Twenty by 40 by 2020 - Journey Back to Where I Was 20 Years Ago

11/12

Warm-up (stretch, bike)

  1. A2G Front Squat 20 warm-up reps ramping to
    a. 6x1 (245)
    b. 1x3 (215)
  2. Strict OHP - 6x7 at 45-55-65-75-85-95
  3. 39 pull-ups in sets of 5 and 4 throughout
  4. Did a few box jumps too

Going to have to start making jumps in squats by only 5# next cycle through. 245 through full ROM is actually pretty tough. Going to also make my 3 rep back off set more like an AMRAP minus 1, or as many reps as I can do in a minute, or something like that.

Also think I need to start doing heavy pulls at least once a week, probably on my clean day, doing either clean pulls, or deadlifts. Should make cleans feel easier, and help overall strength levels.

All that to say, my ā€œminimal dose to make progressā€ approach has been very good, allowed me to maintain strength while losing weight, and I haven’t had anything more than niggling aches and pains since I started training this way.

1 Like

11/13

Various bodybuilding style exercises for about 30 minutes.

1 Like

11/14 - OFF

11/15

Walk/jog warmup

  1. Power Clean - 20-30 warmup reps. Then 6x1 (225) 1x3 (205)
  2. Bent Row - 6x1 (205) 1x3 (185)
  3. Pull-ups: 10 reps strict. Then 5-4 with short rest

Walk/jog cooldown.

I don’t know that I’ve gotten that much stronger on this set-up, but haven’t gotten weaker - with very low volume and time working out.

11/16

45’ of jog-walk-run outdoors. Running was about 32ā€ pace per 200m.

1 Like

11/17

Track: Shot Put and Discus. Shot put was terrible, discus pretty good. I can feel exactly what I’m doing wrong, but just can’t seem to correct it. It’s specifically to do with how the upper body and lower body are connected - where in the shot put, you want your upper body behind your lower body until release (almost like a golf swing), and in the discus, you want your throwing hand (in my case right) and right foot to move almost in unison (more like a baseball pitch, where after release, the back foot keeps following the throwing hand. And in both cases, you need to completely extend your hips (almost like a vertical jump) to get the power

I’m just not syncing up all 3 of those from a timing or execution standpoint. It’s the fun thing about track, is there is so much technique to it.

11/18 - OFF

11/19

20 reps of warm-up then:

  1. Front Squat: 7x1 (245) and 1x3 (225)
  2. OHP: 7x 45-55-65-75-85-95
  3. 41 pull-ups throughout

Pull-ups feeling VERY solid. Feel like I could probably bang out as many as 13 strict right now. OHP, glad I decided to swap out push press for awhile. My pressing was getting very weak. So remedying that. Front squat moved pretty well. Feeling it in my lower back today though for some reason.

11/20: OFF - travel

11/22

Hotel gym - 45’ of

  1. 1/2 mile DB carries (50# bells)
  2. A bunch of pull-ups
  3. Lunges
  4. Lateral raises
  5. Curls
  6. Triceps extensions
  7. Pushups
  8. Face pulls

11/23

4 miles walk

1 Like

Really? How many times did you set them down? I used to use 50s and I think my best was about 200m before my grip gave out.

1 Like

Did 200 then 3x100 and 6x50 (all approximate as this was just paced out in a hotel gym) - but yeah, grip was first thing to go!

1 Like

I feel better now.

11/24

Push-ups lunges etc (about 100 each) at hotel.

1/25

  1. Gradual warm-up with bar
  2. A2G Front Squat: 8x1 (245) 1x3 (225)
  3. Strict OHP: 8x45-55-65-75-85-95

Quick and simple.

1/26

  1. 1k rowing warm-up
  2. Shrugs (60 reps)
  3. Lateral Raises (60 reps)
  4. Curls (60 reps)
  5. Leg Press (60 reps)

Mostly pretty easy weight (well started heavy and gradually dropped weight - leg press, all of them felt heavy, even though only 2 plates on each side, it’s my first time leg pressing in maybe 10+ years, so I felt it).

1/27

Last work day for a week, so banging away on the keyboard - will get one more session in tomorrow, then Bahamas Friday-Wednesday. I may get some sessions in at the hotel, but not the priority.

Today:

300 Swings
100 Push-ups

11/28-29 off

11/30

2k row warmup
50 reps total A2G front squats up to 250
60 reps total seated rows - pretty heavy
200 yards farmer carries w 100#DB in each head. Sets of 50 yards

12/1

  1. 2k row
  2. 5x 50 yard treadmill push sprints (treadmill off - just push as hard as possible)
  3. 50 reps of bodyweight calf raises
  4. 30 reps of RDLs at 135
  5. 50 reps of leg extensions
  6. 50 reps of biceps curls
  7. 50 reps of lateral raises
  8. 50 reps triceps extension

Great hotel gym - has everything I need - I just don’t have stable shoes for squatting or cleans - so will probably use a pair of my fancy sneakers.

We are in Bahamas for a long pre-baby trip, and the weather is perfect. Going to gym on vacation is always interesting to me, bc people don’t generally workout on vacation unless they are somewhat committed to it. Impressed by the kind of physiques many have while seemingly not being very strong. I am generally the strongest in most gyms I’m in most of the time, but generally middle of the road in Terms of my build. At least until at pool with shirts off.

1 Like

12/2

2k row warmup
Hang power cleans super set with box jumps. 20-30 reps of each - up to 235 on cleans and then back down
Pull-ups - 10-12

Elbows bothering me for some reason. Surprised how easy cleans were given that it’s been over a week since I’ve done any.

1 Like

12/3 - OFF

12/4

Rowing: 2k; Curls, Chest Press, Straight Arm pull-downs, Shoulder and hip mobility, Hanging from bar.

12/5

Bar Warm-up of squats and bent rows and OHP

  1. A2G Front Squat, gradual weight increase to 9x1 (245) 1x4 (215)
  2. Strict OHP: 8x45-55-65-75-85-95 then 4x105-95
  3. Pull-ups - accumulated 41 reps
  4. Wall Ball - 20# x 10 reps

Everything felt really solid today.

12/6 OFF

12/7

5 rounds of
1 min run
12 curls
12 triceps ext
12 lateral raises
12 leg extension
12 shrugs
1 min row

Fun session and got blood flowing

12/8 OFF - thought I’d have tons of time to workout today, but had a very big business opportunity come up that I’ve been neck deep in all day, and likely into the night.

12/9 - The neck deep issue continues today. But, when I got up, I did 5 rounds of 10:

  1. Hand Release Push-ups
  2. Goblet Squats with 55#
  3. Kettlebell RDL with 55#
  4. Biceps curls with 25# DBs