, and the reason is because, as competitions come close, I’ll start stripping away the program to the bare basics, so I can spend more energy on the specific lifts. It creates a defacto intensification block, because when you’re doing a ton of different movements, the weight naturally ends up on the low side for the primary work, since you have greater fatigue. When you strip away all that extra work, you’re more fresh, which means you can move more weight.
Makes perfect sense when you put it that way. Thanks again man!
Enjoyed this back and forth between @T3hPwnisher and @mr.v3lv3t. I learned a ton thx
@losthog Glad you could appreciate it. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I’ve figured out what works for me along the way.
AM WORKOUT
(3) Texas Deadlift Bar touch and go deadlifts
5x135+chains
5x225+chains
3x315+chains
1x405+chains
7+2+2x535+chains
14x445+chains
Standing ab wheel
4x8
Dips
1x50
Kelso shrugs dropset
20x50lbs
15x25
Notes: My theory that it was the lack of cheat meals holding me back on this day proved to be false; I’m just getting hammered. Burning the candle on both ends is showing. Dawned on me in the shower. Normally, when I’m dropping weight, I’m reducing activity, but because I’m so behind on the power curve for running, I’ve been upping my activity levels while dropping the cals so I can be lighter WHEN I run. This isn’t sustainable, but I don’t intend for it to be. Once this month is over, I’ll start upping the calories again.
That said, this was a great workout for effort. I’m happy with how hard I pushed considering how beat up I felt. I’m getting in a lot of volume as well. I’m debating between dropping the weight next cycle or trying to ride out one more. I’ll see how the final week goes.
Woke up at 195.2. Did not experience the type of swelling I expected.
PM WORKOUT
Treadmill Run
Incline: 1
Speed: 7.0
Distance: 1.25 miles w/24lb weight vest, .25 miles without
Time: 12:52
Notes: Another 4 hour of sleep workout. I think my body is finally adjusting to the running, as this felt significantly less awful than it has in the past. Also figured out a better way to rig up the vest, which went a long way.
No weigh in this morning.
That is my experience as well, it takes the body some time to adjust to running.
How about keeping one running session a week when this conditioning fat loss phase is over.
A short run, like a quarter mile warm up, then a quarter mile at a fast pace. when you want to do some conditioning test in the future it might be a bit easier. And a plus side effect could be a bit better conditioned for competitions.
