Thanks partner! None taken. In fairness, what she says and what I hear are usually two very different things (which tends to be the source of any and all hot water I, and I imagine most other fellas, find ourselves in).
thank you for the advice! Saw it when you posted but didn’t get an opportunity to reply. I’ve incorporated all those suggestions and it’s definitely helping. I was supposed to go train legs early this morning, but instead decided to work on my recovery (sleep in), and don’t regret it. I’ll be hitting those drills throughout the day though.
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Every single male of probably every single species can relate to that, haha.
Always happy to help! You’ll be back in no time. I know this isn’t your first rodeo. You learn something along the way of each set back.
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Thanks man. Definitely a long learning process. unlike mice, it takes me several times of messing up before learning a lesson LOL. Big take away, is that I pretty much always hurt myself during some sort of max effort hinging exercise which sets me back and doesn’t really build much. Alternatively, training hinges with high reps, no dead stop and lighter weight always yields results.
I know there was a big debate going on whether or not touching go or dead stop is harder (I was dead stopping those trap bar deadlifts). For me, Having to re-brace every time makes dead stop work vastly harder and really opens me up to injury.
Friday - Legs
0640
30 cal echo bike
A1) RougeBelt squat - 180lbs x 5 x12
A2) belt squat calf raises - 180 x 5 x10
A3) reverses hypers - 50 x 5 x 15
3:00 between trisets
B1) standing cable leg curls - ramping x 4 x 12
B2) bulg split squats, foot on bar - BW x 4 x 12
B3) seated calf raises - 90 x 4 x 15
1:30 between trisets
NOTES
This workout didn’t really twinge my lower back any further and I was able to push the volume a bit, so win-win. I do have a bit of a low back pump though, Which is Restricting mobility a bit, but hopefully the extra blood in the area may help with some healing.
I actually feel pretty smoked from the session, Even with the trisets It took me about an hour and 20 minutes to knock this out
EDIT
I’d never say this on regular social media, but since I’ve got a veil of anonymity here, my wife and I are going to start trying.
I know it’s early, but if the stars align I don’t want to be a dad who can’t chase after my kids because I decided to train irresponsibly and blew out my back or something. Don’t get me wrong, injures can happen and I’m at peace with that, but I’d be a lot more at peace with injuring myself in a competition where I’m putting it all on the line. but I don’t need to be putting myself in ego-driven, risky situations in fucking training!
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Saturday - Chest & Arms
1100ish
A1) Axle bench - 226 x 4,5,4,4,3
A2) band pull aparts - 5 x 10
B1) Axle curls - 96 x 5 x 5
B2) YokeBar JM Press - 155 x 4 x 6-10
C1) 15* incline Thompson DB Bench - 62s x 3 x6-10
C2) 15* inc. TDB Bench, slingshot - 62s x 3 x 8-12
C3) atlas stone curls - 35lbs x 3 x 8-12
NOTES
Still really easy to get into the gym on a third day if I’m just doing a bro day. These workouts are starting to run a little long, so I think I’m going to need to condense the rest. Just a little bit and probably superset the first three exercises instead of doing them independently.
Also I’ve been reading up on the anabolic diet. It really, really speaks to me. I think I’m gonna start running it on Monday, but I’m going to add in a whole lot more vegetables than what it looks like the original plan calls for… more keto line of thinking to where dietary fiber doesn’t count in your total carbohydrate load
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Monday
2 mile dog walk +45lb vest
Tuesday - Shoulders and Back
0640
Echo bike: 30 cals
Shoulder saver
Tried some Swiss bar presses and went another direction.
A1) Thompson DB press - 53s x 4 x 5
A2) TDB Rows - 53s x 4 x 10
A3) Chins - 4 x 6
A4) toes to bar - 4 x 6
A5) lateral raises - 26lbs x 4 x 10
4:00 between giant sets
B1) TDB seated one arm Arnie Press - 26s x 3x20
B2) TDB rear delt flys - 18s x 3 x 15-20
B3) frog kicks - 3 x 10
B4) four count flutter kicks - 3 x 10
B5) Cable rows, MAG wide neutral grip - 3 x 12
2:00 between giant sets
NOTES
Began the Anabolic Diet yesterday (nutrition snapshot below), and got about 3-4 hours of sleep last night.
I had the intention of Swiss bar pressing or strict log, but felt both a lack of strength and some clavicle tightness so I opted for DBs, which proved a good call. The 53s felt very light, but I figured I could just lift them faster. I’ll probably move to the 62s next time though.
Back is still hurt, but slowly getting better and I’m finding decent workarounds while it does. Been doing daily mobility & the McGill big 3 along with lots of heat, thanks to @Koestrizer
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Holy crap man, that’s a lot of fat. What does your food look like?
@dagill2 this is how it broke down:
I’m still on the path to gaining weight, but was previously taking in a lot more carbs and just couldn’t stay awake throughout the day lol.
keto is supposed to amplify mental acuity, but is tough for folks who are really into beer, chips and ice cream. This diet actually seems like a plan where balance can be achieved, since it’s basically keto during the week, and high carb, medium fat, and low protein on the weekends. Yesterday I legitimately felt like I do when I’m fasting, but after taking in 3,000+ calories.
—————
Wednesday - Legs
0640 training, went to bed around 2300 night prior
30 calories on echo bike, 4:28
Bird dogs & some hangs
A1) standing cable hamstring curls - 5 x 10
A2) rouge belt squat - 230lbs x 5 x 8
A3) Belt squat calf raises - 230lbs x 5 x 8
4:00 rest between trisets
B1) Bulgarian split squat, foot on bar - BW x 3 x 12
B2) reverse hypers - 50lbs x 3 x 15
B3) deep stretch standing calf raises - BW x 3 x 12
2:00 rest between trisets
NOTES
This session was a lot harder than it looks on paper. No food prior, just black coffee.
I doubt I’ll do it, because it would be too intelligent, but it may be worthwhile to can squats and focus exclusively on belt squats. The legs get blasted, and they keep the lower back happy - I’d still get plenty of lower back work once shoulders & back day ramps back up and I can bring back the strongman events, stone work & deadlift variations. Ditching squats doesn’t seem to be unheard of in strongman training.
But again, that’s probably too smart of an approach.
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That’s a serious steak man. How do you like belt squats? I’m trying to experiment with new things a bit, while I can, and they seem like a useful thing to have in the arsenal.
Haha, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to choke down the last half of it. I also made the mistake of backloading the calories later in the day. Yesterday was way better spaced out for sure and made consumption far less of an evening gauntlet.
I’m totally a convert man, but am still in a learning curve. I’m having to constantly remind myself to not stare down at the cable between my feet, foot placement feels totally different than a squat or leg press since the resistance is in a novel direction, and apparently the belt worn makes a huge difference since each one sits differently on my waist.
That being said, there’s no way I could be training my legs heavyish right now without it. In regard to stress on the lower back, putting the plates on the rig is a whole lot more stressful than actually squatting it. If you get a chance to try it, I’d say give it a few times before forming a conclusion on it. It’s definitely my new favorite tool.
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I’m mentally preparing myself for a similarly sized steak serving tonight. I’ve got 340g (I don’t know the old money conversion) of fillet lined up as basically my only solid food of the day. It sounded amazing when I planned it, but I can see it turning into an ordeal before the end.
I’ll have to do a bit of Macgyver-ing to get it to work and hope my old, cheap dip belt holds up, but I’m definitely liking the idea, which is pretty rare for me and lower body exercises.
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Are you on the busy dad’s diet of work, sleeplessness and shakes? Lol.
I hate when food sounds better in planning than in practice. On Monday, breakfast was actually double what’s listed, but I forget that I have a really short fuse when it comes to eggs, and after plowing through half of it was like FUCK. THIS.
I bet you’ll be fine with that set-up man, so long as there’s more leather that duct tape. Whenever you get to it id be interested in hearing your thoughts on it.
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I avoid that mostly with extensive meal prep and intermittent fasting these days, but I’m trying to take Wednesdays as a low calorie day because I spend all day with the kids and it’s pretty physically undemanding. Plus, it’s less stressful if they don’t see me eat.
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Haha man, I basically have a kill-switch when it comes to eggs. I’ll be moving along just fine then out of nowhere I’ll toss a bite in and my stomach will wretch and it’s a struggle to get it down. Usually can finish them but they are pretty unenjoyable at that point.
I’d love to have the space for a belt squat platform some day. I’ve only used one once but it was great, blasted the hell out of my quads and my knees felt pretty good with it.
Haha, misery loves company. Glad it’s not just me though and that’s exactly how I feel. like, within moments of passing the 3-4 mark my body just rejects it with force. If I have enough powerfully-flavored food like barabacoa, bacon or steak to saturate it, I can usually get through it, but that’s about it.
Actually now that you mention knees, they are bothering me a little bit. I’m thinking it’s because I usually squat with a really quick descent, and with traditional squatting or even leg pressing there’s more body to buffer the weight. Whereas now, all of the weight is distributed across a far smaller area.
That, or more likely I haven’t quite found the groove on the movement pattern yet. I should probably stand a bit more forward on the platform, so the weight is pulling down and back versus just down. May be able to get the hips more involved that way.
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Friday- Chest & Arms
A1) Bench - 225 x 5, 4, 4, 2, 3
A2) Dips - +2 chains x 8, 6; +1 chain x 8, 8, 6
A3) TDB curls - 44s x 5, 5; 35s x 5, 5, 5
A4) band pull aparts
4:00 between giant sets
B1) SSB Bench - 155 x 3 x 6-10
B2) 15* incline TDB Bench - 44s x 3 x 6-10
B3) atlas stone curls - 35lbs x 3 x 10
2:00 between trisets
C1) Axle curls - rest pause
C2) band push downs - rp
C3) cable flys - rp
NOTES
Did a lot of mobility stuff during rest times. I was going strong on bench with the added dips until set three where the fatigue just hit hard
2 Likes
Monday - GVT shoulders & back
0700
30 calories on echo bike, 4:27 (warm up PR)
A1) 12” strict log
85/empty x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5
85 x 10 x 10*
*slow eccentrics on the last three sets
A2) mix of pull downs and chins, then
12” log rows - 85 x 5 x 10
Cable seated low rows 75 x 5 x 10
1:30 between A & B of bird dogs, side planks and mobility during.
B) cable face pulls - rest pause
C) push-ups- rest pause
NOTES
I’m just feeling all around beat up from head to toe. My wife told me yesterday that my “old man noises” were getting out of hand. Not surprisingly, I’ve also been eyeing Deep Water since it seems friendlier on the joints and tendons, but just cannot commit to the schedule.
In an attempt to remedy both, I’m going to have a go at German Volume Training. I think my main lifts are going to be strict log press, belt squats and slight incline bench with the Thompson DBs, and use some rehab exercises for the assistance work at the end of the session.
I will see my coworkers for the first time in six weeks, and plan on going this until at least then. Hopefully I’ll have gained a little clean size and won’t feel so thrashed.
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Haha. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but current me can be selfish when it comes to future me.
Apparently, that’s her term for the audible groans I’ve been making too much of when moving around lol.
I get it now. It’s weird we train, among other things, to get healthy and capable. Then end up creaking and groaning to get out of seats or avoiding stairs because it was squat day a few days ago.
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It really is sort of ironic. Balance really is a goal that I want to achieve. I’d much rather be pretty strong, pretty lean, pretty mobile and pretty well conditioned, than really good at one at the expense of the others.
