I know I do better when given options.
To add to this, I recently was reminded that I might be getting caught up in the minutiae of training. I have so many options that I can build my workout to include my favorite and most effective exercises for every muscle. Thatās awesome, but now Iām disappointed when I donāt have one of those tools (like when I train at home).
The picture of you next to your new houseās sold sign reminded me that I donāt need all the toys. You look jacked! You do brutally hard sessions with barbells. I rarely see dumbbells; Iāve never seen cables. I know you use different bars but the movements are always compound bilateral lifts.
It just reminded me that simple things done with the right effort will work.
Iāll keep using all my toys, but hopefully I can get over my thoughts of āI need to do this lift or my muscle wonāt grow.ā It just ends up adding more and more work to the session. Example: today I did pull ups and pendlay rows for back work and it bothered me a bit that I didnāt do reverse flyās.
2 Likes
@dchris Totally kosher, and a spot on observation. Hell, I do this in my everyday life. āWhat are we eating for dinner tonight?ā āI dunno, what do you feel like?ā Repeat indefinitely. Instead, I always say āIām in the mood for X or Yā, and then the process is much faster. Also funny you ran into that situation. Only an uncreative person would say they were being constrained by limits. I love rules, because once theyāre set, that means I can do ANYTHING else.
One of my favorite pieces on the internet that goes into this concept is ā213 Things Skippy is No Longer Allowed to do in the US Armyā. A hilarious read and really hammers in the point of ārules say what you CANāT do: not what you canā
@Frank_C Definitely appreciate the sentiment dude. A home gym breeds a weird training paradigm. I have a commercial gym within walking distance of me that, if I were so inclined, has all the dumbbells and machines I could want, so it becomes tough for me to justify buying those things when I āhave themā, and, in turn, I have a whole lot of exotic equipment and none of the basics, haha. Dumbbells are always on the list, but just never make it.
For breaking away from the greatest hits, I find a new program followed 100% as written to be pretty effective. Iām decent at programming compliance for the most part, and itās broken a lot of paradigms. I added 10lbs to my bench while running Super Squats and never benching, and that did a lot to show me the benefit of hard work. Otherwise, thereās always injuries, haha.
PM WORKOUT
Axle bench press 296
1x10
1x9
1x7+1
Close grip axle bench 251
1x10
1x8
1x7+1
Swiss bar incline bench 210
1x10
1x8
1x7+1
Dips
36
30
25
Notes: 2:25 between sets of benching, 2:00 between sets of dips. Forgot to record rest times for last week, but that was 2:45, so sticking with the 20 seconds reduced rest. Really starting to show here, and now at the point where Iām just hanging on. Threw in a single rest pause rep at the final set of each exercise, because thatās how you f**king progress if you do the same reps as last week. Sorry, sensitive topic. Was hitting the j-hooks a lot today, and wonder if that could be related to the fact that my front deltoids are on fire. May just be starting to show the effects of so much pressing and not enough pulling, because Iām doing VERY little backwork these days. Need to find some balance.
Woke up at 197.0.
4 Likes
PM WORKOUT
Treadmill run w/21lbs vest
Incline: 1
Speed: 7.2
Distance: 1 mile
Time: 8:21
Notes: Schedule is a little messed up, so got this in just to get in something. Will try to get back on track with Sunday. Lower back was pretty pumped up.
Woke up at 197.2.
1 Like
AM WORKOUT
GIANT SETS (squat-jump-reverse hyper)
Buffalo bar squat
8xBar
8x140
8x230
8x320
8x390 (20lb PR for training cycle)
8x320
Box jumps
6x5
Reverse hyper 320
6x10
Pull ups w/rest pause (12 deep breaths between sets)
27+5+5
Notes: 3:45 between giant sets. Pleased with how this day went. Kinda in a ānot broke/donāt fix itā mode, as I see places I could squeeze in a little more volume, but I keep growing with this and it seems sustainable. Left knee was a little achy when I woke up, but wasnāt an issue for the training. Really think Iāve gotten on top of it.
Woke up at 194.4. May have finally shed some of the bloat.
4 Likes
PM WORKOUT
Axle strict press
5xAxle
3x161
3x181
9x206 (lifetime PR)
9x181
Superset all sets w/20 band pull aparts
GIANT SETS (press-dip-raise)
Axle strict press 136
4x10
1x8
Dips
5xFailure
DB lateral raise 20lbs
5x12
DB curls (no rest between sets)
2x50lbs
4x45
6x40
8x35
Notes: 3:45 between heavy sets of presses, 2:00 between giant sets. Running off just a handful of hours of sleep and some skipped meals: seemed like a good day for a PR. Tried some behind the neck presses and could do them without my shoulder exploding so I might try them some more some time.
Went with huge cheat meal of 3 items at Panda Express (orange chicken, bejing beef and honey walnut shrimp) and a triple chocolate muffin at Walmart.
No weigh in.
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Great PR there mate. I would love an overhead as strong as that.
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You are righteous, but far from weak my friend.
Best part about this log is that song plays in my head for days after seeing you smash human numbers
Also, this is why I take studies with the smallest grain of salt. I swear the best days in the gym are the days you feel like absolute trash and treat your body like the bitch-ass-meat-wagon it is.
1 Like
9 x 206 that is ridiculous strong Pwn, Quality.
@simo74 Thanks dude! I still want more, haha.
@oldbeancam Much appreciated dude. Great song to have in your head too, haha. And yeah, itās crazy how much people want to believe in the power of sleep and food. Itās great to have, but you can push yourself hard if you let it happen.
@mortdk Thanks man!
PM WORKOUT
(2) Texas Deadlift Bar mat pull
5x135+chains
5x225+chains
5x315+chains
1x405+chains
10+3+3x515+chains
SSB front squat (rest pause: 12 deep breaths between sets)
8x295
4x295
2x295
1x295
8x205
4x205
2x205
1x205
Notes: Warm-ups were heavy and slow today and kinda showed what to expect. Still, this was a great ābad dayā workout, so Iām pleased with that. Iām sure between the missed sleep and meals and just some stress it comes together, but I also know that last cycle this was where I got hurt, so this could just be the roughest week of the cycle. Front squats made up for it. Also, fairly certain I tore something in my knee yesterday, as I have a mystery bruise. I remember stepping funny and the knee aching yesterday, so that may have been it. Doesnāt seem to be impacting performance, but something to work on.
9 Likes
PM WORKOUT
Treadmill run w/21lb vest
Incline: 1
Speed: 7.2
Distance 1.25 miles
Time: 8:21 mile, 10:31 total
Notes: Felt much better coming into this than I did on Tuesday. Breathing was better with less back pain. May have had the last lap if I pushed it, but risk/reward wasnāt worth it.
1 Like
PM WORKOUT
Axle bench press 296
1x10
1x9
1x6+1
Close grip axle bench 251
1x10
1x8
1x8+1
Swiss bar incline bench 205
1x10
1x9
1x9+1
Dips
1x36
2x30
Notes: 2:05 between pressing, 2:00 between dips. Held on to the end at least. Next week should see some solid growth with the doubled rest time.
Woke up at 195.6.
4 Likes
Hey man just wanted to say after reading something of yours like 2 months ago about touch and go deadlifts, I stopped doing cold start deadlifts and TnG instead and my strength has shot through the roof! Especially on this SGSS program. I feel like my form has gotten tighter and I can feel my hamstrings way more. My wife told me that it looks like I have āthick steel cables running down my backā because my erectors have gotten bigger for sure.
Thanks for the tip man, I donāt think I could go back to cold start ones unless I was reworking form or singles.
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Awesome to hear itās worked out for you dude. All the folks saying TnG is easier are doing it wrong, haha. Deadstop reps have their place, but theyāre not the panacea a lot of folks think they are.
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For sure man! I had to take big poundage off when I started and build up to it. I donāt bounce it either, itās like a very ālight tapā. I never feel out of control. I think during my next lifting cycle Iām going to try the AMRAP set. I would love to get to 405x20 LOL.
2 Likes
Not sure what strongman toys you have these days, but if you have an axle, give that a go for some touch and go at some point. Real game changer. Youāll want good straps though.
Iām all touch and go these days. Like you, it took a bit to adapt and learn how to do it properly. Iām not cool like @T3hPwnisher; I canāt hold my breath for the whole set. I brace at the top on each rep and just try to reverse the motion.
I think itās tougher than dropping it like some folks do. I think the TUT and total work formulas prove us right.
3 Likes
I really like touch and go for volume work. I prefer something in between a full deadstop and touch and go for lower rep sets.
@Frank_C TUT seems to be falling out of fashion right now, but it always made sense to me. Time spent locked out or resting is time spent not stressing the muscles. And, in turn, why I find TnG carries over to low rep sets. You REALLY learn how to grind.
And donāt sweat holding the breath: you have MUCH further to travel than I do, haha. Iām built to deadlift. Presses are a whole other animal.
@BEAst_in_I Something to be said about low rep TnG is just how high a weight you can do it for, and the benefit that can have. I once managed 4 reps on 635 on a particularly good day, and know full well I wouldnāt have been able to hit it for a double deadstop on that day. Definitely went through a LOT of strain for that, haha.
PM WORKOUT
GIANT SETS (squat-jump-reverse hyper)
SSB front squat
6xBar
6x155
6x245
6x295
6x320 (25lb PR for program)
6x295
Box jump
6x5
Reverse hyper 320
6x12
Bodyweight lunge in place
1x25
Notes: 3:45 between giant sets. Felt strong coming in today. Been noticing just how much better my knee feels these days. Never really aware of the injury, whereas before, when I was hammering it with the buffalo bar every week, it was always inflamed. Strength keeps going up, so I may have found the right approach to be painfree and strong. Those reverse hypers are really doing good, and I notice my deadlift is getting back to crazy levels again. Not a coincidence, as itās exactly what I was doing before. I was being too lazy to weigh down the posts with dumbbbells and screwing myself out of a real awesome exercise. Thankfully, once I move everything, itāll be much easier.
Topset front squat was tough, but not totally impossible. Most likely had 5-10lbs more in me.
Woke up at 194.4. Pulling from the floor on Saturday, so going to be a little loose on the calories. ALSO doing this after hitting up a birthday party my kid got invited to, which is exactly how I tweaked my back last time from standing for so long, so I need to watch that.
5 Likes