Glad you enjoyed it dude. Those shorter sessions are intense, and always a good gut check. It’s why I like to use so many supersets and giantsets in my training; more density, and a good test of conditioning.
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For sure man! I started putting a “timer on my workout” for 90 minutes. If I’m not done with everything within 90 minutes then I know I need to work harder next time. It keeps my chugging along instead of taking extensive rest periods!
But how do you do that so you don’t tire out muslces before you do them? Like for example lets say you do Back Squats and then Overhead press. But between back squats you do dips and abs. Won’t that affect your OHP? Or is it I just need to keep getting stronger so that won’t even matter?
Wait, am I doing squats, presses, dips or abs?
If I’m doing squats and presses, I’d alternate between those 2 movements. With dips and ab work, they’d be easy and wouldn’t get in the way.
I’m also a fan of ab work in between sets of squats.
EDIT: Another good one would be squat-ab-press-ab-squat-ab-press, etc.
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So for example this is the workout:
Back Squat 225x5
Dips 20xBW
Back Squat 275x5
Abs 10 leg raises
Back Squat 315x8
Dips 20xBW
Back Squat 375x8
Abs 10 leg raises
Back Squat 405x6
Dips 20xBW
Back Squat 455x3
Abs 10 raises
Overhead press
135x10
Etc…
Your triceps/shoulders/core wouldn’t be tired to hit top sets of OHP? Or do you program in a way that after your first “big” lift you don’t go as heavy on the 2nd big lift?
I’d save the dips until the end. I wouldn’t include them in the superset. Rest pause them for a rep total goal.
I can’t imagine abs getting too fatigued to train. If it’s really impacting performance, use sub-max sets. Don’t get close to failure; just accumulate volume.
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Sounds good man! Always appreciate the advice!
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Anytime @isdatnutty!
AM WORKOUT
Axle Bench Press
5xAxle
5x66
5x136
5x186
5x226
5x246
3x281
7x311
14x246
Notes: Still feeling a little beat down. Not my worst performance, but I’ve had more in me before.
DB hammer curls 45
5x10
DB lateral/power cleans 20
3x12/8
2x10/6
Notes: Performed between sets of bench. Forgot all about DBPCs until someone mentioned it somewhere else. Great movement. Glad to bring it back.
GIANT SETS
Log clean once and press away 135
4x10
NG chins w/30
5x10
DB rows 105
4x5
1x12
General notes: Woke up at 194.8. I’m planning on attempting a max deadlift this evening to break up my training a bit this week.
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PM WORKOUT
Deadlifts (texas deadlift bar)
5x135
5x185
5x275
1x365
1x455 (straps from here out)
1x545
1x635 (post surgical PR)
2x0x660
10x455
Notes: Had a break in the schedule and deload next week, so decided to see what I could do. I definitely have the grind back in me, but holy crap I’m pulling slow. Might be time to swap the axle out for the deadlift bar. This actually solves an issue I was having, as I wanted to run Building the Monolith this next cycle but didn’t know how to axle bench and deadlift easily.
That 10x455 was more of a gut check than I expected.
Also, tried to hit 660 again and missed it again. Getting close though. Really need that 300kg pull.
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PM WORKOUT
GHR sit ups w/25lb plate behind head
2x8
1x7
Buffalo Bar Squats
5xBar
5x100
5x140
3x190
1x230
1x280
1x320
1x370
1x410
1x460
REST PAUSE (15 deep breaths between sets)
10x370
8x370
6x370
3x370
2x370
1x370
5x320
Notes: Been a long time since I had anything heavy on my back for higher reps. All that time with the lower weight stuff paid off though, as I was recovering pretty quick between sets. Think I got my TMs figured out for Building the Monolith.
General notes: Woke up at 194.8 this morning. Back was still a little taxed from deads yesterday.
PM WORKOUT
Prowler w/200lbs loaded
8x50’
Notes: 30 seconds rest between runs. These always suck.
General notes: Woke up at 195.0 this morning. Cheat meal was Panda Express 3 item with veggies (orange chicken bejing beef and teriyaki chicken). Deload and onto Building the Monolith.
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Had a question for you man since you are a big believer in 5/3/1. I ordered the 5/3/1 forever book and should come in this week.
Out of all the programs/templates that 5/3/1 offers, which ones do you like that have more of a minimal exercise selection. I know you are big on having variety, but for a few months I think I want to play with getting stronger with just a handful of exercises and see how far I can push myself. I like the look of the morning star workout and the basic FB one.Just wanted to pick your brain man!
Are you running it as written or with some tweaks? Just curious because of your ROM progression and conditioning and such.
@isdatnutty I am still working my way through the book, but honestly ALL of 5/3/1 is minimal exercise selection. I can’t think of a single program that has what I would call a lot of exercises in it. For the most part, Jim doesn’t play around with exercise selection; he manipulates volume an intensity of a few key lifts. I think you could pretty much throw a dart and land on a program that fits what you are looking for.
@oldbeancam I am planning on implementing the following changes to make it a little more strongmanny.
-I’m sticking with my current bench approach of 5/3/1 and a FSL AMRAP. For the first time in my life my bench is FINALLY moving in a good direction, and I don’t want to screw that up.
-I’ll be using an axle for pressing on weeks 1,3,4 and 6. I will use a log on weeks 2 and 5.
-I will throw in a push press AMRAP set before the FSL set on the first press workout of the week.
-I will take at least half of the sets from the floor on the second press workout of each week. Continentals with the axle, log cleans for the floor. Possibly even viper the first rep with the log.
-I’ll be using a buffalo bar for all squatting. POSSIBLY a SSB if things get weird.
-Texas deadlift bar for deadlift. Some sets deadstop, some touch and go.
-Axle for bench.
-For conditioning work, I’ll have at least one 1.5 mile run a week. I plan to have a day for prowler and a day for strongman events as well.
-I’ll see how the nutrition goes. Since I eat very few carbs, I have no trouble getting the amount of protein in a day. It just won’t be ground beef and eggs necessarily.
No ROM progression for this cycle; gonna spend some time pulling off the floor with the TDB. This last deadlift workout was an eye opener.
AM WORKOUT
DELOAD
20 Minute EMOM Circus Dumbbell (95lbs) pull up ladder
Notes: So they way this worked was this: first 10 minutes, 1 rep per arm on the dumbbell followed by pull up ladders up to 10 reps. Next 10 minutes, alternate an arm per minute and redo the ladder. Some garbage reps and kipping at the end there. THis was plenty intense. Sneaks up on you good.
Dips
1x50
Pull aparts
1x50
Axle curls
1x50
General Notes: Woke up at 195.2. We’ll see what I end up doing for the rest of the week.
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Good shit man. Are it still planning on overhead pressing twice a week?
Having read some of your blog and watched some of your videos (not all by any stretch) and read through your log, you have a brutal, no-nonsense, whatever it takes approach to your training, and by your own admittance do not plan on chasing numbers/PRs into your later years, with this in mind have you ever considered PEDs? This is simply a curiosity of mine and with your hit it hard, hit it fast, hit it brutal approach it seems like it may have been something you had considered.
Yup. Minus the modifications I mentioned, I am running it exactly as is.
Hey man, I appreciate the question. PEDs are illegal in my country, so they haven’t really entered my equation.
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Went for a leisurely run today. Deload week has been just what I needed, because I am excited to get back to training again.
BUILDING THE MONOLITH DAY 1
AM WORKOUT
Buffalo bar Squat
5xBar
5x100
5x140
3x190
1x230
5x280
5x320
5x5x360
Axle Press
5xAxle
5x66
5x136
5x156
5x181
3x201
10x156
Notes: Too high a training max for press for how I’m training this. I took video and I’ll upload it later, but basically I set it up so that I went Squat-chin-press-chin-squat repeat. This made it so that I could get through the workout faster, but meant very short recovery periods. I’ve hit 5x201 on many occasions prior, but that was when press was the primary focus. On a full body day like this, think it’s time to lower it.
Chins (various grips)
25x4
Dips
2x30
3x20
Pull aparts
5x20
Notes: Everything performed between sets of squats. This was a helluva workout. Next time, I think I’ll save dips for last, because even with the Buffalo Bar, trying to do squats after dips was murder on the arms.
General notes: Woke up at 194.8. Got the whole workout done in about 50 minutes, which is 10 minutes less than usual, but I needed those extra 10 minutes to lay down and die. Wanted to prove that this workotu CAN be done in an hour or less, because I’ve seen so many people bitch about training time for it. Still figuring it out, but this has been a great eye opener and really relit some training fires. Haven’t pushed myself this hard in a while.
So, to illustrate the approach, like I said, through the presses it was squat-chin-press-chin-squat repeat. Once the presses were all done, it went squat-chin-pull apart-dip-chin-squat,repeat.
For diet overhaul, I’m trying to eat more food and less junk. Pre-trainig was 2 cups of wild blueberries with 2 tablespoons of raw honey. Post training was 2 scoops whey, 1 cup frosted flakes, 1 cup skim milk, and that’s going to be the most junk food of the day. I’ve added a meal on top of my normal nutrition, which is 1lb of beef ribs and 3 hardboiled eggs mixed into a romaine lettuce salad with cucumbers and cherry tomoatos.
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AM WORKOUT
Jacob Marley Walks 45 minutes
Notes: Cute name is due to how I rigged up my ghetto weight vest. Since I don’t own a weight vest, I just used some chains, like this
Seemed to have the net effect. Traps are still pretty achy from it. Was going to walk around the neighborhood, but we had a lightning advisory, and as much as I’d love to make a new training log all about how I overcame being struck by lightning it just didn’t seem like the most effective way to get through Buildnig the Monolith. It meant I ended up just walking back and forth in my garage for 45 minutes.
Woke up at 193.4. Peculiar to say the least. I’ll keep an eye on things and see if more calories need to be introduced.
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