Aw, thanks! I’m enjoying myself.
Husband maybe not as much. 
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I doubt that’s true!
That has been my thinking, too. The first week, I did the mile with a trap bar (no sled). Now I’ve done three Barbarian Days as written–I can’t say I noticed much difference.
Each block, you’re supposed to add weight to the sled. Feeling a bit feisty, and a week early, I tried the mile with 30lb DBs. That did make a shockingly big difference in the amount of suck; I wanted to lay down and die pretty early on.
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Love that. That’s probably what I’ll do this weekend; it’s the carry part that sucked anyway.
Do you have a log? I feel like I’ve seen it before, but I was looking and couldn’t find it.
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Ok, where are we.
Had my physical yesterday and blood pressure and heart rate and all that were good. Didn’t have labs back in time to look at, so we’ll do a more detailed talk next week. After moves and insurance changes and the like, this was my first visit with a new primary care and he was awesome. He’d been a medic in the 82nd before his career in medicine, and he’s been doing this for awhile, so we got along. I did ask him to call my wife and tell her I was actually too healthy, and I should probably spend some time focusing on pizza and beer, but he had another patient so we didn’t get there.
Today was push day.
- Warmup
- 10 minutes elliptical
- 2m 35# DB stretch
- 30 Pushups
- 3 x 5 Plyo Pushups from Bench
- Bench
5s eccentric all reps
45/6
95/6
135/3
185/5
185/5
185/4
185/4
Then the gym was slightly crowded so I took it as an excuse to get a fantastic pec pump rather than doing what I was supposed to do. It wasn’t as awesome as the arm pump the other day, but I’m pleasantly surprised how much blood I can get in there with a lot of volume even without the carbs.
-
DB Incline
35/20
60/12
90/6
90/6
60/17
Really took these down to get great reps each time -
HS Wide Press
1pps/12
1.1pps/10
1.25pps/10
2pps/8
1pps/25 -
Superset (3 x 6ish each)
- Cable Flye
- Dips
- Pushups
- Conditioning
- Assault Bike 20:40 x 10 minutes
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Outstanding news dude! Those are the best PRs.
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Yeah, it’s in the “T-Nation Plan” section. It’s easy to find–there are only, like, four of us left still actively posting.
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Catching up on updates. It’s been busy lately, not a complaint, but I’d just rather catch up on what everyone is doing in the other threads when I have pockets of time.
Anyway, yesterday I did the eternal warrior back workout. The TBDLs with 5s eccentrics were pretty awful. I basically end up pausing right below my knees to make it take long enough. I did 275 for sets of 4 again.
Today was supposed to be the MetCon, but I had energy and my eye was wandering, and I’m looking for any excuse to not do the programmed workouts… so I did a full chest and shoulders day again with tons of volume. I’ll likely do the right workout tomorrow, but who knows. I’m not really holding myself to the fire on this, obviously.
This was week 4 of the carnivore diet, and it’s become pretty effortless. Like I’m just now thinking about eating something, even after the gym, and it’s no problem. I am going to start adding some things back in in the near future to see how I do. First on the list is going to be simple lettuce; the world of convenience that opens with lettuce wraps and salads and the like is just too easy a mark. I’ll give that a few days and over time see what veggies I feel like I handle well. Peppers and onions wrecking my stomach was eye-opening, so I’ll go slow with this.
Eventually, I will work some carbs back in there, but also one at a time. I’m not there yet, though, so we’ll start with green leaves.
So, to sum up: diet going well and I think doing what it’s supposed to; training is very enjoyable right now, but I’m not being extraordinarily disciplined with following the program.
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Really glad to hear it’s been going well for you dude! Peppers and onions had a similar issue for me. I DEFINITELY discovered that when I ate a plate of the damn things, haha. You’re getting some real benefits from this elimination approach. Happy to hear about the effortless fasting as well.
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I 100% am! I never would have thought about the peppers and onions, as an example. I don’t think cheese bothers me at all, because that’s come in an out with no issue, but I really think eliminating bread was a big win. I appreciate all the Q&A and support!
I’ll come in and write it up later, but so I don’t forget: I did a bro leg day and a bastardized version of the MetCon today.
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Just throwing this out there as an FYI - onions and garlic are triggers for a lot of folks. If I were you, I’d try separating the onions and peppers just to see if it’s just the onions or maybe even just the peppers. If you can drill that down it’ll be easier to identify other things that might be an issue.
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I guess to add to that, nightshades can be triggers for others (like me).
Peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes, tobacco. (I had a tobacco-washed whiskey in a cocktail once. Was delicious but did not react well to it at all. Wasn’t the nicotine.)
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@QuadQueen @LoRez - thank you both!
I’ll start with trying out peppers/ onions and see where that takes me.
Potatoes are next up on the list of foods I want to see if I can handle, anyway, so that’s a good callout!
So, workout wise:
Yesterday I was just way too bored to do just what I was supposed to do, so I did a relatively long one.
- 10 minutes bike
-
Lying Leg Curl
Some warmups (I really don’t remember), then
95/ 6 x 3 w/ 5s negatives on everything -
SSB Squat
45/10
135/10
185/10
225/8
275/6 x 2 -
Banded Leg Extension
This was kind of fun!
A couple sets of 10, then a set where I did the 10, dropped the band, then did another drop -
Banded GHR
Eh… the band isn’t a huge winner here
3 x 6 or so -
Leg Press
Worked up
4pps/ 25
3pps/ a bunch
2pps/ a bunch more
MetCon
Now for the part I was supposed to do. I forget to bring a bag or anything (although I did have my pink fanny pack for my keys - I tell no lies), so I just did the sprints, pushups, and lunges without.
For the walk misery, I grabbed this sandbag that’s kind of a small duffel. It feels similar to the 100# sandbag we have, but I’m going to say it’s 80 because I don’t know. I threw it on my shoulders and walked a mile. Way worse than I thought it would be. I thought it would just be like rucking, and I’d get it over with really quickly, but it was absolutely awful. I had to keep taking breaks.
Then, today, I didn’t do anything close to what I was supposed to do. I’m enjoying my ADHD, though, so maybe that’s good enough.
- 10 minutes bike (this is when I decided I broing out)
-
Incline Press
45/15
135/15
185/10
205/6
155/15 -
Giant Set (5 rounds)
- Cable Flyes: 5 + 5 partials
- 10s chest flex
- 15 - 20# DB Flyes/ 10
-
HS Shoulder Press
1pps/12
1.25pps/10
2pps/8
1pps/16 -
Giant Set (3 rounds)
- 15# DB Side Raise/ 8
- 15# DB Rear Delt/ 8
- 15# DB Incline Swing/ 20
- Band Side Raise Hold x 20s
- Superset (3 rounds)
- EZ Curl
5s flex at 90 degrees
50/6-8 - DB Incline Curl
20/10 x 2
20/10 + 15/7 + 10/6
- Giant Set (3 rounds)
- DB Hammer Curl
20/10-12 - DB Alternating Hammer Curl
20/6 - Band Hammer Curl x 15
The end!
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Awful sums it up.
I had never appreciated how far a mile really is… until recently. Also, I now hate whoever invented the mile–it’s entirely too far and a stupid distance that’s not easily divisible by anything.
How far in advance do you know what you’re doing at the gym? Like when do you decide, “Gonna go off plan and do my own thing?”
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This is such a good question. I’ll drop some random thoughts to pretend I know what I’m doing vs. I’m simply a moron with god-tier genetics for size (we won’t talk about strength). Well, demi-god tier for size; @davemccright has redefined what is possible in a relatively short time period for me; what a jerk.
Anyway, a couple quick points of context as we begin our ramble:
- Looking good comes down to relative muscle mass vs. leanness (as well as the Adonis features with which God gifted me, but there’s just nothing you can do about that), and neither of these things requires genius programming. If you push a few sets for most your major muscle groups hard each week, and eat relatively well, you’ll hit these.
- I have a relatively broad athletic background, so it’s easy for me to drop things in or out and know how bad I suck at something… because I have a prior baseline. I also know pretty quickly when I’ll get through the detrained hump and get into what I’m doing vs. it’s just a grind that I don’t like or it’s not feeling right.
- This is probably the biggest contextual piece: I don’t always care if I’m making progress. I think there’s necessary periods of maintenance, anyway, and there’s plenty of opportunity to experiment without regression during the year. I firmly believe sticking to the program is the best way to make progress, but if I don’t have a goal or just want to do what I want in the gym to get away from life for awhile, I accept that.
So, anyway, when I’m in experimental mode I would say it’s when I hit the gym that I change whatever I’m doing that day. Like if I’m starting to warm up on a bike and the thought of doing what I’m supposed to do makes me want to go home, or I look downstairs and it’s crowded and I don’t want to set up circuits (in the recent example), I just call an audible. Since I’m in experiment mode, that’s “on plan.”
I would even argue recently that I’ve been setting myself up to do whatever before I even get to the gym, and I can see it in my posts. Once I say “we’ll see what happens tomorrow,” that probably means it’s going to be high-volume bro work. That’s my safe place.
When I’m trying to make some progress, I try to stick really specifically to the plan. In that case, changes will happen for one of 3 reasons (but none of them are total “screw it” changes):
- I’m going to be traveling. This is the change with somewhat advanced notice. I’ll then try to get my two main days (legs and push) done at home before I go, and then pull and arms done in the hotel gym - those are easier to replicate with just a pullup bar and cables, which the hotel gyms will typically have.
- Equipment is being used or the gym just doesn’t have what I normally use/ is called for. This is an easy exercise swap, so it’s not a big deal and you’re obviously doing that in your log anyway. My rule is just I have to choose something as hard/ harder, if possible. Like I can’t switch leg press for leg extensions, but I can switch leg press for belt squats. Same principle if I’m warming up and an exercise doesn’t feel right. So if I’m doing dumbbell rows, and my biceps tendon hurts or I just can’t get my lat to contract, I’ll go do seated cable rows no problem.
- My body hurts. This is one I’ve just started paying more attention to recently, and I think it has helped a lot. I do think, earlier in a training career, you don’t really know soreness vs. fatigue vs. something a little deeper, and you need to just get your reps in. Now, though, if I get up and start warming up and it’s just not happening I will either change the focus, the day, or sit it out. This is typically a gametime decision, because I don’t trust myself to make it until I get to the gym (like I don’t want to just “rather” sit on the couch). Once I get there, though, and nothing is feeling right, I’m happy to swap a leg day for push if my low back feels off. On the flip side, if it’s back day, and I feel fine but the heavier weights just aren’t targeting my lats, I can also lighten up and just go for volume and get a pump. Finally, if everything feels heavy and off and I’m smoked, let’s just get in some light cardio and go home. The last programmed phase I did, I extended the week to 8 days and it was fantastic. That wasn’t “planned,” I just noticed the first couple weeks that’s how it worked out; then I stuck with it on purpose, though.
It is kind of crazy, even a little fun, how bad it can get! Like, this is a mile - high schoolers run this thing in 5 minutes. Half an hour later… “just pick up the stupid bag and take 15 more steps, come on!”
I don’t like all the set up as written, I guess because I’m lazy, but I do like the idea of just take a mile and see how sweaty you can be at the end. I am finding, as I always do, circuits irritate me. I just want to do the one thing at a time as awful as I can. So let the weights be to failure and the conditioning be death.
Edit: I just saw how long this is when I hit “post”. 5 gold stars to anyone that reads this novel.
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I think sometimes not making progress is actually making progress. For me it seems that Just keeping consistent and doing some work, even if you aren’t hitting PR’s, adds to overall accumulation and that adds up to future progress. I like the build a house analogy, you keep laying bricks and then suddenly you have an extra story.
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Thibs was a guest on Dave Tate’s podcast a few months back. They both talked about how doing a minimum of training, or none at all, for 3-12 weeks, is a great way to become resensitized to training. After a longish deload or break, you’ve set yourself up for a short period of newbie-like gains. This is what a lot of top-level athletes do.
Funny how that works. I find it less stressful to follow a plan than make up a workout on the fly.
To me, what’s interesting about Punisher’s “Chaos is the Plan” training and diet is that there’s structure, but a degree of freedom built in . I always liked the “Slow Carb Diet” and “Phase-Shift Dieting” because both are a combination of strict adherence and total freedom–and there’s really nothing better than occasionally going out to a restaurant and crushing a pepperoni pizza with your kid(s).
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I appreciate the kind words haha! How far into Taskmaster did you make it and what were your thoughts?
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John McCallum wrote about this very idea in “The Complete Keys to Progress” as well. Intentionally “softening up” so that you can really grow again. And we saw this with Soviet era athletes too: LONG periods away from training before getting back to the weights. Jamie Lewis presented the idea that this was because, for the majority of Soviets, weight training was simply not permitted, so once these athletes left the training hall after the big game, they HAD no means to train, but either way the impact was still the same.
And I’m glad you could dig the plan IN the chaos of “Chaos is the Plan”. It’s a framework, and totally accounts for 80/20. If you abide by “the plan” 80% of the time, that 20% of chaos isn’t going to do you any harm. Might actually be just the catfish you need to keep growing.
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@barley1 @simo74 @T3hPwnisher you gents are all over it! I absolutely agree across the board. I also think it can still even fit within “keeping the goal the goal;” sometimes the goal really is to take a step back, or to just keep training, or to heal up some injuries, or build a different capacity, or whatever.
@davemccright I’ve done the whole back block before. I like the high frequency blocks, but they’re tough for me when I’m traveling. I also simply don’t recover as well, anymore, likely more from lifestyle than anything, but it’s an impact. I find a marked drop in performance on my third consecutive training day; the high frequency tends to be 5-6 days a week, so it’s tougher to fit. I do still like doing it, though… so who knows what I’ll do in the future.
I’m certainly in screw around mode. Yesterday I went to the gym and started warming up the back work… and 135 felt awfully heavy. Third consecutive training day, so go figure. So I did half an hour on the bike, then some jumps, throws and abs.
My son had an absolutely brutal day yesterday. Just completely overwhelmed, in tears, unhappy. A lot of it stemmed from being the slowest kid on his “track” (it’s really like a run group) team. He’d been running on his own a little (which I was really proud to see), and thought he would have improved. He was just totally dejected. I was glad to be home and we spent a bunch of time together. Today he wanted to “train” with me, so long as we don’t go to the gym. So I’m about to go outside and jump and throw a med ball with him and see if he likes any of it… just trying to get him to build some confidence in himself.
Diet-wise, so far I’ve had one cube of watermelon as my non-carnivore introduction. I just haven’t really felt like adding anything back yet. I still will as I ramp training back up harder, but the scale is going down consistently and I think that has me pretty motivated - big win here!
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