Rebirth of the Juggernaut: Brute Force and Ignorance (Part 1)

Training Training Logs
81

Axle bench press

Axle x 10
75x10
115x5
165x5
205x5
225x5
255x3
285x8
225x13

Notes: Was feeling pretty fried for today’s workout, but had everything I needed to get things done. I called out 8 reps on the 285 set before I hit it, which is always a good feeling.

Dips (upright)
4x25

Notes: Got it in 4 sets legit.

3 way shoulder circuit 15lbs
3x20

NG chins (cycling through wide, normal and close grip each set)
15x20
2x15

Notes: Wanted to get 300 int his workout, and looks like I overshot it. Elbows were feeling pretty pissed at the start, but warmed up after a few sets. Cycling the grips was nice for variety.

General notes: Woke up at 187.2. Went to PT today, and did my first session of heel slides with no strap assists, so that was cool. Realized by today’s workout that I’ve really entered full blown off season mode, as the volume is getting pretty crazy and I’m getting a real decent pump. Rest times are staying pretty short, which is cool too. Seem to be responding well to the calories and carbs.

82

Grippers

Dropset
15x#2
15x#1
30xTrainer

5x#2
15x#1
15xTrainer

Timedhold w/#1
40seconds

Notes: Think I kinda peaked my grip strength and am settling into more of an average here, but it’s still a higher average than I started with. Hands are freezing as well, hard to get started with the grippers.

General notes: Woke up at 187.4 this morning. Planning on hitting lower body later tonight.

83

I am extremely impressed with your pull up volume. I can’t do more than a couple sets of 20 before the reps drop off significantly.
Can you do an extremely large amount in one all out set, or maybe some very heavy sets of 5? I’m curious if you’re crazy strong at pull ups, if the “stamina” of my pull ups is low, or some combination of both because I’m curious what level of strength I would need to be at to match your volume.

84

[quote]brady888 wrote:
I am extremely impressed with your pull up volume. I can’t do more than a couple sets of 20 before the reps drop off significantly.
Can you do an extremely large amount in one all out set, or maybe some very heavy sets of 5? I’m curious if you’re crazy strong at pull ups, if the “stamina” of my pull ups is low, or some combination of both because I’m curious what level of strength I would need to be at to match your volume.[/quote]

It’s been a long time since I’ve really pushed the weight on chins, as it really started to aggravate my elbows. It’s something I could possibly work up to, but I just never saw a lot of benefit to it carrying over to my other lifts. I get a lot more out of hammering my back with a lot of volume versus a lot of weight.

I was able to hit about 30 clean NG chins a while back. I might have more in me now. Part of it is from losing some bodyweight post surgery, which makes bodyweight movements a little easier. Another thing to factor is in that I’m not doing full ROM dead hang chins, but instead just moving through the portion of the ROM where my lats are contracting. With the NG especially, I’m arching my back pretty fierce, tucking the shoulder blades, and just getting a real killer lat pump.

I was knocking out 100 a day at work after my contest in June, just because I pullemy lat and it seemed to help with recovery. I think the volume work there paid off. Additionally, since it was one of the few movements I could do post surgery, I’ve had a lot of time to really focus on them.

How much are you weighing in at? That can honestly be a big part of it, as I wasn’t doing nearly as much when I was in the mid 190s versus now.

85

I am 180-190. I can do right around 40 in a single set, but I can’t so more than 2-3 sets of 20 in a row. I’m probably just a wuss and can’t handle working too hard haha

86

[quote]brady888 wrote:
I am 180-190. I can do right around 40 in a single set, but I can’t so more than 2-3 sets of 20 in a row. I’m probably just a wuss and can’t handle working too hard haha[/quote]

Haha, it’s a different sort’ve strength for sure. Conditioning plays a part of it, but I actually feel like one of the assets I have is the mental tricks I play to get through higher rep sets.

Something I stole from Dan John is that I always count down from 5, instead of up. So for my sets of 20, it’s just “5,4,3,2,1,5,4,3,2,1” etc. I notice a huge difference in my ability to get work done going that route versus when I count up.

87

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:

[quote]brady888 wrote:
I am 180-190. I can do right around 40 in a single set, but I can’t so more than 2-3 sets of 20 in a row. I’m probably just a wuss and can’t handle working too hard haha[/quote]

Haha, it’s a different sort’ve strength for sure. Conditioning plays a part of it, but I actually feel like one of the assets I have is the mental tricks I play to get through higher rep sets.

Something I stole from Dan John is that I always count down from 5, instead of up. So for my sets of 20, it’s just “5,4,3,2,1,5,4,3,2,1” etc. I notice a huge difference in my ability to get work done going that route versus when I count up.[/quote]

I’ll have to try that. I usually have a total rep number (like 100) and count down from that. Maybe my mind finds that too ominous.

88

1 legged SSB box squats (low box) dropset
16x205+chains
10x155+chains
10x115+chains
10x bar+chains

Notes: Still no real plan for the programming here, just substituting intensity for intelligence. Still visualizing and flexing with the other leg. Actually starting to notice some muscle tone returning to it.

SSB good mornings
4x20

superset in a circuit w/

Neck harness 45lbs
4x25

Notes: Just the bar on the good mornings, really focusing on stretching the hamstrings and contracting the glutes. I think I can VERY slowly add some weight to these.

Blast strap fallout hold
2:00

Notes: Like a plank, did it for some variety and really enjoyed the mental fortitude it required. Think I’ll alternate this in with my normal fallouts.

Reverse hyper 30lbs
1x100

Notes: No struggle this time, very smooth.

89

1 legged safety bar box squats? Are you joining Cirque de Soleil?

90

[quote]Yogi wrote:
1 legged safety bar box squats? Are you joining Cirque de Soleil?[/quote]

Haha, my wife was pretty amazed too. With the safety squat bar, it means I can have 1 hand on the handles, and then use my free hand on the pin of the power rack to help lower myself down. It’s like having a crutch/cane. The healing leg is on the floor but out in front of me to prevent being under strain.

I’ll probably take video at some point just to capture the sort of stupid things I’m doing to recover. When this is all said and done, I’m thinking about writing up the experience as a manual about training around an ACL tear. Assuming it goes well, haha.

91

VIDEO
before your brain realizes that it is probably to unsafe/stupid/dumb to do that again
“But doc it was a good idea at the time”
dare you to show video to your doctor

92

[quote]cavemansam wrote:
VIDEO
before your brain realizes that it is probably to unsafe/stupid/dumb to do that again
“But doc it was a good idea at the time”
dare you to show video to your doctor[/quote]

This is actually my second time performing it, haha. That said, both my doc and my PT have politely declined my invitations to view footage of my training/injury.

Eventually my surgeon got curious enough to watch the video of the injury. It at least gave him a good idea of what I wanted to get back into.

93

love that attitude
the ortho that did my shoulders and looked at my knees told me to stop lifting and go on disability ,
i still lift and work a manual labor job
i find that i get annoyed with people that say i would lose weight, or would work out but
i offer work arounds to their but
they respond with but you don’t understand
do these people annoy you or do you just ignore them

94

In truth, off the net, I don’t talk lifting. It’s too frustrating. I just love my life in a way that shames the weak and lazy. I had to do a 1 mile walk for work post injury. I was with the other cripples, and most of them used their injuries as an excuse to just have a leisurely stroll, while I limped as fast as I possibly could to make a point.

But I have had to remind a few of my co-workers who felt fit to give me shit for being hurt that I am still stronger on one leg than they are on 2, haha.

95

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
In truth, off the net, I don’t talk lifting. It’s too frustrating. I just love my life in a way that shames the weak and lazy. I had to do a 1 mile walk for work post injury. I was with the other cripples, and most of them used their injuries as an excuse to just have a leisurely stroll, while I limped as fast as I possibly could to make a point.

But I have had to remind a few of my co-workers who felt fit to give me shit for being hurt that I am still stronger on one leg than they are on 2, haha.[/quote]

Yeah. Usually when you start up a conversation with someone who clearly doesn’t lift, they’ll say something like…

“Yeah, I could bench back in the day.”

It’s almost an insult to my intelligence, but I can’t blame them. Just kind of turn the other cheek, I guess.

96

[quote]strongmanvinny wrote:

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
In truth, off the net, I don’t talk lifting. It’s too frustrating. I just love my life in a way that shames the weak and lazy. I had to do a 1 mile walk for work post injury. I was with the other cripples, and most of them used their injuries as an excuse to just have a leisurely stroll, while I limped as fast as I possibly could to make a point.

But I have had to remind a few of my co-workers who felt fit to give me shit for being hurt that I am still stronger on one leg than they are on 2, haha.[/quote]

Yeah. Usually when you start up a conversation with someone who clearly doesn’t lift, they’ll say something like…

“Yeah, I could bench back in the day.”

It’s almost an insult to my intelligence, but I can’t blame them. Just kind of turn the other cheek, I guess.[/quote]

Yup yup. I remember Mike Jenkins saying in an interview that, when people asked how much he benched, he’d always throw out something like 800lbs, and people would just say “Oh yeah, that’s pretty good. I knew a guy who could do that.” But it’s not just lifting. People all had ridiculous 40 yard times in high school, ran 4 minute miles, had 50" verts, screwed for hours, got straight As, etc etc. At least with everyone logging everything on social media these days, maybe that will all stop soon when we can literally look up what people were doing back then, haha.

Seated axle press
axle x 10
75x5
115x5
150x5
170x3
190x5
150x11
115x10
115x10
115x10
115x10
115x8

Notes: No longer using the back rest, just sitting on a flat bench. Thinking this might keep me a little more honest on this movement. May even switch to my Ironmind flat bench to be really super hardcore. Really hammered the volume on this, and shoulder doesn’t seem any worse for wear. Definitely want to keep adding as much as I can tolerate.

Dips (forward lean) rest pause
55+15+10+7

Notes: Once again, went until the right rotator cuff tapped out. Massive chest pump.

Axle curls 50lbs
1x100

Notes: Had to rest the axle on the pins a ton. Think I might drop back to a bare axle and go for 120 and work back up. I know Poundstone worked up to 300 with an Ironmind axle, so that’s always something to shoot for.

Seated light band pushdowns
1x100

Band pull aparts
1x100

Seated cable rows 120lbs
16x12

Notes: Sets between sets.

General notes: Woke up at 186.4. That’s more realistically where I expected my weight to be. Very gradual increases. That said, massive GI issues today. Glad I made it through my workout.

97

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
Notes: No longer using the back rest, just sitting on a flat bench. Thinking this might keep me a little more honest on this movement. May even switch to my Ironmind flat bench to be really super hardcore. Really hammered the volume on this, and shoulder doesn’t seem any worse for wear. Definitely want to keep adding as much as I can tolerate.[/quote]

Channeled Mike Jenkins twice in one post.

In his training log, he used to do those as one of his preferred forms of Z presses, on a bench with no support (except feet).

From a Q&A:

Also it’s pretty cool you got the Keys to Progress. I learned a lot from that book, and that was sort of my initial direction when I started getting more serious about training. His “get big drink” is actually pretty tasty, though a pain to prepare.

How’s your knee coming along?

98

Always appreciate your knowledge of the Iron Game LoRez. That’s pretty cool stuff to hear about how Jenkins trained. Hopefully it will have a similar effect. I at least feel like it will carry over better to my standing press than doing it with the back support I was using. If I had an actual seated press station with the small back pad I’d be less squeamish about it, but using the full back support of an adjustable bench just made it too easy to turn into a high incline press.

I’m really digging the Keys to Progress so far. I unfortunately don’t have the issues gaining weight to be able to try the get big drink, haha. It’s honestly pretty interesting how much focus was put on gaining weight back in the day. Probably some commentary on food quality/availability then versus now. We still have some folks that struggle to put on weight, but it seemed like EVERYONE was having that problem back then.

Knee is healing TOO good. Almost got my full ROM back and it feels awesome, and I’m apparently in the most dangerous part of my recovery, as the graft is at it’s weakest at 6 weeks. EVERYTHING in my brain is telling me to push, but I have to fight my instincts and let it heal. But, it could be worse, as I could be in total agony and it all could’ve failed, so I count my blessings. I’ve honestly found enough work arounds now that I don’t even feel like I’m missing anything in my training.

Prowler, 50’ arm over arm pull to 50’ push
1xprowler
1x20lbs

Dropset
1x40lbs
1x20lbs
3xprowler

Notes: Still pushing slow on the push, but able to get my legs through the full ROM. This got my heart going something good.

General notes: Woke up at 187.2 this morning. GI issues getting better, but still present. Some stranger at lunch today asked me “Man, what do I have to do to get arms like that?” I was tempted to tell him to go tear is ACL so he can spend more time focusing on his upper body, but I just thanked him for the bizarre compliment. My wife is always with me when these things happen, so she at least knows I’m not lying about people being weird, haha.

99

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
People all had ridiculous 40 yard times in high school, ran 4 minute miles, had 50" verts, screwed for hours, got straight As, etc etc. At least with everyone logging everything on social media these days, maybe that will all stop soon when we can literally look up what people were doing back then, haha.
[/quote]

You log how long you screw for?

I guess it won’t be long before that’s a thing, sadly.

100

[quote]dagill2 wrote:

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
People all had ridiculous 40 yard times in high school, ran 4 minute miles, had 50" verts, screwed for hours, got straight As, etc etc. At least with everyone logging everything on social media these days, maybe that will all stop soon when we can literally look up what people were doing back then, haha.
[/quote]

You log how long you screw for?

I guess it won’t be long before that’s a thing, sadly.[/quote]

I foresee a Yelp like review service of relationships in the not too distant future, which will include categories like sexual stamina along with rate of remembering birthdays, ability to hold a job, etc etc. Be a good incentive to not burn too many bridges, haha.

It’s funny; people used to talk about the government being “big brother” and trying to keep tabs on us all, but we as a society have just decided to volunteer everything anyway. What a twist.

DELOAD

NG Chins
30+10+10

Notes: Wanted to keep things easy, so decided to see how many clean reps I could hit in 1 shot. Managed 30 before I had to set my feet down. These were full ROM and clean, compared to how I normally hit them. Rest paused for a total of 50.

Axle bench
5x120
5x150
5x180

Notes: Hit a set of 20 band pull aparts in between work and warm-up sets, so about 100 total.

Lateral raises 2.5lbs
1x100

Front raises 2.5lbs
1x100

Band pull aparts
1x100

DB hammer curls 10lbs
1x100

Lying DB extensions 10lbs
1x100

Axle rows
1x50

Notes: All just light stuff to get blood flowing and a small pump. The lateral raises were a little challenging, but everything else pretty easy.

Rolling thunder deadlifts

Worked up to 160lbs per hand (plus the weight of the loading pin)

90lbs for 72 seconds right hand, 76 seconds left

Notes: Missed the rolling thunder. It’s a blast to train. I stood on one foot for most of these just to take things easy on my healing knee, but as able to pull it dead off the floor for the 90lb set.

General notes: Woke up at 186.4 this morning. GI issues seem to have gone away thankfully. Screwing around with my training plan since I am going on a 3 day vacation starting Sunday, so hit my bench deload workout today, going to hit heavy seated good mornings tomorrow, and then come back and hit squats and presses getting back into my normal routine.