I’m happy to know that I’m in good company.
Searched this, located it, and now I’m interested.
Not that this will affect your decision, but if you do follow along with this program layout, my probability of joining would increase significantly. I wouldn’t be surprised if we could generate some interest from the TNation crew to follow along as well which could be “fun” (the type of fun that I’m imagining Deep Water Intermediate to be - at least the horrid experience will be shared).
Full body always sucks, haha. And it’s funny, because I do full body assistance and am fine but main work drives me nuts.
And he’ll, maybe we can get this going in the transformation challenge thread. Should definitely have that effect.
Full body sucks at the beginning but you do get used to it… kinda. I’ve been doing it since June or July 2020 I think. Ever since I’ve started working with a coach. That definitely opened my eyes more for things I would have never tried on my own or thought would be possible to recover from. Like deadlifting 4 times a week for an entire training block.
I’ve done a LOT of full body training in my time. It’s not the “getting used to it” that is my issue: it just doesn’t gel with my mentality. The deadlifting 4x a week in a training block highlights it: you have to keep so much “in the tank” each training session to be able to DO full body training. I like infrequent training because you can just completely obliterate a muscle in a training session and let it heal for a week. I always struggle with moderation, haha.
AM WORKOUT (0700, 0500 wake up via dog)
Juarez Valley Front squats of 205 w/5 six count burpees between sets
11
1
10
2
9
3
8
4
7
5
6
Time: 19:40 (4 second PR)
5 round circuit of
10 chins (various grips)
4 standing ab wheel
10 dips
8 BW reverse hypers
25 pushdowns
50 pull aparts
SSB squat stripset
30x185
15x135
30 GHRs
Notes: No gameplan coming into this and went by feel. Belt was snug today but topset didn’t feel as strong as I woulda liked, so went for a time PR vs weight or reps. I fought hard for those 4 seconds. Upper body was surprisingly sore during the burpees; wonder if that’s Fran showing.
LOTS of breathing between reps on that set of 30 for the SSB. One of the benefits of that bar.
Yeah I can see that from your training, haha. I liked going balls to the wall a lot, earlier in my training career. I must admit that I see more improvements with a more moderate approach though. That said, I haven’t trained this hard (since starting with a strongman coach) in a long time.
Turn ‘em into some breathing shrugs next time.
Nah. If anything I would go breathing squats, but I am trying to keep this a conditioning day with a hypertrophy driver at the end. Too easy to kitchen sink it.
Don’t talk back to me, young man.
But yes, this is a good point.
Alright @littlesleeper I just bit the bullet and signed up or the BBB Beefcake portion of the programming party. After my SVR II deload, I’ll start that up.
PM WORKOUT (1530)
30 minute 80lb weighted vest hill walks
Still too icy for running, but need to do it soon: got a 10 mile race in Apr. Excited for BBB Beefcake. Good to have things to look forward to.
I just signed up as well! I’ll at least run Beefcake, and see how well I can survive the 5x10 @ FSL. The 5x5 I’m currently running is proving to be plenty difficult right now.
I’ll be continuing to follow in your footsteps diet-wise. Nearly eliminating direct carbs, other than fruit. Sticking with high quality, high fat foods (grass fed beef and butter, nuts/nut butters, veggies and free range organic eggs). I’ve also been taking a few tablespoons of flax oil each day as Jon recommended in his ebook. Guac, Greek yogurt and sour cream are also on the daily menu.
I’m looking forward to the challenge.
@T3hPwnisher I have a very vivid memory of Deep Water eating, and I believe I know some about Mountain Dog eating.
With the former, my only understanding comes from reading about it, not applying it, while the latter I did apply but it is conceivable there are some updates I’m not familiar with.
To me, the main difference would be the inclusion of more carbs in Mountain Dog eating, especially around a workout. I know Jon allows carbs around a workout for the carb-user but it’d still be comparatively low. Does this summarize the differences adequately in your opinion?
@littlesleeper Hell yeah dude: great to be doing this together. Hope the nutritional approach works well too. Always been my preferred avenue. Doing it with less beef and more poultry has been an interesting twist for me.
@Voxel in truth, I don’t know enough about Mountain Dog to be able to talk to it in much depth, as, again, John releases very few articles on it. I’m basing it primarily off what he released on Elitefts (Titled " The Mountain Dog Diet—A Healthier Way to Get Lean/Add Muscle…or Both!"), and a few other articles released on that site. Basically, from Mountain Dog I get a specific focus on food sources for the sake of maintaining heart health, and it’s also where a lot of my “thou shalts” come from. I’m treating cage free organic eggs, grass fed beef and grass fed butter like they’re vitamins rather than macro nutrient sources.
From Deep Water I get the exclusion of carbs, a food menu (his book contains a great list of approved foods) AND the notion of frequent small meals vs few large ones. Jon operates off the premise of NEVER being hungry, with the idea that a body that doesn’t experience hunger will be more prone to shed fat and add muscle compared to one that is in a state of hunger.
For carbs, you have a correct understanding. Meadows employs strategic timing with them from what I’ve seen, and Andersen begrudgingly ALLOWS for that timing IF carbs are used. If I find myself getting to that point, I’ll bring them in, but my experience seems to show me that carbs are more important for me when I’m losing fat vs gaining weight. Which seems to check. When energy is low from low food intake, carbs should get it back faster than fats will, and when food intake is high, even if none of it is direct carb sources, I’m most likely bringing in enough “accidental carbs” to keep replenished.
Ohhhh that makes so much more sense now.
Like I said, I’m dense
I don’t think it’s about being dense: you have a strongly established nutritional paradigm you don’t want to break. I remember your comments regarding not understanding how folks appear to violate the laws of thermodynamics before.
AM WORKOUT (0700)
CIRCUIT (chin-press) plate rest between sets until topset
Weighted chins (various grips) 55lbs
1x9
4x8
1x7
Axle strict press
5xAxle
5x66
5x141
5x161
5x181
GIANT SETS (press-raise-pull) 90 second rests between sets
Axle strict press 161
5x5
10 plate lateral raise
5x11
Band pull apart
5x15
(3) High Incline DB press 75s dropset (no rest between sets)
1x17
1x4 w/reactive slingshot
1x5 w/metal catapult
1x7 flat bench
1x7 BW dips
1x25 band pushdowns
43 more dips w/rest pause
CONDITIONING
Tabata Rounds on BAS
Notes: Another press workout without blacking out. It’s frustrating how slowly I need to move on the topset to make that happen, but I imagine it’s getting me strong to be so in control of the movement. The 5x5s were just right, and the assistance work pumped me up real solid. I’ve got confidence in my TMs moving into BBB Beefcake next cycle. Plan to hit log viper Grace later today.
EDIT: Meant to log that my appetite is through the roof these days. Awesome to have that back. I finished breakfast this morning of 3 cage free organic eggs, 3oz of grass fed piedmontese stew meat, 1/4 of an avocado and some grassfed butter and was starving after that. Thinking about adding onto that. Either another 1/4 of an avocado or some nuts. Contemplating introducing coconut to the diet, but still on the fence about it. Science seems to be mixed on it.
Why do you think this is? Increasing calories? Increasing workload?
I’m noticing something similar with myself, and I know the only two factors I’ve changed are a slight increase in activity levels and bumping my calories.
Going pure bro-science about it, I think it’s a sign that my hormones are getting back to where they were. I slashed a LOT of dietary fat in my pursuit to lower my LDL, and by the end of it I was just not myself any more. I felt like I had depression symptoms, and my appetite (for food and other things) was non-existent. Just dead on the inside. All my life, I’ve had a voracious appetite, and when it’s NOT there it tends to mean something is wrong. That it’s returning means to me that things are getting back where I need them to be.
LUNCHTIME WORKOUT
Log viper Grace (135lbs)
5:43 (61 second PR)
Notes: Really got after it on this one. Got through the first 15 reps without pause in 1:51. Since it’s a deload for deads tomorrow, was willing to put my lower back through a little hell with this.
AM WORKOUT (0410 wake up via dog)
CIRCUITS (chin-neck-chin-ab-repeat) no rest between sets
Chins (various grips)
115 reps over 10 sets
Neck harness 55lbs
5 sets
Standing ab wheel
5x4
Axle rows against light bands: 1 min between sets
4x14
1x13
Axle shrugs against light bands
1x70
Kroc rows 115
1x19
Band pull aparts
1x80
Reverse hypers
1x40
Dips (rest pause)
31-11-8 w/25 band pushdowns at end
30 GHRs
Notes: Deload deadlift workout. Got a solid back pump. Dog got up stupid early, but I start 3 12 hour night shifts today, so this will give me a chance to get in a nap this afternoon. Well timed deload week all things considered. Hips are a little achey from the vipers yesterday, so most likely going to stick with burpees vs KBs for conditioning.
PM WORKOUT (1600)
100 six count burpees
6:08 (11 second PR)
Notes: Got to 65 without stopping. The secret is: it sucks and I hate it. Like running. That said, I do think there’s a proficiency element to it, as I’m doing a TON of burpees these days. As I get faster, they’re definitely sloppier, and I’m basically slamming my stomach into the floor and rebounding as my “push up”, but also I don’t give a f**k about form on burpees: just so long as they suck.
Caught a full body glimpse of myself in the mirror getting ready for work, and I’m happy to report my posterior chain has returned. No joke: at the end of my fat loss, my glutes has effectively vanished and hamstrings were pretty sad. 30 GHRs a day have paid off for sure, along with more food, and I imagine the squat protocol I was following up until recently got me big quick in a hurry.
In that regard, feeling strong again. Despite the dogs, I’m sleeping well WHEN I sleep, appetite is coming back, and I’m excited about things again. Of course, the inevitable question is “does this mean my LDL has creeped up again”, but I’m confident enough in the lifestyle changes I’ve made to imagine I’ve found the middle ground on this. Case in point: I brought a seafood medley salad to work today, whereas back in the day it woulda been beef or gyro meat mixed with cauliflower tater tots (more of those “good bad decisions” I was making).