Silver and Steel

Training Training Logs
3848

That is a great question. Had to think about this a bit but here is what I would do.

Let me first say that for me I would have to keep some sort of programmed strength work in my plan. I just work better if I have a program set out with weights set. Now that doesn’t mean powerlifting it just means I am not making up as I go and as you commented before a good BB program should still include some heavy compound movements.

For the weeks I am at home and have more control over my training I would run a 3 or 4 day strength progression. Basically something like 531, with a deadlift, squat (SSB for you), bench, overhead. I would run 3 days and put overhead and deadlift together
Given that you may only do this every other week. I would make the supplemental work pretty tough, thinking for squat widow makers and 50 reps in the minimum number of sets for the other movements.

The weeks I am away travelling I would use for all the accessory work and hitting any weak points or muscles than need some work. For this week i would go more bodybuilding type training with intensification methods, rest pause, drops sets etc. I guess some sort of medows based hybrid.

If I happened to be home 2 weeks on the trot, Then i would stick with the strength work and do the next week.

Given I am a bit older, this approach gives me some rest from the heavy heavy work when I am travelling and lots of time to do accessories that I often neglect.

Tagging @wiseman83 given he travels a lot too,

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3849

A little different for me as I have access to a Crossfit gym next to my motel.

But getting back into the calisthenics/athletic/throwing pursuits sounds like a good idea though. If you only get one or two big weights sessions in per fortnight, I’d be squatting and pressing as a main focus. 531 probably wouldn’t cut it…but it might.

I’d probably do something Hard, like reverse pyramid training ala LeanGains. It’s three hard sets…it’s brutal. But it works when frequency can’t be higher.

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3850

If you want to change things up regularly, you could do a traditional BB programme while at home and just do an athletic programme while travelling.

That should hopefully keep you from getting bored and offer the best of both worlds?

Or something you may not want to do is maybe run one of those combine programmes. Pretend you are back in college again. Those usually have some BB and power explosive stuff in but as I’m not experienced with them this might be a terrible suggestion.

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3851

@simo74 @wiseman83 @rugby_lifting sincere thank you for all the thoughts gents! I’ll get back in here shortly to thoughtfully respond and post what I’ve done the last few days

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3852

Anyone remember where my log is? Oh - found it!

First, a little catch-up, then what I’m doing now with a bit of a response to your awesome thoughts, then a couple questions.

So I spent a week doing complexes similar to the CT Superhero setup, but a little closer to French Contrast training. Super fun, brutal on my nervous system (where you feel the nap coming right after - I like this), and really had me soaked in sweat because I haven’t been doing this stuff.

Then we took the kids down to Orlando for a few days and had an absolute blast. I’ve really tried to focus the last year or so on actually taking vacations and doing things with my family. It’s very easy to work and just let time slip by. If anyone young happens to read this, I promise it doesn’t matter, you’re replaceable at work, and whether or not you take that week off won’t actually impact your career (which matters less than you think anyway); it’s like having a cheat meal when you eat right 99% of the time. Anyway, this isn’t LinkedIn, so I’ll stop dropping humble brag “wisdom” nobody actually needs. While in FL, we did a baby scuba diving thing (that was incredible), Discovery Cove (very immersive aquarium), SeaWorld, and a murder mystery dinner that honestly may have been my kids’ favorite part. Super fun. We go back in May/ June, because my wife grew up there and has friends, and we found some keepers to do again.

Onto the gym plan going forward. Across the board @simo74, @wiseman83 and @rugby_lifting had great points that, for me, boiled down to pick a plan with barbell work/ progressions on the weeks I’m home, take calisthenics/ plyos with me whenever, and do what I can with what’s available on the road. @Andrewgen_Receptors and @FlatsFarmer, I think, wanted to see the new CT plan in action. I both wanted to feel athletic and not have to make any choices, so… (drum roll): I put a handful of CT plans into a random choice generator (probably my favorite @T3hPwnisher suggestion ever, and there are many) to just run what it split out - plus I’d decided to add his “explosiveness add-on” from his site on top of whatever came out.

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Sorry, dudes, the Indigo program is what came out. I’ll do these as the 4-week blocks and assess after each. I think 4-6 week programs is all I can stand anymore, anyway. Once I’m done on this train, we’ll jump back on his new hypertrophy stuff.

So, today, was the bench pattern.

I won’t totally write out the explosiveness stuff, because CT sells it on his site. It’s a bunch of jumps and explosive pushups. I did them in between my first and second block of exercises (listed below).

High Frequency Strength

  1. Pull-ups
    3 x 6
    I’ll progress these just by using harder variations (we have grenade balls and things)

  2. SSB Squat
    135/10 x 3
    I want to go really light on these, rock bottom, narrow stance, and no knee sleeves or anything to see if that improves how mine feel.

  3. Bench
    135/10 x 3
    You’re supposed to start light on this work, but this was too light.

Foundation

  1. Floor Press
    135/10
    185/4
    185/7 + 2 + 1
    Wore out quick!

Structural

  1. Superset (3 rounds)
  • DB Hex Press
    40/8
  • Wide Bench
    135/8
  1. Superset (3 rounds)
  • DB Flye
    35/8
  • Dips
    BW/7

Awesome day!

Basketball starts next Sunday, so it will be interesting to see how my knees hold up.

I’ll start a new post for my questions, so I don’t make anyone read this novel to help me out. Although I did narcissistically tag the world, so maybe it’s too little too late.

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3853

Ok, so here’s the questions. I want to start adding in Mag-10 after reading @Matthew_Weeldreyer and CT’s comments (CT said he has it before a lift). My goals are kind of a lean gain phase. I have a slightly harder time recovering between sessions than I once did, which probably comes down to just not being able to eat everything in sight anymore without gaining 1000lbs. In addition, I play rec league basketball with 20 year olds on Sundays, which makes my knees hurt for about 3 days after; I’m wondering if Curcumin might help.

So here’s my thought and I’d live any feedback. @Chris_Shugart maybe you know best.

Train first thing in morning: I wake up at 5, drink coffee on the way, and am lifting by about 5:45.

I’m thinking:

  • Indigo 3G as I leave the house (20 minute drive)
  • Chug Mag-10 when I arrive? Or would it make more sense intra?
  • Surge Workout Fuel intra
  • 2 scoops Metabolic Drive post-lift
  • Then I typically have two meals during the day - right now it’s grits and eggs/ whites and rice and ground turkey
  • I also have Flameout every night
  • Curcumin nightly and following basketball games?

Any thoughts are appreciated!

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3854

Seems to be an awful lot of stuff for pre/intra workout nutrition IMO. You could probably swap one of these (maybe surge) out for a banana tbh.

I say that while also acknowledging that a different forum I’m on has adopted a strategy of carb timing such that all carbs are pre/intra workout… use the carbs for what they’re made for. I try to do this as all.

I guess i don’t think intra workout nutrition is super important if you’re already placing most of your carbs around training anyways, but I’m still experimenting with this myself.

Maybe split flameout 50/50 before training and before bed?

I will say that i felt less achy on Biotest Curcumin last i tried, but i haven’t touched any supplements that aren’t injectable in a bit so it’s hard to say.

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3855

Totally fair. It’s early, too, so I don’t know how badly I want to drink the extra Mag-10 drink.

I will say, the Surge makes a noticeable difference in my sessions. That would be the thing I’d most likely keep if something else has to go.

Interesting. I’ve never really put any thought into how I take this; I just do it pre-bed because I always have.

Now this is good to hear!

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3856

I agree with @Andrewgen_Receptors regarding the carb timing - pre/intra/post workout is best, a small hit at night for sleep only if you need them.

Also, where’s your veggies?? lol

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3857

But I don’t wanna…!

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3858

Well, suck it up. I was going to tell you to trade the grits for oats and the rice for sweet potatoes or potatoes, but I let that go… So, compromise. lol

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3859

Looks good, I wanna see how good that hydrolyzed casein works.

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3860

One of us!

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3861

Brutal leg day today!

HFS
Did abs in between everything today

  1. Pullups
    3x6
  2. SSB Squat
    135/ 10 x 3
  3. Bench
    135/10 x 3

Foundation

  • Belt Squat
    It called for leg press, but I’m loving belt squat lately - it’s all quads
    1pps/8
    2pps/8
    2.25pps/8 x 3
    2.25pps/ 8 + 4 + 2

Structural

  1. Superset (3 rounds)
  • DB Alternating Lunge
    25/8
  • Trap Bar Squat
    135/8
  1. Superset (3 rounds)
  • Leg Extension x 8
  • BW Squats x 10 or so

Absolutely finished - this one made the stairs tough. Going lighter and really sitting in the stretch position is a good kind of awful right now.

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3862

I’ve noticed that with newer Micellar Curcumin, as long as I take once per day (nightly for me) I reap all the benefits – my knees let me know. I don’t think timing is that much of an issue, though I might not take it after weight training because, in that case, we want a little temporary inflammation.

I’ll also skip the standalone curcumin if I’m taking i-Well since it contains it. I take i-Well twice per week (I think that’s all that’s needed for its main purpose: trained immunity).

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3863

I haven’t tried Mag-10 before lifting like CT has mentioned, but my suggestion would be a third option just to be difficult.

Indigo-3G, followed by Surge Workout Fuel pre/during training, and then Mag-10 post-workout.

I’d move the Metabolic Drive shake to another point in the day. It could even be what you follow the Mag-10 up with.

As for Micellar Curcumin, I take it specifically for my knees. They don’t like the same amount of ice time that the rest of me does. So your thinking with it is spot on. I just take a single dose once per day in the evening, usually just one capsule. Sometimes I bump it up to two if I’ve been more active than usual - meaning too many 10:50 PM hockey games. :joy:

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3864

Thanks @Chris_Shugart and @Matthew_Weeldreyer! Sounds like I’ll roll with Curcumin at night, which makes life easier, and I’ll try the Mag-10 following lifting. I used to take I-Well, and I really felt like it was keeping me from getting colds and the like, but the D3 seemed like it was making my rosacea (a fun new thing right as I turned 40) flare up and I looked like a monster all the time. I still look like a monster, but my face is a little less red.

Today was lats and bis, right in the middle of the hard days, which was perfect. I started with the jumps, but I just had no force and my knees are swelling a little, so I might have to move that stuff specifically to its own day at the end of the week… which is exactly what CT suggested in the Indigo program anyway. Guess I should listen here and there.

Lats

  1. Kayak Row
    3 x 6
    This is devastating for the upper lats. Great to start with.
  2. Straight-arm Pulldown with Rope
    3 x 8
  3. Supinated Pulldown
    2s hold at bottom
    3 x 8
  4. DB Pullover
    2s hold in stretch
    50/8 x 3

Biceps

  1. Superset (3 rounds)
  • DB Hammer Curl
    30/8 x 3
  • Rope Pressdown
    3 x 12-15
  1. Superset (3 rounds)
  • EZ Preacher Curl
    50/8
    60/8 x 3
  • Rope OH Extension
    3 x 10ish
  1. Superset (3 rounds)
  • DB Incline Curl
    Low double contraction
    20/8
    20/6
    17.5/6
  • Close-grip Pushups
    3 x 12-15

It’s like a freaking hurricane outside, so I’m not sure the dog is getting her walk. She likes the walks, but she likes not being in the rain and wind more; snow doesn’t bother her.

I think my second meal is about to lose its carbs. I’m just not hungry at all. So that’s likely to become ground turkey/ lean ground beef (kinda depends what’s in stock) and a couple of eggs instead of the rice. I’m not upset about this! Maybe I’ll throw in some peppers and onions to pretend there’s veggies there…

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3865

Yes!

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3866

Ha! I thought you’d like that… the first half, anyway.

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3867

I’m just being a parody of myself at this point, haha. Peppers and onions are delicious, no question.

And really, I’m just a fan of you in general. AND I learned that I need to switch when I take my Curcumin, so that’s cool. The training logs remain one of the best sections here: so many good ideas swarming.

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